Evidence of meeting #38 for Citizenship and Immigration in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was naturalization.
A recording is available from Parliament.
3:50 p.m.
Director General, International Region, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
It varies a great deal from one country to the next; that is the main difference.
3:50 p.m.
Bloc
Thierry St-Cyr Bloc Jeanne-Le Ber, QC
Can the parent bring his child back to Canada while waiting for citizenship to be conferred on the child?
3:50 p.m.
Director General, International Region, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
I am not sure I understand your question.
3:50 p.m.
Bloc
Thierry St-Cyr Bloc Jeanne-Le Ber, QC
In fact, it is not just citizens who have the right to be in Canada. Can someone who has adopted a child bring that child back to Canada while waiting for citizenship to be conferred on the child?
3:50 p.m.
Director General, International Region, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
The child has a status, whether he is an immigrant or a citizen.
December 13th, 2010 / 3:55 p.m.
NDP
Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON
How many children are adopted each year, say in 2008 and 2009, on average? Divide it by naturalization versus citizens. I just want the numbers.
3:55 p.m.
Director General, International Region, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
It varies, usually, because the naturalization study—
3:55 p.m.
Director General, International Region, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
In 2009, 60% were through naturalization and about 40% were through immigration.
3:55 p.m.
Director General, International Region, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
It's roughly 2,000.
Do you want the exact number?
3:55 p.m.
NDP
Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON
The approximate number will do. Is it approximately 2,000?
If it's 40% by citizenship, you're looking at....
3:55 p.m.
Director General, International Region, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
It's 2,112.
3:55 p.m.
NDP
Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON
Okay. Thank you.
About 80 parents in Canada chose the citizenship route, so their kids will have the second-generation cut-off. It's almost like cancelling Bill C-14, because Bill C-14 gave the parents a choice to bring their kids in as citizens rather than as landed immigrants, and that was because of a whole ten years of campaigning.
Am I correct that when we put in Bill C-14, it was fast-tracked here because the Canadian parents were saying that by coming as citizens you would have immediate health care, whereas for permanent residents it's three months before you can have health care? Am I correct?
I think the benefit is to arrive as a Canadian citizen. Maybe you can name some of those benefits.
3:55 p.m.
Director, Legislation and Program Policy, Citizenship and Multiculturalism Branch, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
I think most of those benefits would be tied to provincial requirements, and sometimes those are dependent on residence in the province and not so much on status.
3:55 p.m.
Director, Legislation and Program Policy, Citizenship and Multiculturalism Branch, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
I can't really say what the provincial requirements are for health care, but....
3:55 p.m.
NDP
Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON
I know there are distinct advantages to coming to Canada as a citizen rather than as a permanent resident, are there not?
3:55 p.m.
Director, Legislation and Program Policy, Citizenship and Multiculturalism Branch, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
The advantage of the direct route would be that you'd go through one process rather than two, but it has the impact now, further to the changes in 2009 that you pointed out, that if you come as a direct grant, you wouldn't be able to pass on citizenship should your child be born abroad in the future.
3:55 p.m.
NDP
Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON
In order to fix that, would it be a legislative change or a change in the regulations?
3:55 p.m.
Director, Legislation and Program Policy, Citizenship and Multiculturalism Branch, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
It's in the law, so the law would have to be changed.
3:55 p.m.
NDP
Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON
Is it the law that would include the adoption of the kids when they come in as citizens?
3:55 p.m.
Director, Legislation and Program Policy, Citizenship and Multiculturalism Branch, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
It's the law that describes the first-generation limit as applying both to the natural-born children of Canadians abroad and to adopted children who come through the direct route.
3:55 p.m.
NDP
