Statelessness-at-birth bloodline grant (s.5(5)) — NEW mandatory (C-3)
Citizenship in Canada
- Eligibility
- The Minister SHALL, on application, grant citizenship to a person born outside Canada on/after 2025-12-15 who has a birth parent who was a citizen at birth, is under 23, was physically present in Canada >=1,095 days in the 4 years before application, has ALWAYS been stateless, and has no listed terrorism/security convictions (s.5(5)). No oath required (s.5(6)). A narrow MANDATORY grant — distinct from the broad DISCRETIONARY s.5(4) statelessness grant. Live IRCC application route.
- Renunciation
- Not required
Overview
CA-SPC-03 is the statelessness-at-birth bloodline grant under Citizenship Act s.5(5), a narrow MANDATORY grant created by An Act to amend the Citizenship Act (2025), S.C. 2025, c. 5 (Bill C-3, 45-1), in force 2025-12-15 by Order in Council SI/2025-129 (P.C. 2025-928, dated 2025-12-11, under s.7 of the Act). On application, the Minister SHALL grant citizenship to a person who: (a) was born outside Canada on or after 2025-12-15; (b) has a birth parent who was a citizen at the time of birth; (c) is under 23; (d) has been physically present in Canada at least 1,095 days in the 4 years before the application; (e) has always been stateless; and (f) is not convicted of the listed terrorism / Criminal Code ss.47/51/52 / Foreign Interference and Security of Information Act offences. The mandatory 'shall' character distinguishes it from the broad discretionary s.5(4) statelessness grant (CA-SPC-01). No oath is required (s.5(6)). It is a live, published IRCC application route as of 2026-06-01: the dedicated 'Canadian citizenship for stateless people' stream confirms the eligibility set. This route is for children of Canadians whose statelessness is not otherwise cured by descent (s.3(1)(b)) — typically because the substantial-connection limit (s.3(3)) would otherwise leave them without any nationality.
Legal basis
The operative provision is Citizenship Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-29, s.5(5), as enacted by S.C. 2025, c. 5, s.3. The 'shall, on application, grant' wording makes the grant mandatory (non-discretionary) once every enumerated criterion is met, mirroring the mandatory character of s.5(1) and s.5.1 and contrasting with the permissive 'may, in his or her discretion' of s.5(4). The companion provision s.5(6) provides that the oath of citizenship is not required for a grant made under s.5(5). The eligibility window is fixed to Bill C-3's coming-into-force date (2025-12-15) by OIC SI/2025-129 (P.C. 2025-928). The criterion (f) offence reference to the 'Foreign Interference and Security of Information Act' reflects the 2024, c. 16, s. 57 renaming of the former Security of Information Act, confirmed in the consolidated statute. The grant is administered federally by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) under the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. Citizenship is an exclusive federal jurisdiction under s.91(25) of the Constitution Act, 1867; no province confers it.
Example scenarios
eligible
All six s.5(5) criteria are met: born outside Canada on/after 2025-12-15 (a); Canadian birth parent at birth (b); under 23 (c); ≥1,095 days physical presence in the prior 4 years (d); always stateless (e); no listed convictions (f). The Minister SHALL grant citizenship; no oath is required (s.5(6)).
ineligible
s.5(5)(a) applies only to persons born outside Canada ON OR AFTER 2025-12-15. Daniel's pre-CIF birth falls outside the s.5(5) window. He is not eligible for CA-SPC-03, but should instead examine descent restoration under s.3(1.5) (CA-HIS-04, the C-3 retroactive restoration for pre-2025-12-15 born-abroad descendants) and, failing that, the discretionary s.5(4) statelessness grant (CA-SPC-01).
ineligible
Criterion (e) requires the applicant to have ALWAYS been stateless — stateless continuously from birth to application. Sofia held a nationality at birth, so she fails the 'always stateless' test even though she is presently stateless. CA-SPC-03 is unavailable; the discretionary s.5(4) statelessness grant (CA-SPC-01) is the residual humanitarian pathway to consider.
ineligible
Criterion (c) requires the applicant to be UNDER 23 at the time of application. Being 23 or older at filing is an absolute bar regardless of how strongly the other criteria are met — the grant is mandatory only when all six are satisfied. Had Mateo applied before turning 23 he would have qualified. Over the ceiling, he must consider the discretionary s.5(4) statelessness grant (CA-SPC-01) instead. (Illustrative facts; the under-23 ceiling is assessed at the application date.)
ineligible
Lina is a citizen by descent under s.3(1)(b), deemed a citizen from birth (s.3(7)(h)), so she is not stateless and has no need of the s.5(5) grant — which exists precisely to cure statelessness where descent does NOT apply. The correct step is to apply for a proof-of-citizenship certificate (CA-DSC-01), not a s.5(5) grant. s.5(5) is inapplicable to a person who already holds Canadian (or any) nationality.
Informational summary compiled from primary legal sources — not legal advice. Citizenship law changes; verify with the competent authority before acting. Last verified 2026-06-01.
Track changes to this route
Descent and naturalization rules change. We'll email you in plain English when anything affecting Canada updates — no spam.