American Children Have Dual Citizenship by Birthright Because of Canadian Parent

06-18-12

A male born in Canada to fourth-generation Canadian parents—although he left Canada to study in the United States—remained in the U.S and married an American citizen. He and his wife have two children who were both born in the States. While the Canadian man does not plan to return to Canada in the near future, he would like to obtain dual citizenship for his children. According to Citizenship and Immigration Canada, his children are considered to already have dual citizenship in both Canada and the United States by birthright.As the children of a Canadian citizen who was himself born in Canada, they are already Canadian citizens even though they were born in the United States. The sole process to follow is to apply for a Canadian citizenship certificate, which will allow them to form proof of their Canadian citizenship if ever necessary, for example if they ever need to apply for a Canadian passport.

It is important to recognize that the man’s children who by birthright are Canadian citizens will not automatically be able to pass their citizenship on to their own children if these children are born outside of Canada as well. Only first-generation Canadian citizens born abroad are automatically eligible for Canadian citizenship. 

For the latest updates pertaining to changes to Canadian Immigration legislation, please consult our news and articles section or follow @FWCanada on twitter. 

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