Citizenship by descent or permanent residence?

If you are in Canada on a permit, permanent residence is the route everyone talks about. For a small number of people there is another one, and it works on a completely different principle.

Asking, and proving

Permanent residence is something you ask for. You apply under a program, the government measures you against its criteria, and it says yes or no.

Citizenship by descent is something you prove. Either the law already makes you a citizen through your family line, or it doesn't. No officer weighs your age, your job or your language score, because none of that is relevant. The only question is whether the facts are true and can be shown.

What each one requires

Permanent residence depends on the program. Typically that means language tests, an assessment of your education, proof of work experience or funds, medical and background checks, and often a ranking against other candidates.

Citizenship by descent requires one thing: a Canadian citizen in your direct line, with records linking each generation. There is no language test, no points score and no annual limit.

That is also its limit. If there is no Canadian in your direct line, this route does not exist for you, and nothing can be done to create it.

What each one gives you

• The right to stay. A permanent resident keeps status by spending 730 days in Canada in every five years. A citizen has no such rule.
• Work. Both can work for any employer.
• A vote and a passport. Only citizens have them.
• Security. Permanent residence can be lost, for example through long absences or serious criminality. Citizenship is lost only in rare cases, such as fraud in obtaining it.
• Your children. A citizen can pass citizenship to children born abroad, subject to the 1,095-day rule. A permanent resident cannot.

Most permanent residents go on to apply for citizenship by naturalization once they have lived in Canada long enough. A citizen by descent is already there.

Can you pursue both?

They are separate processes, and one doesn't cancel the other. But they interact, and the order in which you do things can matter.

Two points hold in every case. First, until a citizenship certificate is issued, your current permit and its conditions are what give you the right to be in Canada, so keep it valid. Second, what to do about an immigration application that is already in progress is a question for a licensed representative, not a blog post.

Which one is realistic for you

Start with the family. If a parent, grandparent or earlier ancestor was Canadian, it is worth finding out exactly how, and when. If nobody was, put your energy into the immigration route.

Our eligibility check takes about two minutes and tells you plainly which side of that line your answers put you on.