Story perspectives

Canada Expands Grandparent Citizenship, U.S. Draft-Age Men Rush

4/28/2026

Summary

Story summary

Bill C-3, effective Dec. 15, expands citizenship-by-descent to grandparents, sparking U.S. applications.
Men 18-26 in the United States seek dual citizenship to avoid draft restarting this December.
Immigration lawyers now handle about 20 U.S. consultations daily while 56,000 Canadian applications await ten-month processing.
Renouncing U.S. citizenship incurs exit taxes, $7,000-$10,000 legal fees, and expatriate status.
Interviewees cite 2016 election, President Donald Trump’s policies, and 2020 Supreme Court nomination as reasons.

History

Historical Context

In October 1965 President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Immigration and Nationality Act, ending the National Origins Formula and capping Western-Hemisphere admissions at 120,000 per year. The law spurred family-based migration, raising the foreign-born share from about 5 % in 1965 to 14 % by 2016. Dec 15 2023 Canada’s Bill C-3 expanded citizenship-by-descent to grandparents, prompting U.S. men to seek dual nationality.

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Story summary

Bill C-3, effective Dec. 15, expands citizenship-by-descent to grandparents, sparking U.S. applications.
Men 18-26 in the United States seek dual citizenship to avoid draft restarting this December.
Immigration lawyers now handle about 20 U.S. consultations daily while 56,000 Canadian applications await ten-month processing.
Renouncing U.S. citizenship incurs exit taxes, $7,000-$10,000 legal fees, and expatriate status.
Interviewees cite 2016 election, President Donald Trump’s policies, and 2020 Supreme Court nomination as reasons.

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