Amending the Citizenship Act (2024)

Bill C-71 aims to amend the Citizenship Act, conferring citizenship by descent to those born outside Canada, whether in the first or subsequent generations, before or after the bill's enactment, provided they have a Canadian citizen parent who meets specific criteria. Additionally, it extends citizenship under section 5.1 of the Act to anyone born abroad and adopted by a Canadian citizen parent, regardless of when the adoption occurred, as long as certain conditions are met. The bill also reinstates citizenship for individuals who lost it under the former section 8 of the Act and allows those who were citizens or born to a parent or grandparent who would have been a citizen if not for their death, to reclaim their citizenship, with some exceptions. Lastly, it permits certain individuals who gain citizenship through this bill to renounce it if they choose.

The bill is assumed to come into force on April 1st, 2025, and persons affected by the bill are assumed to apply during their first year in which they become eligible. The Parliamentary budget Officer (PBO) estimates a total net cost of the proposed amendments to the Citizenship Act to be $20.8 million over five years, beginning in 2025-2026. The total number of persons that would be affected is estimated to be around 115,000 over the same period.