Canada passed Bill C-3, An Act to Amend the Citizenship Act, in late December, removing the first-generation limit for citizenship. Now, anyone descended from an ancestor born in Canada, no matter how many generations back, may be eligible for citizenship there.
People can obtain proof of their ancestry and apply for Canadian citizenship through descent, according to Immigration, Resources and Citizenship Canada.
Here’s how to apply for Canadian citizenship under the new law.
— Prove your eligibility. Obtain a birth certificate or documentation proving a connection to a Canadian-born ancestor. Organizations such as the Acadian Archives at the University of Maine at Fort Kent, New Brunswick Vital Statistics and the Bibliotheque et Archives nationales du Quebec can assist. You may have to pay to obtain these documents.
— Find the application for a citizenship certificate online at the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada website. Fill it out and include all requested documents. The form includes questions about parents, grandparents and their connections to Canada, as well as detailed instructions.
— Pay the $75 processing fee.
— Submit the application. Processing times are currently up to 10 months.
