Until now, children born abroad were only considered citizen if they shared a genetic link to the Canadian parent or were born to a Canadian parent. This, obviously, disadvantages same-sex couples whose children may not be genetically related to one or both parents.
On July 9th, Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino announced that this rule will be amended to be more inclusive to same-sex couples, stating that current laws were cumbersome and an unjust application of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
The change allows for non-biological, legal parents to pass down their citizenship to their children at birth, even if the children are born abroad.
This is a landmark victory for LGBTQ2S+ couples in their ongoing fight for legal equality.
