Am I a Canadian citizen if my parent is a Canadian?

Canada allows the children of its citizens to apply for Canadian citizenship.

If you have at least one biological or legal parent who was a Canadian citizen at the time of your birth, you can submit a Proof of Citizenship application to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The fee is only $75 CAD. Note that Canada allows citizenship by descent for the first generation born outside of Canada only.

You are able to claim Canadian citizenship at any time in your life. You are also able to apply for Proof of Citizenship even if your Canadian parent is deceased.

IRCC requires evidence of your Canadian parent. This can come in the form of your parent's birth certificate, Canadian citizenship card, or citizenship certificate.

Once IRCC receives your application, it will send you an "acknowledgment of receipt." They will then send you a Canadian citizenship certificate once your application has been approved.

Becoming a Canadian citizen is beneficial for many reasons. Canada is a stable country with a diverse society and strong economy. The country offers safety, security, universal healthcare, and high quality education. In addition, the Canadian passport is one of the world's strongest, offering visa-free travel to 185 countries.

An experienced and trusted Canadian immigration lawyer can help submit your Proof of Citizenship application. They will use their expertise to ensure you submit a complete and accurate application. This is important since the pandemic has slowed down IRCC's processing. Pre-pandemic, it took IRCC five months to process Proof of Citizenship applications. Now its website is reporting an average processing time of 17 months. A lawyer can help you avoid waiting any longer than necessary to gain Canadian citizenship.

The good news is Canada is making greater investments in technology to improve its immigration processing. Moreover, the wait to get Canadian citizenship is worth it in the end, due to the plethora of advantages Canada has to offer.

Get a Free Legal Consultation on Applying for Proof of Canadian Citizenship