Resumption of citizenship — s 11
Overview
Section 11 of the Citizenship Act allows a person who previously held Canadian citizenship and then lost it (through renunciation, revocation, or by having been born abroad to parents who were themselves born outside Canada before the 2009 amendments) to resume their citizenship. To resume, the person must: (a) be a permanent resident of Canada; (b) have been physically present in Canada for at least 1,095 days in the 5 years before applying; (c) meet the income tax filing obligation; and (d) take the oath of citizenship. Language and knowledge requirements also apply if aged 18–54.
Legal basis
- Citizenship Act s 11(1) — resumption: a person who is a permanent resident, has ceased to be a citizen, and meets the requirements may apply to resume citizenship
- Citizenship Act s 11(1)(c) — physical presence: 1,095 days in the 5 years before applying
- Citizenship Act s 11(2) — persons who had their citizenship revoked under s 10 are not eligible to resume citizenship
How it works
Who can apply to resume citizenship?
- Former citizens who renounced citizenship under s 9
- Former citizens who lost citizenship under the old rules (e.g., before 2009, automatic loss upon acquiring another citizenship in some circumstances)
- Persons who were affected by the second-generation born-abroad bar and lost status they previously held
Persons who had citizenship revoked under s 10 (for fraud or misrepresentation) are not eligible to resume — revocation is intended to be a permanent consequence.
Requirements for resumption
- Must be a permanent resident of Canada at the time of application
- Must have been physically present in Canada for at least 1,095 days in the 5 years before applying (same threshold as fresh citizenship grant)
- Must have filed income taxes in Canada for at least 3 of the 5 years (if required to do so)
- Aged 18–54: must meet the language (CLB 4) and knowledge test requirements
- Must take the oath of citizenship
How resumption differs from a new citizenship grant
Resumption (s 11) and fresh grant (s 5) have the same eligibility requirements and process in practice. The distinction is that a resumption applicant is a former citizen resuming a prior connection, whereas a grant applicant is obtaining citizenship for the first time. There is no additional fee reduction or expedited processing for resumption — the applications are treated similarly.