In a recent article for The Toronto Star, immigration lawyers Amandeep Hayer and Will Tao discuss the implications of Bill C-71, which aims to grant citizenship to “Lost Canadians” — people born outside Canada to Canadian parents who have lived in Canada for a cumulative 1,095 days before their child’s birth.
While advocates are celebrating this “monumental” change for cross-border families, immigration lawyers Will and Amandeep have mixed feelings given the current political climate. Will the Canadian public “open their arms” to the potentially large number of U.S. residents who can now claim Canadian citizenship?
In their Op-Ed, Will and Amandeep highlight that Bill C-71 could encourage Canadian families with young children born abroad to return home. A government study found that over half of Canadians abroad are citizens by descent. Bill C-71 would allow these families to bypass the challenging process of sponsoring their children as permanent residents, as they would automatically become Canadian citizens.
This legislation addresses historical injustices, such as gender and racial discrimination, and aligns Canadian laws with those in the U.S. Will Tao and Amandeep Hayer highlight potential concerns about increased citizenship claims, particularly from Americans with Canadian descent, and advocate for a collaborative approach to ensure the new law reflects modern transnational realities and maintains coherent and predictable citizenship policies.
Read more here: A new law will finally grant citizenship to ‘lost Canadians’. Are we ready for the consequences?
