The House of Commons immigration committee has put forth recommendations for most eligible adults under the “Lost Canadians” bill to meet similar requirements as immigrant applicants, including language proficiency, knowledge of Canadian history, and security checks. Members of Parliament on the committee approved amendments to Bill C-3 on Tuesday, which will now be sent back to the House of Commons for final approval.
The bill is a response to a recent Ontario Superior Court ruling in 2023 that overturned a law from the Stephen Harper era. This law had previously prevented Canadians born abroad from passing down their citizenship if their children were not born in Canada.
Under the proposed bill, individuals can pass down citizenship if they can demonstrate a significant connection to Canada by spending a total of at least 1,095 days (equivalent to three years) in the country. Conservative amendments have been added to include language and other requirements, as well as a stipulation that the 1,095 days must occur within a span of five consecutive years.
The government is under pressure to pass the legislation by a court-mandated deadline before midnight on Nov. 21. Failure to do so could result in an unspecified number of individuals automatically becoming Canadian citizens.