Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has introduced legislation to extend citizenship by descent beyond the first generation and rectify the status of “Lost Canadians.”

Background – First-generation Limit

Since legislative amendments in 2009, the Citizenship Act has imposed a first-generation limit on citizenship by descent. This limitation restricts Canadian citizens born abroad from passing on citizenship to their children born outside Canada or from applying for direct citizenship grants for children adopted abroad.

New Amendment Bill to Extend Citizenship

Today (May 23, 2024), Marc Miller, Minister of IRCC, unveiled Bill C-71, an Act to amend the Citizenship Act (2024), aiming to redress these constraints.

Beyond the First Generation

Access to direct citizenship grants will broaden to encompass children born abroad and adopted by Canadian parents beyond the first generation.

People Born Before the Legislation Comes into Force

Citizenship by descent will extend automatically to individuals born abroad to a Canadian parent, even if that parent was also born abroad.

Children Born After the Legislation Comes into Force

After the law comes into force, parents born outside Canada must have lived in Canada for at least 1,095 days before their child’s birth or adoption to pass on citizenship.

Rectifying the Citizenship Status of “Lost Canadians”

Notably, Bill C-71 seeks to rectify the status of “Lost Canadians” – individuals who lost or never acquired citizenship due to outdated provisions in prior legislation. The bill proposes to reinstate status for these individuals and extend it to their descendants.

For more details, please visit the official news release on IRCC’s website.

Visit TWA Canada Immigration News for more related updates.