Bill C-3, which came into effect Dec. 15, removes the first-generation limit to citizenship
A new piece from CBC on the coming into force of the legislative changes to Canadian citizenship by descent.
A couple of interesting points from further down the article:
Vermette says many Franco-Americans have long felt invisible on both sides of the border.
He believes Bill C-3 presents Quebec with a unique opportunity to repatriate or reclaim those who feel a connection to the province’s culture and language, even amid heightened controversy surrounding immigration and pressures linked to cultural and linguistic preservation.
“The Franco-American population is an untapped natural resource for Quebec,” he said. . .
In a statement to CBC, the IRCC said it does not have an exact estimate of how many people might be affected by Bill C-3, but says it expects tens of thousands of requests for Canadian citizenship certificates over time.
According to the IRCC website, at the beginning of March, almost 48,000 people were waiting for a decision pertaining to their certificate application, with an estimated processing time of 11 months.
What type of evidence? Just like birth certificates and stuff? I immigrated here from Australia, but I have a great grandmother (she was a native and lived over 100. Died in like 1990) who was sold as a slave in the late 1800s. I’m not sure where she was from, it may not have been Canada, but instead the US. My brother looking to come here from Australia and is looking into this.
Long form birth certificates that name parents and marriage certificates to show name changes would cover it.
Baptismal certificates can be used when there’s no civil registration of births. Civil registration began very late in several provinces of Canada. There’s more likely to be an Anglican or Roman Catholic baptismal record regardless of being Indigenous.
You may be able to find ship manifests and landing records in Family Search or Ancestry. Those list nationality — you would be looking for her to be a British subject domiciled in Canada at the time she landed in Australia.
Your great grandmother’s death certificate may have information that could be useful, as they usually state the place of birth. Newspaper death notices and obituaries can also be helpful as supporting information.
Lastly Canadian and US census records can be used as supporting information.