Canada | Bill to update Canadian citizenship by descent

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada introduced new legislation extending citizenship by descent beyond the current first-generation limit.

Key Points:

• Currently, the Citizenship Act has a first-generation limit to citizenship by descent for individuals born abroad.
• The bill’s new framework for citizenship by descent would allow access to Canadian citizenship beyond the first generation if the parent had a substantial connection to Canada demonstrated by about three years of physical presence in the country before their child’s birth or adoption.
• The bill would also automatically give Canadian citizenship to anyone who would have been granted citizenship had the first-generation limit not been held.
• The bill needs to pass both Houses of Parliament in order to become law.