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Citizenship Act

s. 2 Definitions

  • Interpretation

Current to 2026-09-03 · Last amended 2025-12-15 · Source: laws-lois.justice.gc.ca

The law says

Citizenship Act s. 2
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(1)In this Act, certificate of citizenship means a certificate of citizenship issued or granted under this Act or under the former Act; (certificat de citoyenneté) certificate of naturalization means a certificate of naturalization granted under any Act that was in force in Canada at any time before January 1, 1947; (certificat de naturalisation) certificate of renunciation means, unless a contrary intention appears, a certificate of renunciation issued under this Act; (certificat de répudiation) child includes a child adopted or legitimized in accordance with the laws of the place where the adoption or legitimation took place; (enfant) citizen means a Canadian citizen; (citoyen) citizenship means Canadian citizenship; (citoyenneté) citizenship judge means a citizenship judge appointed under section 26; (juge de la citoyenneté) common-law partner, in relation to an individual, means a person who is cohabiting with the individual in a conjugal relationship, having so cohabited for a period of at least one year; (conjoint de fait) Court means the Federal Court; (Cour) disability[Repealed, 1992, c. 21, s. 6] former Act means the Canadian Citizenship Act, chapter C-19 of the Revised Statutes of Canada, 1970; (ancienne loi) Minister means such member of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada as is designated by the Governor in Council as the Minister for the purposes of this Act; (ministre) minor means a person who has not attained the age of eighteen years; (mineur) prior legislation means any Act respecting naturalization or citizenship that was in force in Canada at any time before February 15, 1977. (législation antérieure)

Interpretation

(2)For the purposes of this Act,

  • (a)a person is deemed to be born in Canada if the person is born on a Canadian vessel as defined in section 2 of the Canada Shipping Act, 2001, or on an aircraft registered in Canada under the Aeronautics Act and regulations made under that Act;
  • (b)a person who is lawfully present and entitled to permanently reside in Canada is deemed to have been lawfully admitted to Canada for permanent residence; and
  • (c)a person against whom a removal order has been made remains under that order
  • (i)unless all rights of review by or appeal to the Immigration Appeal Division of the Immigration and Refugee Board, the Federal Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada have been exhausted with respect to the order and the final result of those reviews or appeals is that the order has no force or effect, or
  • (ii)until the order has been executed.
Amendment History (1)
  • R.S., 1985, c. C-29, s. 2; R.S., 1985, c. 28 (4th Supp.), s. 36; 1992, c. 21, s. 6; 2000, c. 12, s. 74; 2001, c. 26, s. 286, c. 27, s. 227.1; 2002, c. 8, s. 183; 2008, c. 14, s. 1

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