Canada Bill C-3 (2026): do you still qualify for citizenship by descent?
As of 2026-06-01 · informational, not legal advice
Yes — and for most people Bill C-3 made it easier. Since it came into force on December 15, 2025, Canada removed the old "first-generation limit" on citizenship by descent. If you were born outside Canada before December 15, 2025 to a Canadian-citizen parent, in most cases you are now automatically a Canadian citizen — even in the second generation or beyond (grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Canadians), as long as you can document the lineage. Only children born abroad on or after December 15, 2025 face a new condition: their Canadian-by-descent parent must have spent at least 1,095 days physically in Canada.
Key facts
| In force | December 15, 2025 (Royal Assent November 20, 2025; S.C. 2025, c. 5) |
|---|---|
| What changed | Removed the first-generation limit on citizenship by descent, after the courts struck it down (Bjorkquist v. Canada, 2023 ONSC 7152) |
| Born abroad before Dec 15, 2025 (2nd gen+) | In most cases automatically a citizen — no physical-presence test |
| Born abroad on/after Dec 15, 2025 (2nd gen+) | Parent needs a "substantial connection": 1,095 days cumulative (not continuous) physical presence in Canada before the birth |
| Proof-of-citizenship fee | CAD $75 (official IRCC fee) |
| Lineage anchor | Ancestor must have been a Canadian citizen after January 1, 1947 (after April 1, 1949 for Newfoundland and Labrador) |
Likely still eligible
- Born outside Canada before December 15, 2025 to a Canadian-citizen parent — including grandchildren and great-grandchildren — where the lineage can be documented
- Remaining "Lost Canadians" and their descendants restored by the reform
- Children born abroad on/after December 15, 2025 whose Canadian-by-descent parent met the 1,095-day substantial-connection test
Newly restricted
- Distant Canadian ancestry alone is not enough — you must document the unbroken citizenship chain to an ancestor who was Canadian after 1947
- For children born abroad on/after December 15, 2025 in the second generation or beyond, the parent's 1,095-day presence is required
Frequently asked
- Did Bill C-3 make citizenship by descent harder or easier?
- Easier for people in the second generation and beyond who already existed — it removed the first-generation cap, so many became citizens automatically. It adds a physical-presence condition only for children born abroad from December 15, 2025 onward.
- Can I claim Canadian citizenship through a grandparent or great-grandparent?
- Generally yes, if you were born before December 15, 2025 and can document the citizenship chain back to a Canadian citizen (after 1947). There is no fixed generational cap, but the lineage must be proven — distant ancestry by itself does not qualify.
- Is the "substantial connection" test three years of living in Canada?
- It is 1,095 days of cumulative (not necessarily continuous) physical presence in Canada — and it applies to the parent of a child born abroad on or after December 15, 2025, not to people born before that date.
- What does it cost and how long does it take?
- The official IRCC proof-of-citizenship application fee is CAD $75. Processing times vary by case — check the current figure on IRCC's processing-times tool before you rely on it.
Related routes
Compiled from primary legal and official sources (below) — not legal advice. Citizenship law and fees change and turn on your exact documents; confirm with the competent authority or a licensed professional before acting. Verified as of 2026-06-01.
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