Canada announced the Citizenship by Descent Act, children born abroad can also inherit citizenship!

Today, Canada's Minister of Immigration, Lena Metlege Diab, proposed a bill that will expand the scope of inheritance of Canadian citizenship in an inclusive manner beyond the first generation and maintain the value of Canadian citizenship.

This bill (C-3) will automatically grant Canadian citizenship to anyone who was denied due to the first-generation restriction or certain outdated provisions in previous citizenship laws.

A new descent citizenship framework will be established: if a Canadian parent resides in Canada for more than 3 years (1095 days) before the birth or adoption of their child, the child born or adopted abroad will obtain citizenship.

The government's official website states that Canadian citizenship is at the core of Canadian identity, providing a sense of belonging and connecting people closely with this diverse, inclusive, and democratic country. For many new Canadian immigrants, citizenship is key to integration, and the government is committed to making the citizenship application process as fair and transparent as possible.

Due to the first-generation restriction on obtaining Canadian citizenship for individuals born abroad, most citizens with Canadian citizenship cannot pass on their citizenship to children born or adopted outside of Canada. The current first-generation citizenship restriction no longer adapts to the lifestyles of Canadian families both domestically and internationally and no longer reflects Canadian values.

Currently, Bill C-3 passed its first reading on June 5. This bill must go through three readings, be passed by both houses of parliament, and receive approval to become law.

Under the first-generation restriction introduced in the Citizenship Act in 2009, children born abroad to Canadian citizens cannot acquire descent citizenship. However, under the descent citizenship framework, children of Canadian citizens can acquire citizenship regardless of where they were born.

In December 2023, the Ontario Superior Court ruled that the current version of the "first-generation restriction" is unconstitutional because it creates a second-class citizenship and infringes upon the mobility rights of Canadians.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1834138246947852/

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