Canada allows citizenship for 'lost Canadians' amid citizenship law delays

The Canadian government, led by Immigration Minister Marc Miller, has introduced interim measures to grant discretionary citizenship to individuals affected by the controversial first-generation limit, which restricts citizenship by descent for those born outside Canada to Canadian parents. This limit, established in 2009, was ruled unconstitutional by the Ontario Superior Court in December 2023. As the government seeks a 12-month extension to pass Bill C-71, which aims to amend the Citizenship Act, it has outlined four specific situations in which individuals may apply for discretionary citizenship. These include individuals born or adopted before December 19, 2023, and those whose Canadian parent has a substantial connection to Canada. The measures support so-called