Canadian nationality law
| Citizenship Act Loi sur la citoyenneté | |
|---|---|
| Parliament of Canada | |
| |
| Citation | RSC 1985, c. C-29 |
| Territorial extent | Canada |
| Enacted by | 30th Canadian Parliament |
| Commenced | 15 February 1977 |
| Administered by | Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada |
| Repeals | |
| Canadian Citizenship Act, 1946 | |
| Status: Amended | |
legislature, enacted_by.| Part of a series on |
| Canadian citizenship |
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| Canada portal |
Canadian nationality law details the conditions in which an individual is a national of Canada. The primary law governing these regulations is the Citizenship Act, 1976, which commenced in 1977.
Individuals born anywhere within the provinces and territories of Canada are default citizens at birth, with few exceptions. Foreign nationals may naturalize after living in Canada for at least three years after holding permanent residency status and showing written and oral proficiency in the English or French language.
Canada is composed of several former British colonies whose residents were British subjects. When Canada was granted Dominion status within the British Empire in 1867, Canada was granted more autonomy over time and gradually became independent from the United Kingdom. Although Canadian citizens have not been British subjects since 1977, they continue to hold favoured status when residing in the UK. As Commonwealth citizens, Canadians are eligible to vote in UK elections and serve in public office there.