Many people believe that a wedding to a Canadian opens the door to a Canadian passport. It doesn’t. Marriage can be the basis for a spousal sponsorship, which leads to permanent residence if IRCC approves it. Citizenship comes later, on the same terms as for every other permanent resident. This guide walks through both steps.
Does marrying a Canadian make you a citizen?
No. IRCC’s Help Centre answers the question directly: marrying a Canadian citizen doesn’t give you citizenship. You follow the same steps as everyone else, and there isn’t a special process for spouses of Canadian citizens.
IRCC’s citizenship eligibility page says the same thing. You don’t automatically become a citizen when you marry a Canadian. The spouse of a Canadian citizen must meet the same requirements as any other adult or minor applicant.
The rule
You don’t automatically become a citizen when you marry a Canadian.
Does marriage give permanent residence?
Not on its own. The route runs through spousal sponsorship. IRCC says your Canadian spouse can sponsor you to become a permanent resident if you don’t live in Canada or aren’t already a permanent resident. For the sponsorship, IRCC requires that the spouse:
- Is legally married to the sponsor
- Is at least 18 years old
- Is in a genuine relationship with the sponsor, not only for the purpose of getting permanent resident status
- Is not inadmissible to Canada
The sponsor must be at least 18, be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident or a person registered under the Indian Act, and live in Canada. A citizen living abroad must show a plan to live in Canada when the spouse becomes a permanent resident. A permanent resident living outside Canada can’t sponsor. The sponsor also signs an undertaking to support the spouse. In most cases, IRCC sets no income requirement for sponsoring a spouse.
Do you have to be married?
No. IRCC also lets a citizen or permanent resident sponsor a common-law partner, after at least 12 consecutive months of living together in a conjugal relationship. A conjugal partner is a third option. That partner lives outside Canada, has been in an exclusive relationship with the sponsor for at least 1 year, and can’t live with the sponsor or marry for legal, immigration or other reasons.
From permanent resident to citizen
Once you are a permanent resident, IRCC’s rules for adult citizenship applicants apply to you as they do to everyone. You must:
- Have valid permanent resident status
- Have at least 1,095 days of physical presence in Canada in the 5 years before you sign your application, with at least 730 days as a permanent resident
- File income taxes in Canada for at least 3 of those 5 years, if you had to
- Prove English or French at CLB or NCLC 4, and pass the citizenship test, if you are 18 to 54
- Take the oath of citizenship
Each day in Canada as a temporary resident before you became a permanent resident counts as half a day, up to 365 days. The adult citizenship fee is $653. Our physical presence calculator does the count.
Frequently asked questions
Does marrying a Canadian make you a citizen?
No. IRCC says marrying a Canadian citizen doesn’t give you citizenship, and there is no special process for spouses of Canadian citizens. You follow the same steps as everyone else: permanent residence first, then a citizenship application once you meet the requirements, including 1,095 days of physical presence in 5 years. The citizenship section above lists every requirement.
Does marriage give you permanent residence in Canada?
Not automatically. Your Canadian spouse can sponsor you for permanent residence if you don’t live in Canada or aren’t already a permanent resident. IRCC requires a legal marriage, a genuine relationship that is not only for getting permanent resident status, and that you are not inadmissible to Canada. An officer decides. Our spousal sponsorship guide walks through the application.
How long after marrying a Canadian can I apply for citizenship?
The wedding date starts no clock. What counts is time in Canada: at least 1,095 days of physical presence in the 5 years before you apply, with at least 730 days as a permanent resident. Days in Canada as a temporary resident before that count as half days, up to 365 days. Our physical presence calculator does the count for your dates.
Can my Canadian spouse sponsor me if we live outside Canada?
Yes, if your spouse is a Canadian citizen who shows a plan to live in Canada when you become a permanent resident. A permanent resident living outside Canada can’t sponsor. The sponsor must be at least 18 and sign an undertaking to support you. In most cases, IRCC sets no income requirement for sponsoring a spouse. Our guide on who can sponsor a spouse lists the exclusions.
Do we need to be married for spousal sponsorship?
No. A Canadian citizen or permanent resident can also sponsor a common-law partner after at least 12 consecutive months of living together. A conjugal partner is another option: at least 1 year in an exclusive relationship, living outside Canada, when legal, immigration or other reasons stop the couple from living together or marrying. Our common-law sponsorship guide explains the 12-month rule.
How much does it cost to sponsor a spouse?
IRCC’s fees for sponsoring a spouse total $1,260, which includes the $600 right of permanent residence fee. Biometrics add $85 per person where required. Citizenship later costs $653 for an adult. These are IRCC fees only, and IRCC can change them. Our fee calculator shows the current total for your family.
Does Quebec have extra rules for sponsoring a spouse?
Yes. If you live in Quebec, IRCC says you must also meet Quebec’s requirements for sponsoring a spouse or partner and sign an undertaking with the Government of Quebec. Don’t send that undertaking to Quebec until IRCC tells you to, or Quebec won’t process it. Our sponsorship undertaking guide explains how long an undertaking lasts in Quebec and elsewhere.
Related guides and tools
Official sources
This page is based on law and policy published by the Government of Canada.