For Whitby residents
Where you are in the process decides what you need
Our immigration law page covers every pathway. For Whitby, this page looks most closely at the step that usually comes last: citizenship. Other local services are on our Whitby page.
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Citizenship
Counting physical presence against your travel records, checking taxes and language evidence, and preparing the application for adults and children.
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PR card renewal
Renewals when the card has less than nine months left, with your residency days checked first.
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Family sponsorship
Spouses, partners and children, and super visas for parents and grandparents.
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Work & study permits
Extensions before expiry, new employers, and the move from a permit to permanent residence.
Eligibility
Counting to 1,095 days, and the rest of the checklist
Most citizenship problems come from counting days wrongly. The test itself is rarely the hard part.
Physical presence
Adults must have been physically present in Canada for at least 1,095 days in the five years before the date they sign the application. Days you spent here as a temporary resident or protected person before becoming a permanent resident count as half days, up to a maximum credit of 365 days. So a Whitby resident who studied or worked here before landing may qualify sooner than they think, and someone who travels often for work may qualify later. IRCC’s citizenship eligibility page links to its physical presence calculator.
Taxes, language and the test
You must have filed Canadian income taxes for at least three years within the five-year period, if you were required to. Applicants aged 18 to 54 when they sign must show English or French at Canadian Language Benchmark level 4 in speaking and listening, and pass the citizenship test on the rights and responsibilities of citizens and on Canada’s history, geography and government.
Children
A parent or legal guardian applies for a child under 18. Children don’t take the test or prove language ability. Whether a child must also meet the 1,095-day requirement depends on the route used, for example whether a parent is already a citizen or is applying at the same time, so families usually plan the parents’ and children’s applications together.
Things that stop an application
Time in prison, on parole or on probation doesn’t count as time in Canada. Certain criminal charges, convictions and prohibitions can make you ineligible for a time, and so can being under a removal order. If anything like that is in your past, even abroad, tell us before you apply. Not having enough days is easy to fix by waiting; a misstatement on the form is not.
Planning the next stage of family life at the same time? Our Whitby wills page covers wills and guardianship.
Why Wannes Law
A Toronto law firm that keeps you informed
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A licensed Ontario lawyer
Rosalie Wannes, licensed by the Law Society of Ontario, is responsible for your file from start to finish.
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Fees before you commit
Instant online quotes and published flat fees, so you know the cost before you retain us.
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Every step explained
Plain-language explanations of what happens, what you provide and what we handle, at every stage.
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Direct access
Reach your lawyer and law clerk directly by phone and email while your matter is underway.
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Sign in person or remotely
Meet at our Sheppard Ave E office in Toronto, or review documents by video and courier the originals.
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English, Armenian and Arabic
Talk through your matter in the language you are most comfortable with.
Step by step
A Whitby citizenship application, from travel log to oath
The work is done by phone and email; you don’t need to come to our Toronto office unless a document has to be sworn.
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Step 1: Rebuild your travel history
Every trip out of Canada in the five-year window, with dates. We compare your list against passport stamps and other records, because gaps and mismatches are what officers question.
You provide
- All passports used in the five years
- Your own list of trips, however rough
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Step 2: Check taxes and language evidence
Confirm the tax years that count, and whether your language evidence is acceptable, such as an approved test or qualifying education in English or French.
You provide
- Notices of assessment
- Language test results or diplomas
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Step 3: Choose the date you sign
Your five-year window is fixed by the day you sign. If you are counting close to the minimum, waiting a few weeks is usually safer than applying with a narrow margin.
We handle
- Physical presence calculation
- Complete application package
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Step 4: Test, interview and ceremony
After the application is processed, you may be invited to a test or interview, and finally to a ceremony to take the oath. IRCC holds ceremonies virtually or in person; the invitation sets out the format, date and place, and you can ask to change format through it.
In Whitby
Local resources for Whitby newcomers
In the 2021 Census, 27.8% of Whitby residents in private households were immigrants, and about half of those admitted since 1980 came as economic immigrants (Statistics Canada). Free local help is available for the practical side of settling, and for preparing for the citizenship test.
Free help
- Whitby Public Library hosts settlement workers at its Central Library, through Community Development Council Durham, plus an English conversation circle
- The Durham Immigration Portal, run with the Region of Durham, for jobs, schools, housing and settlement services across the region
- IRCC’s free citizenship study guide, Discover Canada
What we handle
- Physical presence calculations and the citizenship application
- Applications for children, and for adults with a complicated travel or status history
- PR card renewals where days are close
- Any history that could affect eligibility, handled before you sign
Questions
Whitby immigration and citizenship questions
I studied in Whitby before I became a permanent resident. Does that time count toward citizenship?
Partly. Each day you were in Canada as a temporary resident or protected person in the five-year window before you became a permanent resident counts as half a day, up to a maximum of 365 days of credit.
Do I need to take the citizenship test?
If you are between 18 and 54 on the day you sign, yes. Applicants in that age group also need to show English or French language ability at CLB 4 in speaking and listening.
Will my citizenship ceremony be in Whitby?
IRCC decides the format and location and puts them in your invitation. Ceremonies are held in person or virtually, and you can ask to change the format through the invitation.
My PR card expires in six months and I want to apply for citizenship. Which comes first?
You don’t need a valid PR card to apply for citizenship, but you may need one to travel. If you plan to travel before becoming a citizen, renew the card; IRCC says to apply when it has less than nine months left.
Do you have an office in Whitby?
No. Our office is at 3319 Sheppard Ave E, Suite 103, in Toronto. Citizenship files are handled by phone and email, in English, Armenian or Arabic.
Can I apply for my children at the same time?
Yes. A parent or legal guardian applies for a child under 18, and children don’t need to take the test or show language ability. Whether the child needs 1,095 days of their own depends on the route, so we plan the family’s applications together.
How much does a citizenship application cost with a lawyer?
Our fee is quoted individually once we understand your file. IRCC’s fees are separate. Use the quote form to tell us about your application.
Areas We Serve
Immigration advice across Durham and the GTA
Phone consultations wherever you live; each page covers what is local.
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Scarborough
Immigration lawyer for Scarborough clients. Our office is on Sheppard Ave E.
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North York
Immigration lawyer for North York clients.
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Markham
Immigration lawyer for Markham clients.
Here to help
Count the days before you sign.
Book a free 15-minute call, or tell us about your application in the quote form.
Prefer to talk now? Call (647) 707-7718 · Service in English, Armenian and Arabic