Adult naturalization grant (s.5(1))

CA-NAT-01 is the adult naturalization grant under section 5(1) of the Citizenship Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-29 — the principal route by which an adult permanent resident (PR) of Canada becomes a Canadian citizen. It is the country's flagship citizenship pathway: every year the large majority of new Canadian citizens are naturalized under s.5(1). The provision is framed in MANDATORY language ('the Minister SHALL grant citizenship to any person who...'), so once an applicant satisfies every enumerated condition and no prohibition applies, the grant is non-discretionary — the only discretion in section 5 sits in the s.5(3) compassionate waivers and the s.5(4) special grant. The core requirements are: PR status; physical presence in Canada of at least 1,095 days within the 5 years before the application date; income-tax filing for 3 of those 5 years; for applicants aged 18 to 54, adequate knowledge of English or French plus a passing citizenship (knowledge) test; clearance of the s.22 prohibitions; and taking the Oath of Citizenship. Bill C-6 (S.C. 2017, c. 14) reverted Bill C-24's tighter 1,460-day / 4-of-6-year regime to today's 1,095-day / 3-of-5-year standard and repealed the intent-to-reside requirement. The adult grant fee is CAD 653. As of 2026-06-01 the s.5(1) core was NOT altered by Bill C-3 (S.C. 2025, c. 5) and is stable.

As of 2026-06-01, the total IRCC fee for an adult (18 and over) citizenship grant under s.5(1) is CAD 653.00, composed of a CAD 530.00 processing fee plus the CAD 123.00 Right of Citizenship Fee (RCF). The RCF rose from CAD 119.75 to CAD 123.00 effective 2026-03-31 (an increase of CAD 3.25), and applies to applications received on or after that date; the CAD 530.00 processing component was unchanged. The legacy figures of a CAD 630 total or an RCF of CAD 100 or CAD 119.75 are STALE and must not be cited as current. By contrast, a minor (under 18) grant is CAD 100.00 (processing only, no RCF); a stateless adult born to a Canadian parent (s.5(5), CA-SPC-03) is CAD 123.00 (RCF only); a citizenship certificate / proof of citizenship is CAD 75.00. The RCF is indexed annually under the Service Fees Act, so a further small adjustment is expected around spring 2027 (mechanism only — no figure is predicted). All fee figures must be re-confirmed against the live IRCC fee list at the time of application.

The controlling provision is section 5(1) of the Citizenship Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-29. Its key sub-paragraphs are: s.5(1)(a) (makes an application); s.5(1)(c) (is a permanent resident under IRPA s.2(1) with no unfulfilled PR conditions); s.5(1)(c)(i) (physically present in Canada at least 1,095 days during the 5 years immediately before the application); s.5(1)(c)(iii) (met any applicable Income Tax Act filing requirement for 3 taxation years falling fully or partially within those 5 years); s.5(1)(d) (adequate knowledge of English or French if 18 or more but less than 55); s.5(1)(e) (adequate knowledge of Canada and of the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship if 18 or more but less than 55); and s.5(1)(f) read with s.22 (not prohibited; not under a removal order). The pre-PR physical-presence credit sits at s.5(1.001). The Oath of Citizenship threshold is at s.3(1)(c) ('14 years of age or over'). Discretionary waivers are at s.5(3)/(3.1) and the special grant at s.5(4). The grant's modern provenance runs S.C. 1974-75-76, c. 108 (in force 1977-02-15), revised into R.S.C. 1985, c. C-29; the operative residency/language standard is the Bill C-6 reversion (S.C. 2017, c. 14). 'Court' for any review means the Federal Court (s.2(1)).