Lost Canadians, Legal Realities: What Accidental Citizenship Actually Means for Your Move

Most people treat a Canadian-born grandparent as fun family trivia, not a legal pathway to citizenship. But thanks to a change in Canadian law, that old birth certificate could now be the key to citizenship, residency, and a new set of cross-border tax questions. That's the reality cross-border attorney Robert Clegg sees again and again, and it's what he unpacks in this episode.

Robert returns from Victoria, BC to talk with Gerry about Canada's expanded "Lost Canadian" citizenship rules. Robert is a U.S. immigration and tax attorney based in Seattle and Victoria with 30+ years of cross-border experience. They dig into who qualifies, how to apply, and the realities of relocating to Vancouver Island.

What You'll Learn:

• The Dec. 2025 rule change: citizenship now extends to grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Canadian-born ancestors.
• A real case study: how one American traced citizenship through his Alberta-born grandfather.
• Why 3-4 million Americans may be eligible, with 150,000+ applications filed and ~1 year wait times.
• Why dual citizenship is required before renouncing U.S. citizenship.
• How the BC Speculation and Vacancy Tax ties to citizenship status.
• Popular Vancouver Island landing spots: Victoria, Qualicum Beach, Cobble Hill, Nanaimo, Sydney.
• Why most renunciations happen after 5-50 years in Canada, not for political reasons.
• Why the ~$13M U.S. estate tax exclusion means most clients aren't exposed.
• The overlooked hurdle of rebuilding credit and banking across the border.