To apply for Canadian citizenship for your child, they must be a permanent resident and meet eligibility requirements under one of two pathways — and which pathway applies to your family determines everything from the documents you need to whether a physical presence calculation is required.
At Kingwell Immigration Law, we guide families through this process from start to finish, making sure the right pathway is identified and the application is complete before a single form is submitted.
Speak with our family sponsorship lawyer in Toronto to find out how we can support your family’s immigration goals.
When you are trying to secure your child’s future in Canada, the last thing you need is an application returned for missing documents or a refusal you did not see coming. We guide parents and legal guardians through every stage of the citizenship process, from confirming which pathway applies to your child’s situation to preparing a complete, accurate application.
Founded by Daniel Kingwell, our Toronto-based firm brings over 20 years of experience in Canadian immigration law, including a strong track record representing clients before the Federal Court of Canada.
While many families go through the citizenship process without complications, some do not — and when a refusal or procedural issue arises, having an experienced legal team already familiar with your file makes a critical difference.
We work with families across Canada and around the world, including those dealing with situations such as:
If your family’s situation is straightforward, we can help you move through the process efficiently and with confidence. If it is not, we are positioned to find the right path forward.
Before applying for citizenship for your child, it is worth confirming whether they may already hold Canadian citizenship through descent. Children born outside Canada to a Canadian parent may already be citizens by birth — but this must be confirmed through a separate proof of citizenship application, not a citizenship grant application.
This is one of the most common points of confusion families encounter. There are two distinct processes:
| Process | Who It Is For | What You Are Applying For |
|---|---|---|
| Citizenship certificate (proof of citizenship) | Child born outside Canada to a Canadian parent | Confirmation that the child is already a citizen |
| Citizenship grant application | Child who is a permanent resident and not yet a citizen | Granting the child Canadian citizenship |
If your child was born in Canada, they are generally a Canadian citizen by birth. If your child was born abroad to a Canadian parent, a citizenship certificate application is the correct route — however, some children born abroad to Canadian parents who were themselves born outside Canada may not automatically acquire citizenship due to the first-generation limit under the Citizenship Act.
If your child came to Canada as a permanent resident, a citizenship grant application is the right process — and that is what this article covers.
We can confirm which process applies to your child’s situation before a single form is completed.
💡 Additional reading: If my child is born in Canada, can I get citizenship?
A child under 18 years old can apply for Canadian citizenship as a permanent resident. The eligibility requirements differ depending on which of the two application pathways applies to their situation.
Minor 5(2) — child with a Canadian parent, or a parent applying at the same time
This is the more common pathway for families applying for citizenship together. Under this route:
Minor 5(1) — child without a Canadian parent or a parent applying at the same time
This pathway applies when a child is applying without a Canadian parent or a co-applying parent. Under this route:
In both pathways, the child must not be under any prohibition — meaning no unresolved criminal or security matters that would bar them from citizenship under the Citizenship Act.
Unlike adults, minor children under 18 do not need to prove language skills in English or French, and they do not need to pass the citizenship test. Children between the ages of 14 and 17 are required to take the oath of citizenship if their application is approved. Children under 14 are exempt from the oath as well.
Under the Minor 5(1) pathway, the child may need to have filed income tax returns for at least 3 of the 5 years before the application date, if they were required to file under the Income Tax Act. Under the Minor 5(2) pathway, this requirement does not apply to the child.
We will confirm which requirements apply to your child and make sure the application reflects their situation accurately.
💡 Additional reading: If my child is born in Canada, can I get permanent residency?
Under the Minor 5(1) pathway, correctly calculating your child’s physical presence in Canada is one of the most consequential steps in the application. Errors in this calculation are one of the leading reasons applications are returned as incomplete.
The calculation works as follows:
IRCC provides a physical presence calculator to assist with this step. We review physical presence calculations carefully as part of every application we prepare, so families are not caught off guard after submitting.
The exact documents required depend on the pathway you are applying under and whether you are applying online or on paper. In general, the application package for a minor’s citizenship grant requires:
If any documents are not in English or French, certified translations are required. IRCC will not begin processing an application that is missing required documents — it will be returned, and the processing clock resets.
We prepare and review document packages with families to make sure nothing is missing before submission.
If you have questions about what your child’s application requires, book an appointment, and we will walk you through it.
IRCC strongly encourages families to apply online, and most are now able to do so. Applying online is faster, reduces the risk of common errors through built-in checks, and provides immediate confirmation that the application was received.
A parent or legal guardian creates an account on the IRCC online portal, creates the minor’s application within that account, completes and signs the forms, pays the fee, and submits. If the child is between 14 and 17 years old, they must also sign their own application.
There are limited situations where a paper application is still required:
Paper applications are mailed to the IRCC Case Processing Centre in Sydney, Nova Scotia, and must be submitted within 90 days of the date they were signed. IRCC recommends using a courier service with a tracking number.
The processing fee for a minor’s citizenship application is $100 CAD. Unlike adult applications, the minor’s fee does not include a right of citizenship fee, and it is non-refundable once processing has begun. Current fees can always be confirmed on the IRCC fee list.
Once IRCC receives the application, they review it for completeness before issuing an acknowledgement of receipt (AOR). Receiving an AOR means IRCC has confirmed the application is complete and has begun processing it. If the application is incomplete, IRCC will return it — and if it was submitted as part of a group, all applications in the group will be returned together.
After the AOR, the next steps depend on the child’s age. Children under 14 do not need to attend a ceremony or take an oath. Children aged 14 to 17 will be scheduled for a citizenship ceremony once their application is approved, where they take the oath of citizenship.
IRCC may also contact the family for additional information, a fingerprint submission, or as part of a Quality Assurance review. It is important to keep IRCC updated if your address or contact information changes after submission. Processing times vary and are updated regularly on the IRCC website.
Most citizenship applications for minor children proceed without issue. When they do not, the stakes are high for your family.
Applications may be returned for missing documents, an error in the physical presence calculation, or an incomplete form. Applications may be refused for more serious reasons, such as a finding that the eligibility requirements are not met or the existence of a prohibition.
If a citizenship application is refused, options may include resubmitting with corrected information, requesting reconsideration, or challenging the decision through a judicial review at the Federal Court of Canada.
Our firm has represented clients in Federal Court proceedings across a range of immigration matters, and we can assess whether a refused application has grounds for challenge and advise your family honestly on the realistic path forward.
If a refusal has occurred, acting quickly matters because judicial review timelines are strict under the Federal Courts Act.
Securing your child’s Canadian citizenship is a milestone your family has earned. At Kingwell Immigration Law, we handle the process from start to finish — confirming the right pathway, preparing a complete and accurate application, and standing by your family if complications arise, including at the Federal Court level.
Your child’s citizenship is more than an application — it is the final step in securing their place in Canada. Call 416.988.8853 or book a consultation to ensure the process is handled carefully and correctly from the start.
These are two separate legal processes. A citizenship grant application is for a child who is a permanent resident and applying to become a citizen for the first time. A citizenship certificate confirms that a child is already a Canadian citizen, for example, a child born outside Canada to a Canadian parent. Applying under the wrong process will result in the application being returned and a delay for your family.
Yes. Under the Minor 5(2) pathway, a parent does not need to already be a citizen — they simply need to be applying for citizenship at the same time as the child. Both applications are submitted together and processed concurrently by IRCC. This is one of the most common ways families approach the process.
Under the Minor 5(1) pathway only, a child may apply without a parent or legal guardian if there is genuinely no one available to apply on their behalf. The child must select a waiver option on the application requesting to apply alone, and IRCC will either approve or deny that request. If the request is denied, processing pauses until an eligible person can submit on the child’s behalf.
A refusal is not the end of the road, and it is important not to simply reapply without first identifying why the refusal occurred. Depending on the reasons given, options may include resubmitting with corrected documents, requesting reconsideration, or pursuing a judicial review at the Federal Court of Canada.
Deadlines for seeking judicial review are strict under the Federal Courts Act, so speaking with an immigration lawyer promptly is important.
No. The processing fee for a minor under 18 is $100 CAD, which covers the processing fee only. Adults pay both a processing fee and a right of citizenship fee, which increased on March 31, 2025. The minor’s $100 fee is non-refundable once processing has begun, regardless of the final decision.
IRCC will send a letter specifying exactly what is missing and whether a new application form is required, the physical presence calculation needs to be redone, or additional documents must be provided. The application must be fully resubmitted, and the processing time restarts from the date IRCC receives the corrected package.
Our team can review what went wrong and prepare a corrected, complete application on your family’s behalf.
