Citizenship for international adoptees

In December 2007, Canada’s citizenship law will be amended to allow Canadian citizens who adopt a child from a foreign country the option of applying for Canadian citizenship for their adopted child without first having to apply for permanent residence. Adopted persons who are adults may apply for themselves. This amendment will only apply to persons adopted after February 14, 1977.

More information on this change will soon become available.

When this new law comes into force, the existing interim policy that allows for the possibility of a discretionary grant of citizenship for foreign-born adopted persons living outside of Canada will no longer be in effect. This special, interim policy only applies to persons residing outside Canada who were adopted by a Canadian citizen parent.

If you are covered by this policy and were adopted by a Canadian citizen before February 15, 1977, you may wish to apply for citizenship, before the interim policy expires on December 22, 2007.

After December 22, 2007, foreign-born persons adopted by a Canadian citizen before February 15, 1977 who wish to apply for citizenship must first obtain permanent resident status in Canada and then apply for citizenship.

Learn about:

• Becoming a citizen
• International adoption