On March 31, 2025, the federal government raised Canadian citizenship fees.

Permanent residents who have applied or will apply for Canadian citizenship on or after this date will now be subject to the new fee of $119.75. 

Those who have submitted a complete Canadian citizenship application online before midnight on March 31 and paid the $100 fee will not be affected by this change. 

Those who have submitted paper applications before this date may be required to pay the difference. 

Who Is Affected? 

As the federal government raised Canadian citizenship fees, it is vital to note who has been affected. 

To apply for Canadian citizenship, permanent residents 18 years of age and older are required to pay two fees, including: 

  • Processing fee ($530)
  • Right of citizenship fee (now $119.75)

This implies that adults can expect to pay a total of $649.75 instead of the $630 fee that was in place for this demographic prior to March 31. 

Stateless adults born to a Canadian parent must also pay the increased right of citizenship fee.

Minors (those under 18) are only required to pay a $100 processing fee when applying for citizenship – and this fee has remained unchanged. 

Becoming A Canadian Citizen Through Naturalization

Individuals can become Canadian citizens through naturalization if they fulfill specific criteria highlighted by the Canadian Citizenship Act. 

They need to: 

  • Have permanent resident status 
  • Meet Canada’s minimum physical presence requirements of having resided in the country for at least 1,095 days within the past five years prior to applying
  • File their taxes within that five-year period 
  • Pass a Canadian citizenship test if they are between the ages of 18 and 54 
  • Demonstrate English or French language proficiency

Minors are exempt from the physical presence requirement. 

Individuals are granted Canadian citizenship in a virtual or in-person ceremony. At the ceremony, those aged 14 years or older must take the oath of citizenship. 

At the time of writing, the current processing time for Canadian citizenship applications is approximately eight months.  

If you seek information on how to begin your Canada immigration application process, you can talk to our NavaImmigration experts at 1800-918-8490, or you can drop us an email at [email protected].