squidge1

I am trying to find out about dual nationality. I am a british citizen, but my parents are both Canadian citizens. I presume i would be able to get dual nationality because of this. Would the Canadian High Commission be the first port of call in finding this out? I was a landed immigrant to Canada back in 1972, although we came back to the UK would this count. I would like to return to Canada. Any information would be appreciated.
Thanks

Jaj

Did you not get Canadian citizenship when your parents did (presuming
they naturalised in Canada?)

Jeremy

    >On Sun, 29 Sep 2002 17:59:28 +0000, squidge wrote:
    >I am trying to find out about dual nationality. I am a british citizen,
    >but my parents are both Canadian citizens. I presume i would be able to
    >get dual nationality because of this. Would the Canadian High Commission
    >be the first port of call in finding this out? I was a landed immigrant
    >to Canada back in 1972, although we came back to the UK would this
    >count. I would like to return to Canada. Any information would be
    >appreciated.
    >Thanks
    >--
    >Posted via http://britishexpats.com

squidge1

No I didnt although i was told in 1982 when my folks were thinking of going back to Canada that i should have been registered as canadian at birth... (I was born in Germany). My parents were naturalised in Canada back in the 1950's before i came along.
I would like to take up dual nationality now as i would like to live and work in Canada.

The Wizzard

your best bet is to go to or contact the Canadian High Comission in London
and explain the situation and see wether or not you can apply for
citizenship. There are strange rules surrounding it regarding various dates
in the 70's when the citizenship rules changed and if your parents
naturalised in another country between certain dates they could have lost it
and so forth. However as you never were registered as a Canadian Citizen
then i dont think you could have lost it, and if your parents are still both
Canadian Citizens now then i should think there is some way to register in
retrospect.
What citizenship/s do you hold now?

Drew

"squidge" wrote in message
news:428985.1033339569@britishexpats-
.com...
    > No I didnt although i was told in 1982 when my folks were thinking of
    > going back to Canada that i should have been registered as canadian at
    > birth... (I was born in Germany). My parents were naturalised in Canada
    > back in the 1950's before i came along.
    > I would like to take up dual nationality now as i would like to live and
    > work in Canada.
    > --
    > Posted via http://britishexpats.com

Jaj

There was also a rule prior to 1968 whereby naturalised Canadians who
lived outside Canada for 10 years automatically lost Canadian
citizenship, even if they didn't naturalise elsewhere.

There used to be a good link to the citizenship manual on the CIC
website, but when they changed it in June that disappeared and hasn't
come back.

Assuming his parents kept Canadian citizenship, it sounds like the the
original poster may not be Canadian now, but could be entitled to
apply for Canadian citizenship.
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english-
/citizen/born-e.html

Best thing is to contact the nearest Canadian embassy or High
Commission and talk to them. As this procedure is relatively uncommon
the person you talk to initially might not be familiar with it - don't
let that put you off and ask to speak to someone more senior if
necessary. Alternatively, write to them, or get in touch with CIC
directly by ringing their Canadian number.

Applying for Canadian citizenship will have no effect at all on your
British citizenship.

Jeremy

    >On Mon, 30 Sep 2002 10:46:50 +0100, "The Wizzard" wrote:
    >your best bet is to go to or contact the Canadian High Comission in London
    >and explain the situation and see wether or not you can apply for
    >citizenship. There are strange rules surrounding it regarding various dates
    >in the 70's when the citizenship rules changed and if your parents
    >naturalised in another country between certain dates they could have lost it
    >and so forth. However as you never were registered as a Canadian Citizen
    >then i dont think you could have lost it, and if your parents are still both
    >Canadian Citizens now then i should think there is some way to register in
    >retrospect.
    >What citizenship/s do you hold now?
    >Drew
    >"squidge" wrote in message
    >news:428985.1033339569@britishexpat-
    >s.com    ...
    >> No I didnt although i was told in 1982 when my folks were thinking of
    >> going back to Canada that i should have been registered as canadian at
    >> birth... (I was born in Germany). My parents were naturalised in Canada
    >> back in the 1950's before i came along.
    >> I would like to take up dual nationality now as i would like to live and
    >> work in Canada.
    >> --
    >> Posted via http://britishexpats.com

pkjmet

[email protected] (JAJ) wrote in message news:...
    > There was also a rule prior to 1968 whereby naturalised Canadians who
    > lived outside Canada for 10 years automatically lost Canadian
    > citizenship, even if they didn't naturalise elsewhere.
    > There used to be a good link to the citizenship manual on the CIC
    > website, but when they changed it in June that disappeared and hasn't
    > come back.
    > Assuming his parents kept Canadian citizenship, it sounds like the the
    > original poster may not be Canadian now, but could be entitled to
    > apply for Canadian citizenship.
    > http://www.cic.gc.ca/engli-
    > sh/citizen/born-e.html
    > Best thing is to contact the nearest Canadian embassy or High
    > Commission and talk to them. As this procedure is relatively uncommon
    > the person you talk to initially might not be familiar with it - don't
    > let that put you off and ask to speak to someone more senior if
    > necessary. Alternatively, write to them, or get in touch with CIC
    > directly by ringing their Canadian number.
    > Applying for Canadian citizenship will have no effect at all on your
    > British citizenship.
    > Jeremy
    > >On Mon, 30 Sep 2002 10:46:50 +0100, "The Wizzard" wrote:
    > >your best bet is to go to or contact the Canadian High Comission in London
    > >and explain the situation and see wether or not you can apply for
    > >citizenship. There are strange rules surrounding it regarding various dates
    > >in the 70's when the citizenship rules changed and if your parents
    > >naturalised in another country between certain dates they could have lost it
    > >and so forth. However as you never were registered as a Canadian Citizen
    > >then i dont think you could have lost it, and if your parents are still both
    > >Canadian Citizens now then i should think there is some way to register in
    > >retrospect.
    > >What citizenship/s do you hold now?
    > >
    > >Drew
    > >
    > >"squidge" wrote in message
    > >news:428985.1033339569@britishexp-
    > >ats.com    ...
    > >>
    > >> No I didnt although i was told in 1982 when my folks were thinking of
    > >> going back to Canada that i should have been registered as canadian at
    > >> birth... (I was born in Germany). My parents were naturalised in Canada
    > >> back in the 1950's before i came along.
    > >> I would like to take up dual nationality now as i would like to live and
    > >> work in Canada.
    > >>
    > >> --
    > >> Posted via http://britishexpats.com
    > >>
    > >
    > >

Speak with the consular section of the CHC in London. You will
probably have to apply for Proof of Cdn Citozenship and the matter
will be referred to teh Registrar of Cdn Citizenship for adjudication.
Do it now!



Jim Metcalfe, Consultant and former visa officer and Consul

David Tew

squidge wrote in message news:...
    > No I didnt although i was told in 1982 when my folks were thinking of
    > going back to Canada that i should have been registered as canadian at
    > birth... (I was born in Germany). My parents were naturalised in Canada
    > back in the 1950's before i came along.
    > I would like to take up dual nationality now as i would like to live and
    > work in Canada.

This can be complicated, but the key issue is whether one of your
parents was a Canadian citizen AT THE TIME OF YOUR BIRTH. If so, and
your birth was never registered with a Canadian consulate/High
Commission, there now exists the possibility of making a delayed
registration of birth abroad. This is a transitory feature of the
Citizenship Act, so you should act on it now before it expires. You
can get information and download an application here:

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english-
/citizen/born-e.html

Rich Wales

"JAJ" wrote:

> There used to be a good link to the citizenship manual
> on the CIC website, but when they changed it in June
> that disappeared and hasn't come back.

I found a copy of the page from that manual dealing with acquisition
and loss of Canadian citizenship at:

http://www3.telus.net/-
IamCanadian/Appendix%20A.htm

The author of this "I am Canadian" web site, BTW, is a man who was
born in Canada, but lost his Canadian citizenship as a child when
his parents became US citizens in 1955, and who has apparently
embarked on a futile quest to bully Citizenship and Immigration
Canada into disregarding the pre-1977 law and declaring him to
still be a Canadian citizen on the basis of the Charter and/or
common-sense fairness. (Hint: A government agency like CIC can't
be expected to do any such thing on its own; it would take a court
ruling to accomplish what he wants.)

Rich Wales [email protected]
http://www.richw.org
*NOTE: I've lived in both Canada and the US and have dual citizenship.
*DISCLAIMER: I am not a lawyer, professional immigration consultant,
or consular officer. My comments are for discussion purposes only and
are not intended to be relied upon as legal or professional advice.

Vladimir Menkov

In article ,
Rich Wales wrote:
....
    >I found a copy of the page from that manual dealing with acquisition
    >and loss of Canadian citizenship at:
    > http://www3.telus.net-
    > /IamCanadian/Appendix%20A.htm
    >The author of this "I am Canadian" web site, BTW, is a man who was
    >born in Canada, but lost his Canadian citizenship as a child when
    >his parents became US citizens in 1955, and who has apparently
    >embarked on a futile quest to bully Citizenship and Immigration
    >Canada into disregarding the pre-1977 law and declaring him to
    >still be a Canadian citizen on the basis of the Charter and/or
    >common-sense fairness. (Hint: A government agency like CIC can't
    >be expected to do any such thing on its own; it would take a court
    >ruling to accomplish what he wants.)

Well, considering that the government wants to introduce a new bill in
Parliament to replace the existing Citizenship Act, it probably would
make sense for the people affected by pre-1977 involuntary loss of
citizenship, and for their still-Canadian-citizen friends and
relatives to write to their MPs and to suggest that the new law may
perhaps be made more generous, so that it would provide for an easier
way for such persons to restore their citizenship. (That is, without
having them to qualify for PR status under general rules first).

I think that some other countries that have or had such an
"involuntary expatriation" rule, such as Australia or Turkey, have a
citizenship resumption provision like this.


--Vladimir (Penticton, BC).

David Tew

[email protected] (Rich Wales) wrote in message news:...
    > The author of this "I am Canadian" web site, BTW, is a man who was
    > born in Canada, but lost his Canadian citizenship as a child when
    > his parents became US citizens in 1955, and who has apparently
    > embarked on a futile quest to bully Citizenship and Immigration
    > Canada into disregarding the pre-1977 law and declaring him to
    > still be a Canadian citizen on the basis of the Charter and/or
    > common-sense fairness. (Hint: A government agency like CIC can't
    > be expected to do any such thing on its own; it would take a court
    > ruling to accomplish what he wants.)

But...in most cases, citizenship that was LOST as a child when the
parent became a U.S. (or other citizen) can be reclaimed by applying
for "delayed registration of birth abroad". The procedure is very
straightforward: download an applocation from the CIC website and send
it to Sydney, NS along with $75 CDN. There is even a provision that
allows for the recognition of Canadian citizenship through the mother,
even if the responsible parent (the father) was not a Canadian.
Strangely enough, the only way a person who lost his citizenship as a
child cannot reclaim it now, is if the parent was conscientious and
registered the birth with a Canadian consulate abroad. As I mentioned
before, these provisions are transitory and *may* expire in 2003.
Anyone who qualifies, should apply NOW.

Rich Wales

David Tew wrote:

> Strangely enough, the only way a person who lost his
> citizenship as a child cannot reclaim it now, is if
> the parent was conscientious and registered the birth
> with a Canadian consulate abroad.

I agree that the existing state of this part of the citizenship law
doesn't really make any sense, and I would love to see it changed.

My only point in what I wrote before was that it's unrealistic to
expect CIC to disregard the existing law or enact changes to the
law. Any such changes can only come from the courts (e.g., via
a Charter-based challenge), or else if the government (i.e., the
federal cabinet and Parliament) should decide to enact a change.

Rich Wales [email protected]
http://www.richw.org
*NOTE: I've lived in both Canada and the US and have dual citizenship.
*DISCLAIMER: I am not a lawyer, professional immigration consultant,
or consular officer. My comments are for discussion purposes only and
are not intended to be relied upon as legal or professional advice.

Stephen C. Gallagher

    > > The author of this "I am Canadian" web site, BTW, is a man who was
    > > born in Canada, but lost his Canadian citizenship as a child when
    > > his parents became US citizens in 1955, and who has apparently
    > > embarked on a futile quest to bully Citizenship and Immigration
    > > Canada into disregarding the pre-1977 law and declaring him to
    > > still be a Canadian citizen on the basis of the Charter and/or
    > > common-sense fairness. (Hint: A government agency like CIC can't
    > > be expected to do any such thing on its own; it would take a court
    > > ruling to accomplish what he wants.)
    > But...in most cases, citizenship that was LOST as a child when the
    > parent became a U.S. (or other citizen) can be reclaimed by applying
    > for "delayed registration of birth abroad".

How can it be listed as a "birth abroad" if the person was born
in Canada?

David Tew

"Stephen C. Gallagher" wrote in message news:...
    > > But...in most cases, citizenship that was LOST as a child when the
    > > parent became a U.S. (or other citizen) can be reclaimed by applying
    > > for "delayed registration of birth abroad".
    > How can it be listed as a "birth abroad" if the person was born
    > in Canada?

Mr. Gallagher, you are, of course, correct here. I read the post too
fast and missed the fact that he was born in Canada, not in the U.S.
In that case, it would have the same effect as a birth abroad that WAS
registered, i.e. the parent's change of citizenship (pre-1977) would
result in a permanent loss on the part of child.