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Canadian citizenship is highly valued around the world. It provides the right to vote, to run for political office and to hold a Canadian passport. For many immigrants, citizenship is key to integration. It also provides a sense of belonging to a diverse and inclusive country built on the principles of democracy, equality and multiculturalism.
Legislative changes in 2009 amended the Citizenship Act to add a first-generation limit to citizenship by descent, which means that a Canadian citizen parent can pass on citizenship to a child born outside Canada if they were either born in Canada or naturalized before the birth of the child.
As a result of the first-generation limit, Canadian citizens who were born outside Canada cannot pass on citizenship to their child born outside Canada, and cannot apply for a direct grant of citizenship for a child born outside Canada and adopted.
Today, the Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, introduced legislation that would extend citizenship by descent beyond the first generation in a way that is inclusive and protects the value of Canadian citizenship.
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