Am I Canadian?

[Jcb83]

I took the self assessment test and it seems like I could be Canadian, but I’m not sure.

My grandmother was Canadian, born in 1919 to Canadian parents.

Her son, my father, is Canadian, but he was born in the US. He’s a dual citizen, American and Canadian. I think that the way Canadian citizenship laws work that he is to be considered Canadian since birth. He carries a citizenship card and a passport from Canada.

I was born in the US in 1973. My parents were married at the time of my birth. My mother was American. My parents never registered my birth at a Canadian embassy or consulate for foreign birth record purposes.

Am I Canadian? Why or why not?

 

[alphazip]

If for no other reason than the fact that your birth was not registered (as was required before 1977), it's very unlikely that you are a Canadian citizen. In fact, your father probably only became a Canadian citizen as of the changes to the Citizenship Act that took effect in 2009. That's because, until 1977, Canadian citizenship could not be passed to the foreign-born child of a Canadian woman, unless the child was born out of wedlock. That being the case, your father would not have been a Canadian citizen when you were born. Unless you were already a Canadian citizen when citizenship by descent was restricted to the first generation born abroad in 2009, you would not be a Canadian citizen today. You are the 2nd generation born abroad.

The correct answers for the "Am I Canadian" tool would be:

How did your parent become Canadian? He or she was born outside Canada to a Canadian parent

Which of the following applies to your parents’ citizenship? Neither of my parents applied for citizenship [before I was born]

Was your birth registered with the Canadian government? No

 

[Jcb83]

That sucks. Thanks.