Proposed Changes to Citizenship Regulations

Ottawa, June 18, 2018 — Changes are being proposed to the Citizenship Regulations that will support amendments made to the Citizenship Act through Bill C-6. Bill C-6 received Royal Assent on June 19, 2017, and introduced a new provision providing clear authority under the Citizenship Act for citizenship officers to seize and detain documents believed to be fraudulently or improperly obtained or used.

The proposed changes to the Citizenship Regulations are outlined in the Canada Gazette, Part 1, for a 30-day consultation period. The changes relate to:

• The procedures that must be followed once a decision is made to seize a suspected fraudulent document (return, disposal).
• The authority to share the seized document and to disclose information about it to the Canada Border Services Agency.
• Allowing the seized document to be kept for the period necessary to determine if it is genuine, or has been unlawfully altered.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada is asking for written comments on the proposed changes to the Citizenship Regulations. For additional information and to provide comments, the Regulatory Impact Analysis Statement and proposed regulatory text can be found on the Canada Gazette, Part I website.