The Pitch – Why are citizens of other countries waking up Canadian citizens?

April 17, 2009 – 7:17 pm – No Comment

What is going on with Canada’s citizenship rules?

Question:

New legislation just took place in Canada that refers to the citizenship of citizens of other countries that are tied to Canadian citizens. What is going on with Canada’s citizenship rules?

Answer:

On April 17, Canada amended its Citizenship Act to automatically restore Canadian nationality to people who were forced to renounce it when they became citizens of another country. It also grants citizenship to the children of those who had to renounce their citizenship.

While the Canadian government doesn’t know the number of people their new legislation covers. Records from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security shows that 240,000 Canadians were naturalized in the United States between 1948 and 1977, the time period in which the new legislation covers.

From the Wall Street Journal online:

Eligible individuals automatically become Canadian citizens. But they don’t get proof of that citizenship unless they apply for it, meaning other countries — including those that allow people to be citizens of only one nation — won’t be alerted, according to the immigration office spokeswoman. Those people also may renounce their citizenship rights, she said.

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