Retaining your Canadian citizenship

For people born after February 14, 1977, outside Canada to a Canadian parent

Worksheet

To keep (retain) Canadian citizenship, some citizens born outside Canada to a parent who was a Canadian at the time of birth are required to make an application and meet certain requirements before turning 28 years of age. This is called retention of Canadian citizenship.

Retention applies to natural-born children of Canadian citizens, not adopted children, and it applies only to Canadians born outside Canada after February 14, 1977, to a Canadian parent who was also born outside Canada to a Canadian parent. Section 8 of the Citizenship Act says that this second generation born outside Canada will lose their Canadian citizenship at age 28 unless they take steps to retain it. If section 8 applies to you and you were issued a Canadian citizenship certificate in the past, you would have received, at the same time, a letter informing you of your potential loss of citizenship.

People born in Canada or granted Canadian citizenship do not have to retain their citizenship, nor do people born outside Canada to a parent born in Canada. People born outside Canada after one parent was granted Canadian citizenship also do not have to retain citizenship under section 8 of the Citizenship Act.

This worksheet is designed to help you determine if you are a Canadian citizen who is subject to section 8 of the Citizenship Act. By answering yes or no to the questions included in this worksheet, you should be able to tell if:

• you are required to apply to retain your citizenship
• you already meet the requirements of the Act and can apply right away or
• you should make preparations to meet the requirements.

After you complete this worksheet, if you are still not sure if section 8 applies to you, you may contact the Canadian embassy, high commission or consulate responsible for your region or the Call Centre for information. Website addresses and telephone numbers are provided at the end of this document.

Does retention of citizenship apply to me?

Note: If retention does not apply to you, keep in mind that it may apply to your children born outside Canada. Answer the questions for yourself and then again for your children.

If your answer falls in a shaded area, continue answering the questions.

1)	Did you turn 28 years old before February 15, 2005?	YES	NO
	If you answered YES, you do not have to apply to retain citizenship. If you answered NO, answer the following question:
2)	Were you born outside Canada after February 14, 1977?	YES	NO
	If you answered NO, you do not have to apply to retain citizenship. If you answered YES, answer the following question:
3)	Was one of your parents
	a) born in Canada, or granted Canadian citizenship (became a Canadian citizen or naturalized as a Canadian citizen) before you were born?	YES	NO
	b) born outside Canada and, before February 15, 1977, retained citizenship or registered as a Canadian citizen born abroad (received a document confirming registration, including a Registration of Birth Abroad certificate)?	YES	NO
	If you answered YES to question 3(a) or 3(b), you do not have to apply to retain citizenship under section 8. If you answered NO to questions 3(a) and 3(b), answer the following question:
4)	Is one of your parents a Canadian citizen because he or she
	a) was born outside Canada between January  1, 1947 and February 14, 1977 (inclusive) AND, although eligible to be registered as a Canadian citizen at birth, was not registered until after February 14, 1977?	YES	NO
	b) was born outside Canada after February 14, 1977, to a Canadian parent?	YES	NO
	If you answered YES to question 4(a) or 4(b) AND you were born outside Canada after February 14, 1977, you will automatically lose your Canadian citizenship on your 28th birthday unless you take the steps to retain it.
	Answer the same questions for your children.

Am I eligible to retain citizenship?

If retention of citizenship applies to you, the following guidelines will help you determine if you meet the requirements to be able to retain your citizenship now.

Are you under 28 years of age?		YES	NO
	If you answered NO, see below for how to contact us. If you answered YES, read the following:
	There are three ways in which you can meet the requirements to retain citizenship—see below for the three options. You must meet all the criteria for one of the following options:
Option 1
1)	Do you presently live in Canada?	YES	NO
2)	Have you lived in Canada the past full year (the past 365 days)?	YES	NO
	If you answered YES to both questions, you are eligible to apply to retain your citizenship now. You must make your application while you still live in Canada.
	If you answered NO to either question, go to the following option:
Option 2
For at least two out of the last four years, have you, either inside or outside Canada,
1)	worked for the Canadian federal or provincial government?	YES	NO
2)	been a member of the Canadian Forces or the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), or been a Canadian representative to the United Nations or one of its affiliated agencies?	YES	NO
	If you answered YES to question (1) or (2), you are eligible to apply to retain your citizenship now. If you answered NO to both questions, go to the following option:
Option 3
1)	Do you have basic knowledge of English or French to be able to carry on a simple conversation, and do you have sufficient knowledge of Canada’s history, geography, government, and the rights and responsibilities of citizenship to pass a test?	YES	NO
For a total of one year after turning 14 years of age did you
2)	attend a recognized secondary or post-secondary educational institution in Canada? OR	YES	NO
3)	live in Canada with a family member?	YES	NO
	If you answered YES to question (1) and YES to either questions (2) or (3), you are eligible to apply to retain your citizenship now. When you apply, we will send you a study guide entitled A Look at Canada to prepare for the citizenship test.
	If you answered NO to question (1), but YES to either questions (2) or (3), we can provide a study guide entitled A Look at Canada to help you prepare for the citizenship test.
If you answered NO to all three options, you do not meet the requirements to retain citizenship. To keep your Canadian citizenship, you must take the steps to meet the requirements of one of the options before turning 28 years of age. If you were subject to the retention requirement but turned 28 years of age before making a retention application, you may apply to resume your Canadian citizenship. For more information about resumption of Canadian citizenship, see the section How to Apply below for how to contact us. Answer the same questions for your children.

What should I do if I don’t know the answer to one or more of the questions above?

If you don’t know the answer to one or more of the questions listed above or you have questions about your citizenship status, you may apply for a citizenship certificate (proof of citizenship). Once you have applied, Citizenship and Immigration Canada officials will make an assessment of your situation. If it is determined that you are a Canadian citizen, you will receive a citizenship certificate which is proof of your status as a Canadian citizen. If it is determined that you lost your Canadian citizenship, you will be advised on what steps you may take to resume your citizenship.

What are the requirements to retain citizenship?

You must:

• register as a Canadian citizen
• make an application to retain citizenship and
• be under 28 years of age.

You must also:

• live in Canada for at least ONE year immediately before filing an application

OR

• have a substantial connection with Canada in one of the following ways:
  • for at least two of the four years immediately before filing your application, you worked for the federal or provincial government, or you were a member of the Canadian Forces or the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), or you were a Canadian representative to the United Nations or one of its affiliated agencies

OR

• you have basic knowledge of English or French to be able to carry on a simple conversation and knowledge of Canada’s history, geography, government and the rights and responsibilities of citizenship to pass a test

AND

for at least one year after turning 14 years of age

• you attended a recognized secondary or post-secondary educational institution in Canada, or
• you lived in Canada with a family member (that is, parent, brother, sister, aunt, uncle or grandparent).

How to apply

1. Obtain an application kit.

Internet
Visit our website at www.cic.gc.ca and find:

• Application to Register and Retain Canadian Citizenship Under Section 8

Missions abroad
Contact the consular officials at the Canadian embassy, high commission or consulate in your country to obtain an application kit.

Call centre
If you live in Canada, call the toll-free number 1-888-242-2100 to contact the Citizenship and Immigration Canada Call Centre and obtain an application kit.

The Call Centre has an automated voice response system that can provide answers to general citizenship questions 24 hours a day. Agents are available to answer your questions during the normal business hours (8 a.m. to 4 p.m. your local time).

If you are hearing impaired and you use a text telephone, you can access the TTY service at 1-888-576-8502 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. your local time.

2. Complete the application.
Follow the instructions in the application kit and make sure you provide the requested documents. If information or documents are missing, the application may be delayed.

There is a fee of C$100 to cover the cost of processing your application for retention. See the application kit for information on the payment of the fee.

3. Mail your application to the address provided in the kit.

Next steps

• You may be required to attend an interview.
• If you are required to meet the language and knowledge criteria, you will be sent study material.
• If you meet the requirements for retention of citizenship, a certificate of retention and a citizenship certificate will be issued to you.

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Related Links

• Retaining Your Canadian Citizenship publication
• Resumption of citizenship
• Proof of citizenship