Big news: Canada changed their citizenship rules and now if you've ever had a direct ancestor who was a citizen, you are now automatically a citizen too!

rival_elf@infosec.exchange

Big news: Canada changed their citizenship rules and now if you've ever had a direct ancestor who was a citizen, you are now automatically a citizen too! https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-citizenship/act-changes/rules-2025.html

I've been sharing this around, and I know a few people who've discovered they're now Canadian citizens!

rival_elf@infosec.exchange

Some caveats:
1) You must have been born before December 15, 2025 for this to apply (which if you're reading this, you are), and
2) You (obviously) need to be able to be able to provide some proof of your claim

rachelthornsub@famichiki.jp

@rival_elf If I read this correctly, the ancestor must be your parent or grandparent. There's no mention of ancestors further back than that.

rival_elf@infosec.exchange

@RachelThornSub That's not my read of it based on:
- "Second generation or later: Also born outside Canada to a first-generation person. This person is now Canadian in some situations."
- "Citizenship may have been restored or given to people who were born outside Canada in the second generation or later before December 15, 2025."
- "This rule also applies to you if you were born to someone who became Canadian because of these rule changes."

The last point is the one that really seems like it applies to any direct ancestor. What do you think?

wyatt@soc.megatokyo.moe

@rival_elf /me cries in not having a direct ancestor who was canadian

rachelthornsub@famichiki.jp

@rival_elf
Ahh. I see what you mean. It's seems like a peculiar way to word it. I wonder if it could really go back multiple generations.

drmcstrange@kolektiva.social

@RachelThornSub @rival_elf

Yeah, this seems pretty clear:

"This means that in most cases you’re automatically a Canadian citizen if you were born

before December 15, 2025
outside Canada to a Canadian parent

This rule also applies to you if you were born to someone who became Canadian because of these rule changes."

The act also specifies:

"A person who would not become a citizen under one of the paragraphs of subsection (1) for the sole reason that their parent or both their parent and their parent’s parent died before the coming into force of An Act to amend the Citizenship Act (2025) is a citizen under that paragraph if that parent — or both that parent and that parent’s parent — but for their death, would have been a citizen as a result of the coming into force of that Act."

If I'm reading that right, it still applies if your parent and grandparent are dead but your great-grandparent was a Canadian citizen.

delilahtech@tech.lgbt

@RachelThornSub
From what I've read in the past year, they're fine with stretching the point

I'm fourth gen through adoption, fifth by birth (it's a bit complicated); I have the names but I'd have to get birth certificates and such smh

I'm nowhere near able to move out of country, yet...
@rival_elf

fluffgar@mastodon.scot

@rival_elf Ever?!

I don't think I do (and it's probably not as important for me, being European) but it's possible.

cholling@bytes.programming.dev

@rival_elf I've read the linked document and I don't see where it says that.

bumblefish@mastodon.scot

@rival_elf @RachelThornSub "Second generation or later"...'later' here seems ambiguous. Later as in more recent? Or later as in prior to second? Don't get me wrong, the more Canadians the better, but the wording is confusing.

h5e@tech.lgbt

@cholling @rival_elf it seems to be recursive

saxifraga@lgbtqia.space

@rival_elf wait, what?? My grandfather was Canadian!!

janeadams@datavis.social

@rival_elf it looks like there’s a little bit more to it: if your grandparent was a citizen but your parent never became one, you have to prove that your grandparent was a citizen and that your parent spent at least 1,095 days (3 years non consecutively) in Canada before you were born. This applies to my dad (my great-grandfather was a citizen), but I think even if my dad got citizenship now under this rule the same 1095 day requirement would still stand for him for me to get it

lopta@mastodon.social

@rival_elf If only an uncle counted! #Canada

calicoday@mastodon.gamedev.place

@Bumblefish @rival_elf @RachelThornSub yes, I think second generation or later means second or first generation. A number of countries go back to grandparents.

flowerpot@mas.to

@rival_elf Huh. My grandmother was born in Canada (her family had just left Poland). But soon after she was born, they traveled to Florida (USA) where she was raised. I doubt she ever obtained citizenship, but it's worth it for me to investigate if I (and my son) qualify.

ianrogers@mstdn.social

@rival_elf Dang, I wish the EU would do the same

trainguyrom@techhub.social

@rival_elf now I need to ask my grandmother if she was a citizen when she lived in Toronto as a kid...

bit101@mstdn.social

@rival_elf OK, don't come crying to us when the flood of immigrants starts eating your dogs and cats! </sarcasm>

Sadly, I don't think anyone in my family was Canadian. Jealous.

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Big news: Canada changed their citizenship rules and now if you've ever had a direct ancestor who was a citizen, you are now automatically a citizen too!