Who can apply
Eligibility
To be eligible for a direct grant of Canadian citizenship, the adopted person must
- have at least 1 adoptive parent who is a Canadian citizen at the time of the adoption
For adoptions that took place before January 1, 1947
The adopted person had to have at least 1 adoptive parent who became a Canadian citizen on January 1, 1947.
For adoptions that took place before April 1, 1949, in Newfoundland and Labrador
The adopted person had to have at least 1 adoptive parent who became a Canadian citizen on April 1, 1949.
- have 1 parent who can pass on Canadian citizenship by descent to the adopted person, and
- meet the requirements of the Citizenship Act
If you’re not eligible to use the citizenship process, you may be able to use the immigration process.
Learn about the differences between the citizenship and the immigration processes.
Requirements for intercountry adoption
If you are adopting a child under 18 years of age
When a Canadian citizen adopts a child under 18 years of age, the adoption must have met the following requirements for the child to be granted citizenship:
- The adoption was in the best interests of the child.
- The adoption created a genuine relationship of parent and child.
- The adoption followed the laws of the country where the adoption took place and the laws where the adoptive parents live.
- The adoption must no t be primarily for gaining citizenship or immigration status.
- The adoption must not have occurred in a manner that circumvented the legal requirement for international adoptions.
If you are adopting a person 18 years of age or older
When a Canadian citizen adopts a person over 18, the adoption must meet the following requirements for the person to be granted citizenship:
- A genuine relationship of parent and child between the person and the adoptive parent existed before the person reached the age of 18 years and at the time of the adoption.
- The adoption must follow the laws of the country where the adoption took place and the laws where the adoptive parents live.
- The adoption must not be primarily for gaining citizenship or immigration status.
- The adoption must not have occurred in a manner that circumvented the legal requirement for international adoptions.