Americans Turn to Canadian Citizenship After Rule Change

The number of Americans applying for Canadian citizenship is rising following a change in citizenship rules, according to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Nearly half of all new applications for citizenship by descent now come from the United States.

Since last December, Canada has allowed a wider range of foreign-born descendants of Canadians to apply for citizenship. Where previously the rules applied mainly to the first generation, other descendants can now also qualify by proving their ancestry.

The number of approved applications in this category has grown steadily since the start of the year, from 1,140 in January to 1,255 in February and 1,405 in March.

According to immigration lawyers, the growing interest reflects both the historical ties between the two countries and the current political climate in the US. Many Americans, they say, do not plan to relocate to Canada but want to keep open the option of studying, working or living in a neighboring country if conditions in the US deteriorate.

(reuters, lud)