New passport rules may force Canadian sisters to spend Christmas apart

Two Canadian sisters say they're in a bureaucratic nightmare because of new federal rules for dual citizens that may force them to be separated this Christmas.

It's incredibly emotive. It's Christmas. You sort of think, that's the time you really want to be with family, and the fact I'm a Canadian citizen [and I] can't get in the country just seems crazy.- Lisa Dean, Canadian-British dual citizen

Lisa Dean is currently living inBournemouth, England, but she was born in Canada and has dual Canadian-British citizenship.

She had been planning to fly to Ottawa on Dec. 23 to spend Christmas with her sister Louise and nephews. But Dean said she's now in a state of "limbo" because of rules brought in on Nov. 10 by the federal government that require dual citizens to hold a Canadian passport to fly through or into the country.

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Although Dean has a valid U.K. passport, she does not currently have a valid Canadian passport.

"It's incredibly emotive," Dean told CBC News viaSkypefrom her home in England."It's Christmas. You sort of think, that's the time you really want to be with family, and the fact I'm a Canadian citizen [and I] can't get in the country just seems crazy."

Deans denied for 'special authorization'

Dean found out about the new rules at the end of November, and was worried she wouldn't have enough time to apply for a new Canadian passport.

Travellers can apply for an exemptionwill let them board their flightto Canada using their non-Canadian passport, if their flight leaves within the 10 days of applying. The temporaryfederal "special authorization" program is in place until Jan. 31, 2017 to help travellers who weren't aware of the new rules.

Dean said she applied for the exemption, but quicklyreceived an emailsaying she had been denied.

"It just saidthey couldn't electronically confirm me as a Canadian citizen," said Deans. "And it really didn't give me much redress. You couldn't respond to the e-mail it was a 'do not reply' and it was basically just saying, 'You can't travel.'"

Dean said she's frustrated that there seems to be no official she can to talk to about her case. Every timeshe called for help, she was given an email address.

'Home is us being together'

In Ottawa, Louise Greensaid she's "distressed" she may be separated from her sister for Christmas, and can't believe the new rules were rolled out so close to Christmas.

We are each other's family. Our parents are dead,and home is us being together.- Louise Green, sister of Lisa Dean

"I'm in a little bit of a state of disbelief that that this is happening, that this is a bureaucratic process issue that is stopping her from coming homefor Christmas," said Green.

"This is it. We are it. We are each other's family. Our parents are dead,and home is us being together."

The sisters even split the cost of Green's airplane ticket so they spend Christmas as a family.

Lisa Dean said she plans to make one last ditch effort to make it to Ottawa.

She has gathered her birth certificate, expired Canadian passports, new passport photos, and is planning to travelto the Canadian passport office in London in hopes they may be able to help her.

But thefederal government'swebsitemakes it clear:"If you are not eligible for the special authorization there are no quick fixes to help you get on your flight."