Bill C-274, An Act to amend the Citizenship Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, proposes changes to both Acts; it does not create a separate program or agency. Its stated goal is to provide a path to citizenship for some people who were in child-welfare care and to prevent their removal while a citizenship application is pending. The supplied material does not state the bill’s status, so these are proposed changes, not provisions shown to be in force.
The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration would have to grant citizenship on application to a person who meets the bill’s conditions.
The route would cover specified care situations: residence in certain institutions, foster or guardian homes; residence in or maintenance by a provincially licensed or authorized institution; or receiving specified services from a provincial child-protection agency.
Applicants would generally need at least 365 cumulative days in a covered situation, 1,095 days physically present in Canada before applying, and no more than 10 years of residence outside Canada since turning 18. They must also meet a condition about not being returned to parental custody when the care circumstance ended, with an exception for a return within 365 days of turning 18.
An applicant’s written statement would count as proof of the care circumstances unless the Minister finds, on a balance of probabilities, that they did not exist. The Minister could waive any of the listed requirements on compassionate grounds.
A removal order against a foreign national who applies under this route could not be enforced until a final decision. An unenforced removal order would become void if the person is granted citizenship.
People who were in care: Citizenship would not be automatic. You would need to apply and meet the conditions above, unless the Minister waives one or more on compassionate grounds. The bill’s wording does not limit the route expressly to people who are still minors when they apply.
People facing removal: If you are a foreign national and make an application under this route, the bill would pause enforcement of a removal order until a final decision. If citizenship is granted, an unenforced removal order would become void.
The Minister: The Minister would have to grant citizenship when the legal requirements are met, but could waive them on compassionate grounds. The bill also provides for regulations about assessing requirements, suspending application reviews, and requests for waivers.
Other people: The bill does not directly change citizenship or removal rules for people who do not apply under this route.
The supplied material does not include the current versions of the two Acts, so the full change from current law could not be verified.
The bill does not specify a start date, application process, decision timeline, appeal route, or reporting requirements.
It does not define some key terms, including “maintained” and “services to improve their living conditions.”
It does not explain how an applicant would document the other eligibility conditions, or how the Minister would assess a compassionate waiver.
It does not explain what happens to a removal order after a final decision refusing citizenship, beyond saying enforcement is paused until that decision.
The bill’s status and any cost or implementation plans are not provided.
The bill appears intended to address the added insecurity faced by people who were in care as children and lack citizenship.
A possible argument for this approach is that qualifying for citizenship could give these people a path to greater security after leaving care.
The pause on removal while an application is decided could prevent a person from being removed before the citizenship decision is final.
The written-statement rule could make it easier to prove past care circumstances, while allowing the Minister to reject a statement if the evidence shows those circumstances did not exist.
The eligibility conditions are narrow and detailed. Some people who spent time in care may not qualify, including those who do not meet the time-in-care or physical-presence requirements.
The bill does not explain how decisions or compassionate waivers would be made, or how applicants could challenge a refusal.
The removal pause applies to a foreign national who has made an application under section 5.3; the bill does not set out a separate initial screening process before the pause applies.
The bill creates duties and decision-making work for the Minister but provides no cost estimate, staffing plan, or start date.