The Citizenship Resumption Process

There are a few different ways by which a person can lose their Canadian citizenship, however some cases allow these people to resume their citizenship in Canada.

The qualifications that need to be met for a person to be able to resume their Canadian citizenship using this process are very strict and apply to only a select few people. Mostly, the conditions under which one can resume citizenship have to do with some of the confusion following the restructuring of Canadian government after it became autonomous from Britain.

If you have never been a citizen of Canada or you have simply lost your citizenship certificate, this process is not the way you should use. New citizens will have to first become Permanent Residents before applying for Canadian citizenship. Citizens who have lost their citizenship certificates, but have not revoked their citizenship should simply file for a new citizenship certificate.

The form needed to resume one’s citizenship is called CIT 0301 and the form can be found on Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s website.

Below are some of the more salient requirements that people must meet in order to file with this form:

• You must have been, at some time in the past, a Canadian citizen.
• You can’t have gone through the process of revoking your citizenship.
• You must have become a Permanent Resident immediately following the loss of your Canadian citizenship and you must hold Permanent Residency for at least one year preceding your application for resumption.
• You cannot be currently in removal proceedings.

The cost of this form is $100 and must be paid upon receipt of the immigration document at a CIC processing center. Fees can be paid online or through a Canadian financial institution.