History of Canadian Nationality Law - Canadian Citizenship Act, 1976

Citizenship law was reformed by the Canadian Citizenship Act, 1976, which came into force on 15 February 1977. Canada removed restrictions on dual citizenship, and many of the provisions to acquire or lose Canadian citizenship that existed under the 1947 Act were repealed.

Under the new Act (popularly known as the "1977 Act" due to the year it came into force), Canadian citizenship is acquired by:

• birth in Canada (except where neither parent is a citizen or permanent resident and either parent is a representative of a foreign government, their employee, or anyone granted diplomatic privileges or immunities)
• birth outside Canada to a Canadian parent
• grant after three years' residence in Canada
• notification in the case of a woman who lost British subject status by marriage before 1947
• delayed registration of a foreign birth under the 1947 Act before 15 February 1977 (but this provision was repealed on 14 August 2004).

Canadian citizens are in general no longer subject to involuntary loss of citizenship, barring revocation on the grounds of:

• false representation,
• fraud, or
• knowingly concealing material circumstances.

Section 8 of the Act provides that Canadians born outside Canada, to a Canadian parent who also acquired Canadian citizenship by birth outside Canada to a Canadian parent, will lose Canadian citizenship at age 28 unless they have established specific ties to Canada and applied to retain Canadian citizenship. Children born outside Canada to naturalized Canadian citizens are not subject to the section 8 provisions, nor is anyone born before 15 February 1977.