This year, the birth tourism growth rate reached a peak. More women than ever before come to Canada to give birth.
People from all over the world agree on the fact that Canada is a great place to live and raise a family. Perhaps this is why this country is experiencing an increase in the birth rate. Pregnant women travel the country and give birth within the borders of Canada so that their children could get Canadian citizenship.
Birth tourism in Canada has never been as popular as it is now. It is becoming more and more appealing since the number of births in the country increased by 13% over the 12 months ending March 2019. It grows faster than immigration and population rates in Canada.
There were 4,099 births from non-residents over one year in Canada. This number accounts for 1.4% of the total number of births in the country. Foreigners most often choose to give birth in hospitals of Ontario and British Columbia.
Canada is one of the few developed countries in the world to offer citizenship by birth. This means that any child born in Canada, regardless of their parents’ citizenship, automatically becomes a Canadian citizen.
The child born in Canada has the right to reside in the country, study for free and get social benefits. However, having a child in this country does not give parents any advantage in obtaining permanent residence in Canada.
Birth tourism is not illegal in Canada. However, it puts an additional strain on hospitals. The Canadian health care system is not designed to provide services to people from overseas. Some hospitals have started to charge up to C$15,000 in advance for delivery and postpartum care. In total, giving birth in Canada together with round-trip plane tickets costs about C$30,000.
Meanwhile, the Conservative Party of Canada actively pushes for prohibiting the granting of citizenship by birth.