Citizenship articles of interest March 2026

2026/03/31 Leave a comment

Articles and opinions related to citizenship that I found of interest in March:

Idées | Après la loi C-3, un réveil franco-américain

This is the second article that has focussed on potential applicants from early waves of Canadian francophone emigrants to the USA. This possibility was never raised I believe in either House or Senate hearings on C-3 and its predecessors, and the focus and discussion was on second generation, not earlier generations (Indian media did flag possibility). I will be making a data request in 2027 and have asked IRCC whether their data collection will distinguish between second and earlier generations:

…“Pour comprendre l’onde de choc, il faut revenir au fameux « plafond » : la limite de première génération. En clair, les enfants nés à l’étranger de parents canadiens pouvaient être citoyens canadiens, mais ne pouvaient pas transmettre automatiquement leur citoyenneté à leurs propres enfants si eux aussi naissaient à l’étranger. La chaîne s’arrêtait après une génération née hors du pays.

Une décision rendue en Ontario en décembre 2023 a jugé ce régime inconstitutionnel dans certains cas, ce qui a forcé Ottawa à corriger le tir. C-3 permet donc la citoyenneté au-delà de la première génération née à l’étranger, mais en posant une condition de « lien substantiel » : la citoyenneté peut circuler plus loin dans la chaîne familiale à condition qu’il y ait une ancre réelle au pays, démontrée par 1095 jours — trois ans — de présence physique cumulative au Canada.

Et voilà ce qui change tout : pour beaucoup, il ne s’agit pas de « demander » la citoyenneté comme un privilège, mais de faire reconnaître un statut qui s’appuie maintenant sur des règles précises afin d’obtenir une preuve de citoyenneté. Psychologiquement, ce n’est pas la même posture.”

Pourquoi la Nouvelle-Angleterre s’enflamme

Si cette loi fait battre le cœur de la Nouvelle-Angleterre, ce n’est pas un hasard. Entre 1830 et 1970, près d’un million de Québécois ont traversé la frontière — surtout vers les villes industrielles — pour travailler dans les filatures et les manufactures. Le résultat démographique est immense : leurs descendants représentent aujourd’hui près de dix millions d’Américains.

Cette diaspora a longtemps été racontée comme une épopée ouvrière : un peuple qui quitte la terre, cherche du travail, construit des quartiers, des paroisses, des clubs, fondent des journaux. Mais c’est aussi une histoire de hiérarchie sociale : des Canadiens français devenus main-d’œuvre bon marché, comme tant d’autres groupes dans l’Amérique industrielle. Ce double héritage explique la charge émotionnelle du moment : la loi C-3 ne touche pas seulement un cas juridique ; elle réveille une mémoire.

Surtout, elle arrive des années après qu’une fierté franco-américaine s’est reconstruite « par en bas » : balados, blogues, festivals, initiatives locales. Parmi ceux qui s’activent aujourd’hui, il y a des amis à moi qui animent un balado franco-américain très écouté, d’autres qui ont fondé le PoutineFest du New Hampshire — devenu assez solide pour essaimer, avec des éditions à Burlington, au Vermont, et dans “le Maine — et d’autres encore qui tiennent depuis longtemps des blogues franco-américains. La fierté n’a pas attendu Ottawa. Mais l’accès, lui, oui.

L’Amérique pousse, le Québec attire

Pourquoi maintenant ? Parce que l’Amérique inquiète. Dans mes échanges, je sens moins une mode qu’une fatigue : fatigue politique, fatigue institutionnelle, fatigue culturelle. La citoyenneté canadienne devient un filet de sécurité pour certains : un passeport, oui, mais surtout une option familiale.

Mais réduire ce mouvement à une fuite serait une erreur. Beaucoup ne parlent pas d’abord de soins de santé ou d’élections. Ils parlent de langue. Ils parlent d’immersion. Ils parlent d’un désir de vivre — enfin — dans un endroit où le français n’est pas un folklore, mais un espace public.

Plusieurs se disent fièrement Franco-Américains. D’autres se décrivent carrément comme « Québécois », avec ce mélange de fierté et d’envie : envie d’une société qu’ils perçoivent comme plus cohérente, plus collective, moins brutale. Et ils sont lucides : tous ne pourront pas transférer leur carrière ici. Les avocats, les fiscalistes, ceux qui ont des professions encadrées le savent. Pourtant, ils avancent, parce que ce n’est pas seulement une équation économique : c’est une trajectoire.

Bienvenue chez vous »… mais préparons-nous

Soyons francs : cette loi a un impact particulier — et probablement disproportionné — sur les descendants de Québécois aux États-Unis. Elle ne déclenchera pas automatiquement une migration de masse. Les démarches restent exigeantes : prouver la filiation, retrouver les bons documents, faire valider les chaînes.

Mais la direction du courant est claire. Et le Québec doit regarder cette réalité en face : une partie de cette diaspora va frapper à sa porte, non pas comme des étrangers, mais comme des « revenants » — avec une attache réelle, un imaginaire familial, parfois un français brisé, parfois un français intact.

La question n’est donc pas seulement de savoir combien viendront, mais comment on les accueillera. Oui, la citoyenneté donne des droits. Mais l’installation au Québec implique aussi des devoirs, des choix, un ancrage. Et si une partie de cette vague devient une immigration durable, elle peut aussi être un gain : démographique, économique, culturel — et, franchement, linguistique, si ces nouveaux arrivants viennent précisément chercher le français.

Alors, oui : Québécois et Canadiens français, préparez-vous à dire « bienvenue chez vous ». Mais disons-le intelligemment : avec des parcours d’accueil réalistes, des ponts de francisation adaptés et un discours public qui évite de transformer des cousins en boucs émissaires.

Parce qu’au fond, C-3 ne fait pas que corriger une incohérence juridique. Elle réactive une vieille histoire : celle d’un peuple parti travailler ailleurs… et dont les descendants, un siècle plus tard, demandent non pas la permission, mais la reconnaissance de revenir toucher le fil.”

Rémi Francœur Franco-Américain, l’auteur est analyste politique et ancien directeur de campagnes politiques au New Hampshire. Il est installé à Montréal depuis 2015.

…”To understand the shock wave, we must return to the famous “ceiling”: the first generation limit. Clearly, children born abroad to Canadian parents could be Canadian citizens, but could not automatically transmit their citizenship to their own children if they were also born abroad. The channel stopped after a generation born outside the country.

A decision rendered in Ontario in December 2023 ruled this regime unconstitutional in some cases, forcing Ottawa to correct the situation. C-3 therefore allows citizenship beyond the first generation born abroad, but by placing a condition of “substantial link”: citizenship can circulate further in the family chain provided that there is a real anchor in the country, demonstrated by 1095 days – three years – of cumulative physical presence in Canada.

And this is what changes everything: for many, it is not a question of “asking” citizenship as a privilege, but of having a status recognized that is now based on precise rules in order to obtain proof of citizenship. Psychologically, it’s not the same posture.”

Why New England is on fire

If this law makes the heart of New England beat, it is no coincidence. Between 1830 and 1970, nearly a million Quebecers crossed the border — mainly to industrial cities — to work in spinning mills and factories. The demographic result is immense: their descendants now represent nearly ten million Americans.

This diaspora has long been told as a workers’ epic: a people who leave the earth, look for work, build neighborhoods, parishes, clubs, found newspapers. But it is also a story of social hierarchy: French Canadians who have become cheap labor, like so many other groups in industrial America. This double legacy explains the emotional charge of the moment: Law C-3 does not only affect a legal case; it awakens a memory.

Above all, it comes years after a Franco-American pride has rebuilt itself “from the bottom”: podcasts, blogs, festivals, local initiatives. Among those who are active today, there are friends of mine who host a much listened to Franco-American podcast, others who founded the PutinFest of New Hampshire – which has become solid enough to swarm, with editions in Burlington, Vermont, and in “Maine – and others who have long held Franco-American blogs. Pride did not wait for Ottawa. But access, yes.

America is pushing, Quebec attracts

Why now? Because America is worried. In my exchanges, I feel less a fashion than a fatigue: political fatigue, institutional fatigue, cultural fatigue. Canadian citizenship becomes a safety net for some: a passport, yes, but above all a family option.

But reducing this movement to a leak would be a mistake. Many do not first talk about health care or elections. They speak language. They talk about immersion. They speak of a desire to live – finally – in a place where French is not a folklore, but a public space.

Many proudly call themselves Franco-Americans. Others describe themselves flatly as “Quebecers”, with this mixture of pride and envy: desire for a society that they perceive as more coherent, more collective, less brutal. And they are lucid: not all will be able to transfer their career here. Lawyers, tax specialists, those who have supervised professions know it. However, they move forward, because it is not just an economic equation: it is a trajectory.

Welcome home”… but let’s get ready

Let’s be frank: this law has a particular — and probably disproportionate — impact on the descendants of Quebecers in the United States. It will not automatically trigger a mass migration. The steps remain demanding: prove filiation, find the right documents, have the channels validated.

But the direction of the current is clear. And Quebec must face this reality: part of this diaspora will knock on its door, not as foreigners, but as “revenants” – with a real attachment, a family imagination, sometimes a broken Frenchman, sometimes an intact Frenchman.

The question is therefore not only how many will come, but how they will be welcomed. Yes, citizenship gives rights. But settling in Quebec also implies duties, choices, an anchorage. And if part of this wave becomes sustainable immigration, it can also be a gain: demographic, economic, cultural – and, frankly, linguistic, if these newcomers come precisely for French.

So, yes: Quebecers and French Canadians, get ready to say “welcome home”. But let’s say it intelligently: with realistic welcome paths, adapted francization bridges and a public discourse that avoids turning cousins into scapegoats.

Because basically, C-3 does not only correct a legal inconsistency. It reactivates an old story: that of a people who have gone to work elsewhere… and whose descendants, a century later, ask not for permission, but the recognition of returning to touch the thread.”

Rémi Francœur Franco-American, the author is a political analyst and former director of political campaigns in New Hampshire. It has been based in Montreal since 2015.

Source: Idées | Après la loi C-3, un réveil franco-américain

Canadians living abroad are calling for increased turnout among overseas voters and arguing that barriers to casting a ballot could be affecting election results.

Looking forward the PROC report and recommendations. In contrast to the USA with relatively strong Republicans and Democrats Abroad, Canadian political parties do not appear to have the same interest although the Liberals seem to have a greater focus that the Conservatives (https://www.conservativesabroad.ca). The Liberals have the expansive multi-generational interpretation of C-3. As in the case of “Lost Canadians” and previous elections, the number who may be interested and vote is likely smaller than advocates believer.

Upcoming analysis on the provincial and country breakdowns for the 2025 election, sample below, Ontario and British Columbia have higher proportions than other provinces:

Timothy Veale, the director of Grits Abroad — an organization aimed at connecting Canadian Liberal voters living worldwide — said nearly five million Canadians live outside the country and roughly 3.5 million of them are eligible to vote.

Veale said the share of non-resident Canadians voting in federal elections is mired in the low single digits. He said the causes include mail-only voting, compressed timelines, uncertainty about ballot arrival and delivery and a lack of outreach from party campaigns.

Daniel Scuka, a member of Grits Abroad living in Germany, said parties need to “wake up” and encourage Canadians overseas to vote. He said Elections Canada could also be directed to do more to support overseas voting.

Veale said federal parties should see overseas voters as an opportunity.

“I’d like to see a politician ask us for their vote,” he said. “In the last election … I don’t think anybody courted any of the five million people living overseas.”

Veale said the system “needs modernization” and Canadians should be able to vote in person at an embassy, consulate or high commission. He also pointed out that several countries allow online voting.

“We have the right to vote and a 37-day election was not designed for people abroad to apply to vote,” he said. “If you get approval, then you have to wait for the ballot to be sent to you, then you have to send it back. And imagine having to navigate over 200 different national postal systems around the world.

“We’ve seen how other countries operate and we can do way better than this. It’s just a matter of will, as I see it.”

Elections Canada said in an email that 101,690 voting kits were issued to electors living outside of Canada in the last general election. Of those, 57,440 were returned on time and tallied….

Source: Canadians living abroad looking to increase voter turnout ahead of byelections

As Americans in Canada prepare U.S. tax filings, lower citizenship renunciation fee offers a way out

Not to be cynical but given that Democrats abroad tend to be larger than Republicans….

The U.S. government’s decision to decrease its citizenship renunciation fee by more than 80 per cent may result in more Americans in Canada giving up their U.S. citizenship, cross-border tax experts say, as the deadline for Americans abroad to file their taxes approaches.

Earlier this month, the U.S. State Department announced that the consular services fee charged to Americans giving up their citizenship will drop to US$450, down from US$2,350, effective April 13.

Unlike Canada and most other countries, the U.S. bases its tax system on citizenship rather than residency. That means a U.S. citizen must file a U.S. tax return every year regardless of where they live. In addition, the U.S. requires Americans to report on their foreign financial accounts annually. 

The deadline for filing a U.S. tax return is April 15, but Americans living abroad receive an automatic filing and payment extension until June 15, and a possible further extension to Oct. 15, if they request it. To avoid interest charges, any taxes are still due by April 15….

Source: As Americans in Canada prepare U.S. tax filings, lower citizenship renunciation fee offers a way out

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Why millions of New Englanders may now be eligible for ‘proof’ they are Canadian citizens

2026/02/26 Leave a comment

Definitely a theoretical possibility but in practice, given that most parents will not have met the residency requirement needed for the second and third generation to claim citizenship will likely be a small percentage. But proof data will show the extent of any increase but only broken down by country:

…Bill C-3 allows citizenship to flow beyond the first generation born or adopted abroad, ultimately recognizing an entire chain of descendants, as long as there is a Canadian citizen who anchors the chain with at least 1,095 days (three years) of cumulative physical presence in Canada. The descendants will automatically be new citizens, able to obtain proof of Canadian citizenship, rather than having to apply for citizenship.

Patrick White, a journalism professor at the Université du Québec à Montréal, points to significant interest in obtaining Canadian citizenship by the descendants of French Canadians who migrated from Quebec to New England.

“I see a genuine interest in Facebook groups associated to Franco Americans,” White said in an email to National Post. One group, based in Maine, posted news about the new legislation in early February.

“Close to one million French Canadians left Québec between 1840 and 1930,” says White, citing Franco-American historian, David Vermette, who described the migration in his book, Distinct Alien Race: The Untold Story of Franco-Americans.

Their descendants “now represent almost 10 million Americans,” says White. “The current climate in the U.S. is leading many of them to inquire about the possible acquisition of Canadian citizenship because of the changes made here in December. This is a ‘Plan B’ for them.”

Though, “it’s too early to say” if there how many will be applying, he adds.”

Source: Why millions of New Englanders may now be eligible for ‘proof’ they are Canadian citizens

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Year in review and look ahead

2025/12/23 Leave a comment

Time for my looking back piece, even if a bit self-indulgent.

Most of my time was spent on an analysis of the 2025 election results from a diversity analysis with Jerome Black, highlighting how representation of visible minorities had increased while that of women and Indigenous had stalled. A second area of major work was following and participating in C-3 citizenship discussions and debates. Annual updates on public service diversity and birth tourism, and setting the baseline for appointments that will be made by PM Carney.

2026 will continue with my various annual updates. Jerome Black and I have an analysis in train on the intersectionality of women and visible minority candidate in competitive ridings. I will be analysing the impact of C-3 in relation to age, gender, and country of origin and comparing that with expatriate voting data, given that the latter has grown significantly and the number of expatriate votes cast exceeds the winning margin in a number of ridings. No doubt other issues of interest will emerge.

Lots to keep me busy and engaged, along with maintaining my blog.

Best wishes for the holidays, whichever ones you celebrate.

Print below by my late father.

Citizenship 

Citations

Immigration – Citations

Multiculturalism 

Diversity and Employment Equity

Before the cuts: a bureaucracy baseline from an employment equity lens (Hill Times)

Political Representation 

The diversity of candidates and MPs stalled for some groups in this election (Policy Options, The Hill Times, with Jerome H. Black)

Citations

Filed under C-3, Citizenship, Immigration, Multiculturalism

Are you a Canadian by descent? New citizenship rules are in effect for ‘Lost Canadians’

2025/12/19 Leave a comment

Good plain language explanation:

…How do officials count generations in applying the new rule?

According to the Immigration Department, the first generation is defined as the first person born or adopted outside Canada to a Canadian citizen.

Whether a Canadian parent was born in Canada or is a naturalized citizen, their children born abroad are counted as first generation and considered Canadian by descent. The children born outside Canada to a first-generation person are now Canadian provided their first-generation parents meet the three-year physical residency requirement before their births.

This is also how officials count generations for people who are adopted and apply for a direct grant of citizenship.

What if you were born or adopted on or after Dec. 15, 2025?

People born outside Canada in the second generation or later may be Canadian if their parent was also born or adopted outside Canada to a citizen and that same parent spent at least three years in Canada before the birth. 

Adopted people are likely eligible to apply directly for Canadian citizenship if they were born and adopted outside Canada in the second generation or later, and if that same parent meets the residency requirement before the adoption. 

How about those who were born or adopted before the new law?

In most cases they are automatically a Canadian citizen if they were born before Dec. 15, 2025, outside Canada to a Canadian parent. The new rule also applies to those who were born to someone who became Canadian by descent because of the rule changes.

Adopted people should be eligible to apply directly for citizenship if they were born and adopted outside Canada in the second generation or later before that date.

What if you have a pending citizenship application under an interim measure?

In December 2023, after the court ruled the two-generation citizenship cut-off rule unconstitutional, Ottawa put in a temporary initiative to offer discretionary grant of citizenship by descent to certain affected groups while it worked on new legislation to make the citizenship law Charter-compliant. It resulted in more than 4,200 applications.

Any pending application under this measure will be processed under the new rules, and no new citizenship certificate application is required.

How do you prove your Canadian citizenship?

Those who believe they are eligible for citizenship by descent under the new rules should apply for a citizenship certificate as proof of citizenship if they became a citizen automatically. They will be assessed accordingly.

Source: Are you a Canadian by descent? New citizenship rules are in effect for ‘Lost Canadians’

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Celebrities with distant Canadian roots set to gain citizenship under new Liberal law

2025/12/11 Leave a comment

Not surprising when one looks at grandparents. Unclear how many, if any, will apply:

A group of well-known American public figures, including singer Madonna and former U.S. secretary of state Hillary Clinton, would become eligible to be considered Canadian citizens under a federal law passed last month that removes long-standing limits on citizenship by descent.

Bill C-3, adopted on November 20, eliminates the “first-generation limit,” a restriction introduced in 2009 that prevented Canadian citizenship from being passed to children born abroad if their Canadian parent was also born outside the country.

The change extends eligibility for citizenship to people who would previously have been ineligible, provided they have a Canadian ancestor somewhere in their lineage. Eligible candidates would need to go through an application process once the bill comes into force.

As a result, several prominent Americans with distant roots would be eligible to apply for Canadian citizenship once the law comes into force.

Madonna, who was born in Michigan and holds only U.S. citizenship, has French-Canadian ancestry through her mother’s family, which traces back to 17th-century Quebec. Under the new law, those historic ties would allow the star to apply for Canadian citizenship.

Actor Viggo Mortensen, born in New York to an American mother and Danish father, would also qualify through his maternal grandfather, who was born in Parrsboro, N.S. Mortensen currently holds U.S. and Danish citizenship.

Actress Lily Collins, born in England and raised in California, would also become eligible for Canadian citizenship based on her maternal grandfather’s birthplace in Winnipeg.

Hillary Clinton, whose French-Canadian roots stretch back to New France through her maternal line, would likewise become eligible for Canadian citizenship. Her genealogy was detailed in her 2003 memoir, which traces family ties to Quebec ancestors, including the Filles du Roi.

Musician Jack White of Detroit similarly would qualify through his paternal grandfather, who was born in Nova Scotia.

The government says the law is intended to address long-standing concerns about the first-generation rule and allow Canadian families affected by it to transmit citizenship to their children. Going forward, Canadians born abroad would be permitted to pass citizenship to their own children born outside the country, subject to a “substantial connection to Canada” test.

Although the legislation has passed, an implementation date has not been announced.

Until then, interim measures remain in place that allow individuals affected by the former limit to apply for proof of citizenship online. Applicants approved under the temporary process will not need to reapply once Bill C-3 comes into force.

Source: Celebrities with distant Canadian roots set to gain citizenship under new Liberal law

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Canada brings big changes to citizenship rules; India-born people to benefit

2025/11/25 Leave a comment

As expected, Indian media has covered the change and likely impact on Indo-Canadians. Representative sample:

…The legislation will benefit those many Canadians who live and raise families abroad for various reasons, yet maintain a strong connection to the country. The bill could benefit thousands of Indian-origin families.

This amendment to the Citizenship Act acknowledges their Canadian identity, ensuring they can pass it on to their children regardless of where they are born….

Source: Canada brings big changes to citizenship rules; India-born people to benefit

Some estimates of numbers:

Barrister Lovleen Gill says the number of Indian immigrants who will benefit is not very large, since most are naturalised citizens and already able to pass on citizenship to children born abroad. But for Indian-origin families affected by overseas maternity during short-term work assignments, the change could still help more than 10,000 households.

If your grandchild was born abroad before 2025, they will almost certainly become Canadian automatically now, closing a long-standing gap for “lost Indian-Canadians”.

Source: Canada’s new citizenship-by-descent law: Recognition of ‘Lost Canadians’, impact on Indians

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Lost Canadians bill gets royal assent after years of parliamentary battles

2025/11/21 4 Comments

Will be interesting to see the actual take-up and to that effect, IRCC needs to resume regular reporting of citizenship proofs. Dispiriting that the government did not accept the annual public reporting amendment which, unlike other proposed amendments by the Conservatives and Bloc, did not fundamentally change the Bill.

Have a data request into IRCC for any analysis of the 4,200 pending applications and will share when received:

A bill allowing Canadians born outside the country to pass on their citizenship to future generations born abroad gained royal assent on Thursday, after years of parliamentary and judicial battles. 

The legislation, which cleared its final parliamentary stage in the Senate Wednesday night, reinstates rights of Lost Canadians and reverses 2009 changes made to the Citizenship Act by Stephen Harper’s Conservative government, which stripped descendants of Canadians born abroad of their automatic right to citizenship. 

The government predicts tens of thousands of Lost Canadians could benefit from the change, but the Parliamentary Budget Officer estimates about 115,000 could gain citizenship….

Source: Lost Canadians bill gets royal assent after years of parliamentary battles

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Feds helped push through citizenship for English soccer player in time to join Canadian squad

2025/11/20 Leave a comment

So let me get this straight.

While Minister Diab was making the case this Monday for passing C-3 quickly to avoid the absence of legislation that “it will open it up so that citizenship by descent will have no limit, and that’s exactly what I think a lot of people don’t want,” the government was fast tracking citizenship for a soccer player who apparently did not meeting the substantial connection case of having a parent who met the 1,095 day residency requirement.

In other words, skipping a generation and taking advantage of the legislative vacuum.

Depending on your perspective, clever or hypocritical move (latter in my opinion):

He is not the first soccer player to fly a flag of convenience in the run up to the World Cup, nor is he the only foreign-born player on Canada’s national soccer team. 

But few will have left it so close to their first match for Canada to take the citizenship oath. 

The Canadian national soccer team’s newest recruit is Alfie Jones, a Bristol-born defender who plays for second-tier English team Middlesborough. 

On Monday he took the citizenship oath in time to play for Canada on Tuesday in a pre-World Cup friendly match against Venezuela. 

Jones’s application for Canadian citizenship – made possible because he had an Alberta-born grandmother – was pushed through with the help of a government minister and a senior public servant in time for Tuesday’s kick off. …

Source: Feds helped push through citizenship for English soccer player in time to join Canadian squad

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C-3 Citizenship by Descent: Senate Report Observations

2025/11/19 Leave a comment

The Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology has the honour to present its

As expected, sailed through without amendments. Observations focussed on inter country adoptees (more of an recognition and identify issue than a practical one, as adoptees would have to live in the province of adoption and thus meet the residency test) and the need for modernization of the Citizenship Act. No concern about the operational impact and the data gaps (unfortunately, as expected):

SECOND REPORT

Your committee, to which was referred Bill C-3, An Act to amend the Citizenship Act (2025), has, in obedience to the order of reference of Thursday, November 6, 2025, examined the said bill and now reports the same without amendment but with certain observations, which are appended to this report.

Respectfully submitted,

ROSEMARY MOODIE

Chair

Observations to the second report of the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology (Bill C-3)

Bill C-3 represents meaningful progress in addressing injustices faced by many “Lost Canadians.” However, your Committee notes a continuing gap affecting some intercountry adoptees: children born abroad, adopted by Canadian parents living in Canada, and brought into the country through a rigorous and highly regulated adoption process governed by provincial/territorial laws and international obligations, including the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption.

Your Committee therefore encourages the Government of Canada to undertake further study and consider targeted legislative reforms to ensure that all intercountry adoptees are treated equivalently to Canadian-born adopted children with respect to citizenship acquisition and transmission.

Your Committee observes that the Citizenship Act has become increasingly complex and difficult for Canadians to understand. Given the many piecemeal amendments over decades, the Act would benefit from comprehensive modernization, including the adoption of plain-language drafting techniques.

Simplifying the Act would enhance public understanding, reduce administrative burdens, and ensure that Canadians can more easily know and exercise their citizenship rights and responsibilities.

Your Committee notes that Bill C-3 resolves many long-standing inequities relating to Lost Canadians but does not fully address all categories of affected persons.

Your Committee therefore encourages further study to identify remaining gaps and to support the development of future legislation that ensures all Canadians — whether by birth, adoption, or descent — are treated with fairness, consistency, and dignity.

Source: C-3 Citizenship by Descent: Senate Report Observations

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Senate urged to give children adopted from overseas the same citizenship rights as those born in Canada 

2025/11/17 Leave a comment

Perhaps I am a bit thick, but parents of foreign-born adoptees have to commit to raising their adopted child in Canada and thus would most likely meet the residency requirement of 1,095 days within a five-year period.  

The direct route to citizenship for adoptees was in response to parental pressure to have a faster route than PR sponsorship. But making that choice meant the adopted child was considered the first generation born abroad, like any naturally born child born abroad.

Appears more a matter of identity and convenience rather than fundamental practicalities to me:

….Two lawyers specializing in citizenship have submitted a briefing paper to the Senate committee, which will consider Bill C-3 this week. They argue that the bill should exempt children adopted from abroad from the substantial-connection test. 

The paper’s co-author, Toronto lawyer Sujit Choudhry, who filed the successful constitutional challenge to the Citizenship Act on behalf of Lost Canadian clients, said it is “deeply unfair to the families of these children to treat them differently than children adopted domestically.”

“It also violates Canada’s international treaty obligations and the Charter,” he said in an e-mail. 

Its other author, immigration lawyer Maureen Silcoff, suggested that unless Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada addresses the issue it could face a legal challenge. 

“IRCC is fully aware of the issue. Adoptive parents and MPs have been advocating on their behalf for years. We do not understand their reluctance to address this issue at this moment, when C-3 is before Parliament. Amending C-3 would avoid unnecessary litigation.”

Don Chapman, a leading advocate for Lost Canadians, who is giving evidence to the Senate committee this week, said, “I don’t want to leave any child behind.” 

But he expressed concern that amending the bill in the Senate may lead to it being held up when it returns to the Commons. …

Source: Senate urged to give children adopted from overseas the same citizenship rights as those born in Canada

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