Canadian Citizenship Rules Change

Proposed changes to the rules governing Canadian citizenship have changed. These changes make it more difficult to live abroad with no connections to Canada and still retain Canadian citizenship and a passport. The modifications to Canada's Citizenship Act were made last year, and became law as of April 17 2009.

"If both the mom and the dad were born outside of Canada," says Canada's Minister of Immigration, Citizenship and Multiculturalism, "and they go outside of Canada to have kids, (the kids) don't automatically become citizens." This is becoming referred to as the "two generation rule."

As part of the modification to the laws, there will also be good news for thousands of "lost Canadians" who did not receive automatic Canadian citizenship. 'If they left the country without notifying us, for instance, as kids of Canadians born abroad, they didn't automatically become citizens.'

The changes will ensure that an estimated 95 per cent of those people will now receive citizenship. "This will give back citizenship to thousands of Canadians who lost it through no fault of their own," the Minister said. "We'll make exceptional grants of citizenship for those, the balance who fall through the cracks, and are deserving."