ExcodusAqw said:
My grandfather has lived in Canada for 4-5 years and has obtained his Canadian passport.
Unfortunately he died and could not pass it to my father. My father was born in 1972 and I am currently under 18.I speak English and french ;however, my french is a bit down.Is there a way for me to obtain citizenship?My father might not have it however is there a way for him to pass it on to me? even though my grandfather died?
Short answer: maybe
Long answer:
If your father was born outside Canada AFTER his father (your grandfather) was a Canadian citizen, AND your father's birth was registered with Canadian authorities (this is very important), then your father became a Canadian citizen as of his birth date in 1972. (There was a further requirement to retain citizenship by age 24, but it did not apply to anyone who hadn't reached age 24 by February 15, 1977.) However,
this is not the case if your grandfather lost his Canadian citizenship by becoming naturalized into another citizenship before your father was born. Also, if your father was naturalized into any other citizenship on his own (not born into...naturalized into) before 1977, he would have lost his Canadian citizenship at that time.
So, if all the requirements were followed (and assuming you were born before 2009), then you were born to a Canadian citizen and would be a Canadian citizen today.
As of the 2009 changes to the citizenship law, your father is likely a Canadian citizen (if born to someone who was a Canadian citizen), even if his birth was not registered. However, that would not help you, because there is also a clause in the new law that restricts citizenship to the first generation born abroad. You're still a citizen, though, if you were
already a citizen by 2009.
Because the rules are very complicated, you would have to provide more information: where was your father born?; did your grandfather or your father become a naturalized citizen of another country, and, if so, what country and when?; was your grandfather already a Canadian citizen when your father was born?; was your father's birth registered with Canada?
