New Bill C-71 Aims to Expand Canadian Citizenship by Descent
Expanding citizenship rights for children born abroad to Canadian parents and restoring status to “Lost Canadians.”
In a significant move for Canadian citizenship, Bill C-71 was introduced on May 23, 2024, in Ottawa, with the aim of amending the Citizenship Act. This proposed legislation seeks to extend citizenship by descent beyond the current first-generation limit, providing more inclusivity for children born outside Canada to Canadian parents.
Current Limitations
Currently, a Canadian citizen parent can only directly pass on citizenship to a child born abroad if they were born in Canada or naturalized before the child’s birth. Bill C-71 intends to change this by automatically granting citizenship to anyone born to a Canadian parent outside the country before the legislation is enacted.
Restoring “Lost Canadians”
Additionally, the bill addresses the plight of the “Lost Canadians,” individuals who were unable to obtain or maintain their citizenship due to outdated laws. The new amendments aim to rectify this, restoring citizenship to those affected and their descendants.
Key Provisions of Bill C-71
- Substantial Connection Test: If a Canadian parent born outside Canada has spent at least three years in the country before their child’s birth, their child can inherit Canadian citizenship.
- Automatic Citizenship: Anyone born to a Canadian parent outside the country before the legislation is enacted would automatically be granted citizenship.
- Equal Treatment for Adopted Children: Adopted children will be able to access citizenship even if they were previously excluded by the first-generation limit.
- Lost Canadians Restored: Citizenship restored to individuals and their descendants who lost status due to outdated laws.
These changes are designed to create a clearer, fairer, and more accessible citizenship process in Canada, promoting values of democracy, equality, and inclusion.
For more details, please refer to the announcement from the IRCC newsroom.
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