Canadian citizenship application timeline: what happens next

Start with your application category

Use IRCC’s instructions for your own category. Adult and minor applications have different requirements. Check the document checklist and current fees before submitting; a practice-test purchase is not an immigration application fee.

Follow your application, not a fixed countdown

Keep copies of what you submit and use the status service identified by IRCC. Respond to requests by the deadline in the request. There is no reliable fixed number of weeks from each stage to the next.

Prepare while you wait

Read Discover Canada and use short practice sessions to find topics to revisit. Do not delay studying until your invitation arrives or assume a practice score predicts your official result.

Read the test invitation carefully

Your invitation governs your test dates and format. The knowledge test has 20 questions, lasts 45 minutes, and requires 15 correct answers. Language requirements are separate.

Understand the result and next steps

Online results initially shown are unofficial until IRCC reviews them. Up to three test attempts are available within the test period; failing all three leads to a hearing with a citizenship official. Follow your invitation and IRCC’s current instructions.

Wait for ceremony instructions

A passing knowledge score does not itself confer citizenship. Follow any further requests and the ceremony invitation, including instructions for the oath form and certificate.

Frequently asked questions

Official sources

• IRCC: eligibility / admissibilité
• IRCC: processing times / délais
• IRCC: test results / résultats du test