20 April 2009

New citizenship laws for Canadian visa holders now in effect

The new citizenship laws for Canadian visa holders have now come into effect.

This means that as of Friday 17 April 2009, all Canadian visa holders who lost their citizenship or did not attain it due to laws that are no longer active may now be able to apply for Canadian citizenship.

The new citizenship laws also limit the eligibility of citizenship by descent to the first generation born outside Canada.  This means that those born offshore to a person born in Canada or a Canadian visa holder who became a citizen via the naturalisation process can have the rights to Canadian citizenship. 

They also mean that Canadian immigrants who became citizens on or after January 1, 1947 and since that date lost their citizenship will have their citizenship reinstated.

The Government has released a video to promote the new citizenship law so that all those affected by the changes will take advantage and become citizens, which can be seen on YouTube.

"This important change will ensure that future generations of Canadians have a real connection to this country and the remarkable benefits of Canadian citizenship," said Rudyard Griffiths, co-founder of the Dominion Institute and author of Who We Are: A Citizen’s Manifesto in a news release.

"The new law strengthens what it means to be Canadian in new and positive ways. It makes citizenship matter to Canadians and gives it an increased value."

---

The Canadian Visa Bureau is an independent consulting company specialising in helping people apply for Canada visa and immigration services.