Do you have PR and plan to get a Canadian passport? Or maybe you want to bring your parents from Poland for a longer stay? In 2026, both paths look different than a year ago: the fee for naturalization has increased to 653 CAD, the Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship (PGP) program has been suspended as of July 15, 2026 – and the government is directly directing families to the Super Visa (stay up to 5 years upon entry!). Additionally, a major reform of citizenship by descent (Bill C-3) has come into effect. This guide walks you through naturalization, dual citizenship, spousal sponsorship, and the real path for parents – with facts verified against Canadian legislation texts and the official IRCC fee schedule.
Naturalization: The Path to a Canadian Passport
- Physical presence: 1095 days (3 years) in the last 5 years before applying (section 5 of the Citizenship Act). Time before obtaining PR (e.g., on a work permit) counts half, up to a maximum of 365 days. Use the official presence calculator – keep a travel journal, as each winter visit to Poland subtracts from your total.
- Taxes: requirement to file with CRA for 3 years within the 5-year window.
- Language and test (ages 18–54): English or French at CLB 4 level and a citizenship test (20 questions, threshold of 15 correct) from the official guide “Discover Canada.”
- Costs and time: 653 CAD for adults (100 CAD for children) – note that older guides list the outdated fee of 630; processing currently takes about 12–13 months, culminating in an oath at the ceremony.
Dual citizenship without stress: Canada fully accepts multiple citizenships, and Poland does too (with the principle that you are solely Polish before Polish authorities). A child born in Canada is a Canadian by birth (jus soli) and simultaneously a Pole by descent from a Polish parent – register the birth certificate with the Polish USC through the consulate and obtain a Polish passport for the child. A new feature from December 15, 2025 (Bill C-3): Canadian citizenship by descent extends beyond the first generation born abroad, if the Canadian parent spent at least 1095 days in Canada before the child's birth – important for families planning to return to Poland with children.
Spousal Sponsorship
- No income threshold – when sponsoring a spouse/partner (and children), there is no minimum income requirement (IRPR regulation section 133(4)); you are mainly excluded if you are receiving social assistance, have failed to meet previous sponsorship obligations, have certain convictions, or have declared bankruptcy.
- Undertaking: 3 years of financial responsibility from the time the spouse obtains PR; total fees 1260 CAD.
- Inland vs outland: an application from within Canada gives the spouse an open work permit during the waiting period; an outland application (spouse in Poland) has historically been faster for PR itself. The standard service time is 12 months – realities in 2026 may be longer, especially inland.
Parents: PGP Suspended – Super Visa is Plan A
| PGP (permanent sponsorship) | Super Visa | |
|---|---|---|
| Status 2026 | Suspended as of July 15, 2026 – no new applications or invitations “until further notice”; since 2020, there has been no new intake (invitations came from the old pool), and the queue is ~50,000 applications with a limit of 15,000 per year | Operating normally – and this is where IRCC officially directs families |
| What it offers | PR for the parent (eventually OAS after years, public health) | Multiple-entry visa for up to 10 years, stay up to 5 years per entry (+ extension possibilities) |
| Income requirements | MNI for 3 consecutive tax years (e.g., 2-person family: ~47,500 CAD for 2024) | LICO for the last year (from July 29, 2025, e.g.: 1 person ~30,500, 4 persons ~56,700 CAD – confirm the current table) |
| Commitment | 20 years (!) | Invitation letter + maintenance |
| Insurance | – | Min. 100,000 CAD per year – from January 28, 2025, it can also be from an approved foreign insurer (cheaper!); for a 70-year-old, realistically about 1200–4500 CAD/year |
Practice for a parent from Poland: for short visits, an eTA (7 CAD, valid for 5 years – apply only on the official canada.ca website, intermediary sites charge dozens of dollars for a free service) is sufficient for stays of up to 6 months; for “semi-emigration” with children – Super Visa (application from Poland, fee 100 CAD, biometrics in Warsaw). Remember that the visiting parent does not have public health care – insurance is not a formality, and they can receive ZUS pension without issues (Canadian matters are handled by the I Branch of ZUS in Łódź; annual life certification can be arranged through Polish institutions – the embassy in Ottawa, consulates in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver – or ZUS e-visit; details in the guide about Canadian pensions and ZUS).
Don't Lose PR: 730-Day Requirement
A permanent resident must spend 730 days in Canada in each rolling 5-year period (IRPA, section 28) – days spent abroad with a Canadian citizen spouse or on full-time secondment by a Canadian company also count. For those “wintering” in Poland, this is usually a comfortable margin, but long stays in the country can eat into it – and you can generally renew your PR card only from Canada (returning from abroad requires a PRTD travel document). If your plans balance between countries – naturalization solves the problem once and for all.
Immigration Climate 2026 – Briefly
The immigration plan for 2026–2028 stabilizes PR admissions at 380,000 per year (down from ~484,000 actual in 2024), with a significant cut in student permits – hence longer queues and the freezing of PGP. The practical conclusion: treat timelines as variable, and make decisions (especially regarding parents) based on programs that are functioning today – namely the Super Visa. The path to PR itself is described in the guide about Express Entry.
Checklist: (1) count days to naturalization using the IRCC calculator and apply as soon as you have 1095 + buffer; (2) for a child born in Canada, obtain both passports; (3) for parents: eTA for a trial, Super Visa for longer – with insurance compared also with foreign insurers; (4) do not plan PGP in 2026 – the program is on hold; (5) keep track of the 730 days if you spend a lot of time in Poland. Travel details (eTA, customs, dual citizenship at the border) – in the guide about traveling between Poland and Canada.
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