Changes to Canada's Citizenship Laws Delayed

What’s Happening with Canada's Citizenship Law Changes?

Changes to Canada’s first-generation limit (FGL) for passing on Canadian citizenship have been delayed until at least August.

What is the First-Generation Limit (FGL)?

The FGL rule states that if a Canadian citizen born outside Canada has a child also born outside Canada, that child will not automatically get Canadian citizenship.

Why the Change?

Ontario’s Supreme Court previously ordered the federal government to change this rule, calling it unconstitutional because it creates "a lesser class of citizenship." The court set a deadline of June 19, 2024, to fix the issue.

Current Status

The federal government has been given an extension by the Ontario Supreme Court, moving the deadline to August 9, 2024. There will be a hearing on August 1, 2024, to discuss a possible further extension to December 2024. The judge also requested a report on the progress of Bill C-71, which aims to repeal the FGL rule.

What is Bill C-71?

Bill C-71 is a proposed amendment to Canada’s Citizenship Act. If passed, it will grant citizenship to children of Canadian parents who were born abroad, provided their Canadian parent has spent at least 1,095 days (about 3 years) in Canada before the child’s birth or adoption.

Summer Break Impact

With the House of Commons on summer break until mid-September, it is possible that changes to the FGL rule could be delayed until December 2024.

Interim Changes Already in Place

Despite delays, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has made interim changes to help those affected by the FGL rule. Introduced on May 30, these measures allow eligible individuals to apply for urgent processing of their citizenship applications.

These interim measures apply in two scenarios:

1. The applicant has applied for proof of citizenship, is affected by the FGL rule, and has requested urgent processing.
2. The applicant's proof of citizenship application is already in process, identified as impacted by the FGL rule, and they have requested urgent processing.
   
   

Benefits of Canadian Citizenship

Canadian citizens enjoy numerous benefits, including:

• The right to live, work, and settle in Canada.
• The ability to vote and run for political office.
• Holding dual citizenship with other eligible countries.
• Receiving a Canadian passport, which is ranked among the strongest in the world.

While many permanent residents choose to become Canadian citizens, there is no legal requirement to do so. Some permanent residents opt to maintain their status without seeking citizenship.

Stay tuned for more updates on these important changes to Canada’s citizenship laws.