Newfoundland (now part of Canada)

Listen to our RECENT WEBINAR where our two British nationality experts - Philip Gamble and Mishal Patel - discuss a family birth in Canada and its implications for claims to British nationality in the modern day.

Canadians and those born in Newfoundland (which now forms part of Canada) have several ways in which to claim British Nationality and the right to hold a British Passport. These are:

• By Birth (having been born in the UK)
• By Descent (a British or UK-born mother or father)
• Not having become Canadian by birth in Newfoundland
• By Double Descent (a grandparent born in the UK)
• A parent or grandparent born outside of Canada
• A parent or grandparent holding a nationality other than Canadian

The most common route to British Nationality is often through residency in the UK while on a UK Ancestry Visa. This Ancestry Visa for the UK is available to a Canadian aged 17 or over, and entitles you to live and work in the UK. It is possible to obtain a UK Ancestry Visa Extension, and then then to qualify for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) leading to British Nationality.

Another popular route is through the UK Working Holiday Visa. This is available to a Canadian aged between 18 and 30 and entitles you to live and work in the UK for up to 2 years. While this time does not qualify for time spent in the UK for the purposes of claim British Nationality, it does provide further opportunities to extend ones stay in the UK.

British Nationality for a Canadian is available to those with a family link to the UK or its former colonial empire. Broadly speaking (and there are exceptions), where a parent or grandparent has been British or was born in the UK or Ireland (before 1922), then it may be possible to have a claim to a British Passport. Our research has found that 13% of Canadians who have a UK born grandparent already qualify for British Nationality. 

For these and other forms of British Nationality available to Canadians, click on British Citizenship for Canadians. To discover whether you are entitled to a British Passport based on your birth in Canada, take 2 minutes to complete our FREE Nationality Search...

STATUS OF CANADA

From 1870 to 31.03.1949, Canada fell within the British Crown Dominions.

From 01.04.1949, Canada became an independent Commonwealth country.

Newfoundland

From 1713 to 31.12.1948, Newfoundland fell within the British Crown Dominions.

From 01.04.1949 until 22.05.1950, Newfoundland was an independent Commonwealth country.

On 23.05.1950, Newfoundland ceased to be an independent Commonwealth country and became part of Canada.