You will lose your Canadian citizenship on your 28th birthday unless you take the steps to retain it.
As a Canadian citizen, you can get a Canadian passport. You can travel abroad for as long as you like and you will not lose your citizenship status, unlike Permanent Residents (PR).
To keep your permanent resident status, you must have been in Canada for at least 730 days during the last five years. These 730 days don't need to be continuous.
Losing Canadian Citizenship
Naturalizing as a citizen in another country; Serving in the military of another country; Failing to reside in Canada for a specific period of time; Failing to affirm your citizenship after a certain time abroad.
Residency visa or permit: If you stay in a country beyond the period allowed by a typical tourist visa (usually three to six months) for reasons such as retirement abroad, you'll need a residency visa or permit.
Every country decides whom it considers to be a citizen. If more than one country recognizes you as a citizen, you have dual citizenship. You don't apply for dual citizenship, and there is no related certificate. Canadians are allowed to take foreign citizenship while keeping their Canadian citizenship.
Replace or Renew a Canadian Citizenship Card
Canadian citizenship cards and certificates issued after 1977 never expire. However, they may no longer be accepted if they are in bad condition or are illegible. If the photo, borders, or writing on the document is damaged, then you will need to replace the document.
A U.S. citizen may naturalize in a foreign state without any risk to his or her U.S. citizenship. However, persons who acquire a foreign nationality after age 18 by applying for it may relinquish their U.S. nationality if they wish to do so.
It is an official legal document that proves your citizenship status. It is not an identity document or a travel document. The citizenship certificate used to be a wallet-sized card. If you have an old style certificate, it is still valid and you don't need to apply for a replacement.
Can you have triple citizenship? Yes, you may hold citizenship in three countries. The same rules apply as for dual citizenship — not every country allows for multiple citizenships, so you would need to check whether your country of origin permits triple citizenship.
Can You Have Two Passports from Different Countries? Yes, many countries allow their citizens to hold more than one nationality. This means travelers can potentially hold a passport for each country they are a citizen of. Some people are automatically considered dual citizens from birth.
U.S. Passport or Certificate of Citizenship
The Certificate of Citizenship does not expire. Therefore, it may give some citizens more reassurance than a U.S. passport. A validly issued U.S. passport generally serves as evidence of your U.S. citizenship for most purposes during its period of validity.
Most PR cards are valid for five years, but some are only valid for one year. The expiry date is printed on the card. When your PR card expires, you can't use it as a travel document. If your PR card will expire within six months, you should apply to renew your card.
Once you are granted citizenship, you are no longer a permanent resident (PR) and your PR card will no longer be valid. We will collect your PR card at the citizenship ceremony.
Under Canadian law, you can be both a Canadian citizen and a citizen of another country. However, some countries won't let you keep their citizenship if you become a Canadian citizen. The consulate or embassy of your other country of citizenship can tell you whether this applies to you.
Dual (or multiple) citizenship or nationality means that you are a citizen of more than one country. Dual or multiple citizenship is legal in Canada. However, it may not be legal in the other country or countries where you hold citizenship.
Canada is one of the few countries that will give automatic citizenship to your child if they were born here, even if you are not a Canadian citizen.
Except in unusual circumstances, Canadian citizens cannot be deported. In some circumstances, citizens may be returned to a foreign country if they are accused or convicted of a specific crime in that country. This is usually referred to as 'extradition. '
If you did not live in Canada for long enough to get a full pension or you moved to Canada from another country you may also qualify to combine your pensions from both countries. Canada has many International Social Security Agreements with other countries to help citizens coordinate their benefits.
Moving back to Canada as a Canadian citizen is technically called repatriation. If you are a Canadian citizen, you are entitled to return to Canada at any time to re-establish your residency. However, it may not be so simple if you got married or had children while away, and want them to return to Canada with you.
There are two countries in the European Union where this is possible: Malta and Cyprus; as well as the five Caribbean countries of Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Dominica, St. Kitts & Nevis, and St. Lucia. Additionally the countries of Vanuatu, Montenegro, Turkey and Jordan offer citizenship by investment programs.
Drawbacks of being a dual citizen include the potential for double taxation, the long and expensive process for obtaining dual citizenship, and the fact that you become bound by the laws of two nations.