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INFERTILITY   ADOPTION   POST-ADOPTION   FAMILY TREE   Adoption Resource Central    Heart of Adoption Articles to inspire   You can order Family Helper publications		Citizenship and Immigration bills make progress BY ROBIN HILBORN, Family Helper editor
		(Apr. 6, 2000) A government bill will allow children adopted internationally to become Canadian citizens without having to go through the landed immigrant process. Bill C-16, the Citizenship Act, was introduced by new Minister Elinor Caplan and got second reading on Mar. 23, 2000. It proposes that the Minister will, after an application is submitted, grant citizenship to a child who was adopted by a citizen after Feb. 14, 1977. But would citizenship for children adopted abroad be automatic? Bill C-31, the Immigration Act, got first reading Apr. 6. It proposes that a foreign national could be excluded from entering Canada on health grounds (i.e. their health condition is a danger to public health or safety, or might reasonably be expected to cause excessive demand on health or social services). It is not clear, says Michael Zessner, if health grounds could be used to exclude an adopted child from Canada. [Thanks to Michael Zessner (dmz@tvo.org), Orientations, Spring 2000] Lawyer Willa Marcus comments that, as far as the foreign medical exam goes, there has always been broad support for detailed medical information before the adoption, so that the adopters can make an informed decision on the adoption. However, the federal exam has generally taken place after the adoption in the birth country. We need thorough medical exams before the fact, and we also need the right of parents to choose to adopt special needs children and bring them to Canada. ________________________________________ You may reproduce this item with the credit: "Source: Family Helper (www.familyhelper.net)"