Millions moreAmericansare discovering they may qualify for dualCanadiancitizenshipfollowing a recent change to Canada's requirements, triggering a significant surge in applications from its southern neighbor.
For people like Zack Loud of Farmington, Minnesota, the revelation that Canada already considered him and his siblings citizens due to their Canadian grandmother came as a surprise under the newlegislation.
"My wife and I were already talking about potentially looking at jobs outside the country, but citizenship pushed Canada way up on our list," Loud said.
Since the new law took effect on December 15, immigration lawyers in both the United States and Canada report being inundated with clients seeking assistance to submit proof of citizenship applications.
Driven by politics, family heritage, job prospects, and other factors, hordes of Americans are now exploring whether this simplified process makes it the opportune moment to secure dual citizenship.
Nicholas Berning, an immigration attorney at Boundary Bay Law in Bellingham, Washington, noted his practice is "pretty much flooded with this."
He added, "We’ve kind of shifted a lot of other work away in order to push these cases through."
Similarly, immigration attorney Amandeep Hayer’s Vancouver, British Columbia-area practice saw its caseload jump from approximately 200 citizenship cases annually to over 20 consultations daily.
The new law represents the latest in decades of changes to Canada’s citizenship legislation, often aimed at updating historical interpretations or addressing discrimination. Previously, Canadian citizenship by descent could only be passed down one generation, from parent to child.
However, the updated legislation extends citizenship to anyone born before December 15 who can demonstrate a direct Canadian ancestor – be it a grandparent, great-grandparent, or even more distant relative.
Source: Drudge Report
