Author:The enactment of Bill C-3 and Canadian Citizenship in 2025:
How Second-Generation Citizenship Rules Have Changed
On December 15, 2025, Canada officially transformed its citizenship laws with the passage of Bill C-3, an amendment to the Citizenship Act. These changes significantly expand access to Canadian citizenship by descent, particularly for individuals born outside Canada in the second generation or later.
If you or your family were previously told you were not eligible for Canadian citizenship due to the first-generation limit, this update may directly affect you.
What Is Bill C-3? (Citizenship Act Amendment Explained)
Bill C-3 is federal legislation that removes the strict first-generation limit to Canadian citizenship by descent in certain situations. Prior to this amendment, only the first generation born outside Canada could inherit Canadian citizenship automatically.
As of December 15, 2025, the law now allows second-generation Canadian citizenship in defined circumstances, correcting long-standing inequities that impacted Canadian families living abroad.
Key takeaway:
- Anyone who became a Canadian citizen before Bill C-3 came into force remains a citizen.
- The law expands citizenship—it does not revoke it.
How Canada Counts Generations for Citizenship by Descent
Understanding how generations are counted is essential when assessing eligibility under Bill C-3:
- Canadian citizen: A person born in Canada or a person who became Canadian through naturalization.
- First generation born abroad: A person born or adopted outside Canada to a Canadian citizen. This person is a citizen by descent.
- Second generation (or later): A person born or adopted outside Canada to a first-generation Canadian citizen.
These same definitions apply to adopted individuals applying for a direct grant of Canadian citizenship.
Second-Generation Canadian Citizenship: Born or Adopted On or After December 15, 2025
You may qualify for Canadian citizenship by descent if all of the following apply:
- You were born outside Canada in the second generation (or later), and
- Your parent was also born or adopted outside Canada to a Canadian citizen (meaning your grandparent was Canadian), and
- That parent spent at least 1,095 days (three years) physically present in Canada before your birth.
Adopted Children Born Abroad
You are likely eligible for a direct grant of Canadian citizenship if:
- You were born and adopted outside Canada in the second generation or later, and
- Your Canadian parent spent at least 1,095 days in Canada before the adoption.
Citizenship Automatically Restored: Born Before December 15, 2025
For individuals born outside Canada before Bill C-3 took effect, the law goes further.
In most cases, Canadian citizenship has been automatically restored or granted if you:
- Were born before December 15, 2025,
- Were born outside Canada, and
- Had a Canadian parent.
This also applies if your parent only became Canadian because of Bill C-3.
Can You Decline Canadian Citizenship?
Yes. If you became a Canadian citizen automatically under the new rules and do not wish to be Canadian, you may apply to renounce Canadian citizenship.
Adopted Individuals (Born Before December 15, 2025)
Adopted individuals born and adopted outside Canada in the second generation or later are generally eligible to apply for citizenship through a direct grant, even if the adoption occurred before the law changed.
Interim Measure Applications: What Happens Now?
In December 2023, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice ruled that the first-generation limit was unconstitutional for many affected individuals. In response, IRCC introduced an interim citizenship measure.
If you applied under this interim process:
- Your application will now be processed under the new Bill C-3 citizenship rules, and
- No new application is required if your file is still in progress.
How to Prove Canadian Citizenship After Bill C-3
Even if you are now automatically a Canadian citizen, you will usually need to apply for a Canadian citizenship certificate to formally prove your status.
This document is required to:
-
- Apply for a Canadian passport
- Access certain government services
- Confirm citizenship for your children
Why Bill C-3 Matters for Canadian Families Abroad
The Bill C-3 citizenship amendment corrects decades of exclusion for Canadian families who maintained meaningful ties to Canada but were blocked by outdated generational rules.
If you were previously denied citizenship, advised you were ineligible, or never applied due to the first-generation limit, this is the moment to reassess your status.
Because second-generation Canadian citizenship cases often involve complex timelines, residency calculations, and family history, professional legal guidance can help ensure your eligibility is properly evaluated and documented.
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