Program delivery update – June 19, 2014

Royal assent received for the Strengthening Canadian Citizenship Act

Summary

On June 19, 2014, Bill C-24 received royal assent and the Strengthening Canadian Citizenship Act became law.

The new law is resulting in a number of changes in which the citizenship program will operate to achieve the objectives of the legislative reform which include:

• increasing the efficiency of the citizenship program;
• reinforcing the value of Canadian citizenship;
• strengthening program integrity and combating fraud; and
• protecting and promoting Canada’s interests and values.

Various elements of the new Citizenship Act will come into force at different times over the next two years. New elements that have come into force on June 19, 2014, are as follows:

• extending the first-generation exception to grandchildren of Crown servants;
• fast tracking grant and resumption process for persons who are serving or have served in the Canadian Armed Forces; and
• giving the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration the discretionary power to grant citizenship in special cases.

The element related to the single-step decision-making process will come into force later this summer.

Updated instructions

• Exception to limit to citizenship by descent – A3(5) (service outside Canada)
• Grant of citizenship – Canadian Armed Forces (new page)
• Resumption of citizenship - Canadian Armed Forces (new page)
• Discretionary grants (new page)
• CP 14 Adoption

More program delivery instructions will be updated as other elements come into force.