MORE INCLUSIVE DEFINITION OF "PARENT" UNDER CITIZENSHIP ACT

LGBTQ2+ COUPLES CAN NOW PASS ON CANADIAN CITIZENSHIP TO THEIR FOREIGN-BORN CHILDREN

The federal government is changing immigration law to eliminate a legal hurdle facing same-sex couples who have children abroad. 

Government of Canada adopts a more inclusive definition of  "Parent" under the Citizenship Act 

In recognition of the diversity of Canadian families, the Honourable Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced a change in the interpretation of “parent” under the Citizenship Act. The change allows non-biological Canadian parents who are their child’s legal parent at birth to pass down Canadian citizenship to their children born abroad in the first generation

This will make it easier for same-sex couples to register children born abroad for Canadian citizenship.  

 [Another Interpretation]

The change will allow non-biological Canadian parents who are their child's legal parents at birth to pass down Canadian citizenship to their children born abroad.

Foreign-born children whose Canadian parents are not biologically related to them now have the same right to citizenship as children birthed by Canadians.

Before the Superior Court of Quebec’s ruling today, July 9, the Citizenship Act only allowed for foreign-born children to be automatically recognized as citizens if they shared a genetic link to a Canadian parent. 

This archaic definition of “parent” made it difficult for the children of LGBTQ2+ couples and couples with fertility issues to get Canadian citizenship status.