IRCC Form CIT 0002: Fillable PDF

What is Form CIT 0002 used for

This is the main adult citizenship application in Canada. It collects your personal history, immigration background, addresses, work and education history, time spent inside and outside Canada, and the declarations IRCC needs to assess whether you meet the requirements for a grant of citizenship.

After IRCC accepts the application, most adult applicants are invited to a citizenship test and, if approved, to a citizenship ceremony where they take the oath. The form itself does not grant status; it starts the process.

Who files Form CIT 0002

Adults applying for a grant of citizenship file CIT 0002. The core requirements come from subsection 5(1) of the Citizenship Act, and the instruction guide that accompanies the form explains each one in detail.

• You must be a permanent resident of Canada, and your PR status must not be in question, for example through unfulfilled conditions or a removal order.
• You generally need at least 1,095 days of physical presence in Canada during the five years immediately before you sign the application.
• You must have met your Canadian income tax filing obligations for at least three taxation years within that five-year period, if you were required to file under the Income Tax Act.
• Applicants aged 18 to 54 must show adequate ability in English or French and will be tested on knowledge of Canada after applying.
• Certain criminal history inside or outside Canada can make you ineligible, so review the prohibitions section of the guide carefully.

How to fill out Form CIT 0002

Set aside time to work through the form carefully, because gaps in your address, work, or travel history are a common reason IRCC returns applications as incomplete.

Before you fill in the presence questions, use the IRCC online physical presence calculator to add up your days in Canada. IRCC asks paper applicants to include the calculator printout with the application, and it counts your eligibility window back from the date you sign.

• Download the newest version of CIT 0002 from the IRCC forms page. IRCC updates its forms, and an outdated version can be returned to you.
• Open the file in Adobe Acrobat Reader on a desktop or laptop, not in a browser tab or on a phone, so the dynamic fields render and validate correctly.
• Answer every question. Where the instructions allow it, write that a question does not apply to you rather than leaving it blank.
• List all absences from Canada in the eligibility period, including short trips, and make sure they match your physical presence calculation.
• Sign and date the form only when it is complete, since your five-year eligibility period is measured from the signature date.
• If your history is complicated, for example past criminal charges or unusual travel patterns, consider having a licensed immigration consultant (RCIC) or a lawyer review the application before you file.

Filing tips

IRCC also offers an online application route for many adult applicants through its citizenship application portal. The CIT 0002 PDF is the paper route, and the instruction guide tells you where to send the completed package.

• Follow the document checklist that comes with the application package so nothing is missing, including photos that meet the citizenship photo specifications if the checklist asks for them.
• Check the current fee on the IRCC fee list and pay it exactly as instructed, keeping the receipt with your package.
• Include your physical presence calculator printout and copies of the identity and immigration documents the checklist requests.
• Keep a full copy of everything you send, and use a mailing method you can track.