Canada Sets 18 as Minimum Age for Adult Citizenship Applications

Canada has set the age of 18 as the minimum for foreign nationals who want to apply for citizenship as adults. There are separate ways for kids and teenagers under 18 to apply.

On Thursday, MSN, Microsoft’s news site, reported that the rules from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) explain what minors need to do to get Canadian citizenship. This depends on whether they have a Canadian parent or a parent applying for citizenship with them.

"Under the guidelines, applicants aged 18 and above must meet the standard eligibility requirements for adult citizenship applications."

"However, children below 18 can apply through two separate categories, known as Minor 5(2) and Minor 5(1), depending on their family and legal circumstances."

The Minor 5(2) pathway is for children who have at least one Canadian parent or whose parent is applying for Canadian citizenship at the same time.

"Applications under this category must be submitted by the child’s biological parent, adoptive parent or legal guardian," IRCC said.

The child must also have permanent resident status in Canada and cannot be under any citizenship prohibition.

The second pathway, Minor 5(1), is for children who do not have a Canadian parent and whose parent is not applying for citizenship with them.

Under Minor 5(1), a wider range of adults can apply for the child, including those with legal custody. The person applying does not need to be a Canadian citizen.

If there is no suitable adult to apply for the child, the minor can submit an application on their own.

However, kids applying through Minor 5(1) have more conditions to meet compared to those under Minor 5(2).

In addition to having permanent resident status, they must meet the physical presence requirements in Canada. They might also need to show that they have filed income tax returns.

IRCC also has specific rules for teenagers aged between 14 and 17.

Under the guidelines, applicants in this age group whose citizenship applications are accepted must take the oath of citizenship at a formal ceremony.

But kids under 14 do not need to take the oath.

This means that while 18 is the minimum age for applying through Canada’s adult citizenship process, younger applicants can still get citizenship through the minor application pathways.

Foreign nationals and families looking to become Canadian citizens should check the eligibility requirements on IRCC’s official citizenship guidance before applying.