Bill C-3: Are You a Canadian Citizen by Descent? The 2025 Law Explained

Bill C-3 removed Canada’s “first-generation limit” on citizenship by descent. Since December 15, 2025, many people born outside Canada to a Canadian parent who was also born abroad are Canadian citizens automatically, and they can apply for proof of citizenship. For children born or adopted abroad on or after that date, the Canadian parent must show at least 1,095 days of physical presence in Canada before the birth or adoption.

Key points

• Royal Assent November 20, 2025; in force December 15, 2025.
• People born abroad before December 15, 2025 who were blocked only by the first-generation limit (or certain outdated rules) are now citizens.
• For births or adoptions abroad on or after December 15, 2025, a Canadian parent born abroad needs 1,095 days of cumulative presence in Canada before the birth or adoption.
• You do not “apply for citizenship” in these cases. You apply for proof of citizenship (a certificate, $75 as of October 2026).
• A simplified renunciation process exists for people who did not want citizenship.

Background: the first-generation limit

From 2009 until December 2025, Canadian citizenship by descent stopped at the first generation born outside Canada. A Canadian born abroad could not pass citizenship automatically to their own child if that child was also born abroad. This cut off many families with real ties to Canada.

On December 19, 2023, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice declared key parts of the Citizenship Act on the first-generation limit unconstitutional. The government did not appeal. While a new law was prepared, an interim measure allowed some affected people to apply for a discretionary grant of citizenship.

Bill C-3 was introduced on June 5, 2025, received Royal Assent on November 20, 2025, and came into force on December 15, 2025, according to IRCC.

Who became a citizen on December 15, 2025

IRCC says the law extends citizenship to:

• people born or adopted abroad to a Canadian parent in the second or later generation, before the law took effect
• remaining “Lost Canadians”, people who lost or never got citizenship because of older laws, and their descendants. IRCC notes that about 20,000 Lost Canadians were restored by earlier changes in 2009 and 2015, but some groups (including people affected by former section 8 of the Act) were still left out.

For people born before December 15, 2025, no substantial connection test applies. If the first-generation limit or certain outdated provisions were the only barrier, you became a citizen when the law came into force.

Is this you? A quick check

You are likely affected if all of these are true:

1. You were born (or adopted) outside Canada before December 15, 2025.
2. One of your parents was a Canadian citizen when you were born.
3. That parent was also born outside Canada (or got citizenship by descent).
4. You were refused, or would have been refused, proof of citizenship because of the first-generation limit.

Lineage can go back several generations. You must show an unbroken chain to a Canadian parent. Complex family histories, such as a parent who lost citizenship, may need professional advice.

Children born or adopted on or after December 15, 2025

For new births and adoptions abroad, citizenship by descent beyond the first generation now depends on a substantial connection test.

Situation	Rule
Child born abroad to a parent born in Canada or naturalized in Canada	Citizen by descent (first generation), as before
Child born abroad on or after Dec 15, 2025, to a Canadian parent born or adopted abroad	Citizen only if that parent had 1,095 days of cumulative physical presence in Canada before the birth
Child adopted abroad on or after Dec 15, 2025, by a Canadian parent born or adopted abroad	Same 1,095-day test, counted before the adoption
Child adopted abroad before Dec 15, 2025, by a Canadian parent born or adopted abroad	Can apply for citizenship for an adopted child

The 1,095 days are cumulative. They do not have to be in one continuous stretch. A parent who lived in Canada as a child and later for university, for example, can add those periods together. Keep evidence: school records, tax records, leases, employment letters and travel records.

The 1,095-day number is the same as the physical presence rule for adult citizenship applicants, but the tests are different. For naturalization rules, see our guide to Canadian citizenship requirements.

Example scenarios

These simplified cases show how the dates work. Real cases depend on the full family history.

Grandchild born in 2010. Sara’s grandmother was born in Canada. Her father was born in the UK in 1980 and is a citizen by descent. Sara was born in the UK in 2010. Before Bill C-3, the first-generation limit blocked her. Because she was born before December 15, 2025, she became a citizen when the law came into force, with no substantial connection test. She should apply for proof of citizenship.

Baby born in 2026, parent with enough time in Canada. Daniel was born in the US to a Canadian citizen father, so he is a citizen by descent. Daniel lived in Canada for four years as a student and worker, then moved abroad. His daughter is born in Germany in March 2026. Daniel has more than 1,095 days of presence in Canada before her birth, so she is a citizen by descent.

Baby born in 2026, parent without enough time in Canada. If Daniel had spent only 600 days in Canada before his daughter’s birth, she would not get citizenship by descent automatically. Other routes, such as sponsorship to permanent residence and later naturalization, may still be open.

Documents that help prove your lineage

• Long-form birth certificates that name both parents, for each generation back to the Canadian ancestor
• The Canadian ancestor’s Canadian birth certificate, citizenship certificate or naturalization record
• Marriage certificates and legal name change documents that link names across generations
• Adoption orders, where adoption is part of the chain
• For the 1,095-day test: Canadian school transcripts, tax assessments, employment records, leases and entry records

Documents in other languages need certified translations.

How to get proof of citizenship

People who became citizens automatically do not apply for a grant of citizenship. They apply for proof of citizenship, called a citizenship certificate.

1. Gather documents. Your birth certificate showing your parents, and your Canadian parent’s proof of citizenship. If your parent was also born abroad, you may need their parent’s documents too.
2. For post-December 15, 2025 births, add evidence of the Canadian parent’s 1,095 days in Canada before the birth.
3. Apply to IRCC using the proof of citizenship application.
4. Pay the fee. As of October 2026, the IRCC fee list shows $75 for a citizenship certificate.
5. Once you have the certificate, you can apply for a Canadian passport.

IRCC has not published specific processing times for Bill C-3 cases in the sources we checked. Use IRCC’s processing times tool for the current estimate.

If you do not want Canadian citizenship

Some people became citizens without asking for it. That can matter if your other country restricts dual citizenship or for tax reasons. IRCC says people born before December 15, 2025 who automatically became citizens under the new law, and who were never previously granted citizenship, can use a simplified process to renounce it. Get advice in both countries before you act, because renunciation is hard to reverse.

Common questions about what Bill C-3 does not do

• It does not affect permanent residents applying for citizenship. The 1,095-day physical presence rule for naturalization did not change.
• It does not give citizenship to every descendant automatically for future births. The substantial connection test applies from December 15, 2025.
• It does not replace the need for documents. Without a certificate, you may not be able to get a passport or prove status.

What to do next

• Map your family line back to the Canadian parent or grandparent and collect birth and citizenship records.
• If a child was born abroad after December 15, 2025, gather evidence of the Canadian parent’s 1,095 days in Canada.
• Read the IRCC announcement and the proof of citizenship application guide.
• For related rules, see the Canada country hub and our updates page.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Citizenship by descent cases depend on family history and old laws. For complex cases, talk to a Canadian immigration lawyer or licensed RCIC.