Top Questions from Our Canadian Citizenship by Descent Reddit AMA
September 23, 2026
Cassandra Fultz, RCIC-IRB
One of the most common questions Americans ask when exploring Canadian citizenship through descent is whether their eligibility disappears if a parent, grandparent or earlier ancestor became a US citizen.
The answer is: not necessarily.
In fact, many Americans who qualify for Canadian citizenship through ancestry today have family histories that involve immigration to the United States and eventual US naturalization. For the vast majority of Americans applying under Bill C-3, it does not end your claim.
This is a common query because large numbers of Canadians moved to the United States between the late 1800s and mid-1900s and many eventually became naturalized US citizens. This can create confusion because older Canadian citizenship laws sometimes caused people to automatically lose Canadian citizenship when they voluntarily became citizens of another country.
Canadian citizenship law has changed repeatedly
One thing that surprises many Americans is that Canada did not even have its own formal citizenship law until 1947. Before that, Canadians were generally classified as British subjects.
After 1947, Canadian citizenship laws changed multiple times, including rules around:
- Dual citizenship
- Retention requirements
- Foreign naturalisation
- Citizenship transmission to children born abroad
In some historical periods, voluntarily becoming a US citizen could result in loss of Canadian citizenship. In others, it did not.
This means there is no single answer that applies to every family.
Canada has allowed dual citizenship since 1977
Since the Canadian Citizenship Act of 1977 came into effect, Canada has permitted dual citizenship. A Canadian who became a US citizen on or after 15 February 1977 did not automatically lose their Canadian status by doing so.
Under Canadian law, citizenship can only be lost through formal renunciation – a deliberate legal process in which a person officially gives up their Canadian citizenship before a government official. Simply acquiring another nationality is not enough.
This means that if your parent, grandparent or more distant ancestor naturalized as a US citizen after 1977, they almost certainly remained a Canadian citizen at the same time, and the chain of descent to you remains intact.
What about the US naturalization oath?
Many Americans worry about the wording of the US naturalization oath, which includes language about renouncing allegiance to foreign states. In practice, this oath does not constitute a formal renunciation of Canadian citizenship under Canadian law. Canada requires its own specific renunciation process, conducted through official Canadian government channels. Taking the US oath alone does not sever Canadian citizenship.
What if my ancestor naturalized before 1977?
This timing is where the history becomes more complex. Under the 1947 Canadian Citizenship Act, Canadians who voluntarily acquired a foreign nationality did automatically lose their Canadian citizenship. This means that a Canadian ancestor who became a US citizen between 1947 and 15 February 1977 may have lost their Canadian citizenship at that point, which could affect the chain of descent.
However, even this is not always straightforward. Some of those who lost citizenship under the old rules have since had their status restored through subsequent legislative changes, and Bill C-3 specifically extends citizenship to remaining “Lost Canadians” and their descendants. As a result, an ancestor’s US naturalization no longer automatically means a descendant is excluded from citizenship today.
What documents will you need?
If your Canadian ancestor also became a US citizen, your application for a grant of Canadian citizenship will likely need to include naturalization records alongside the standard documents. These records can help establish the timeline of your ancestor’s naturalization.
Why this matters for your application
Cases involving ancestors who naturalised in the US are among the more complex Canadian citizenship through ancestry applications. The interaction between different versions of the Canadian Citizenship Act, the specific dates involved and the question of whether renunciation actually occurred all require careful analysis. Getting it wrong can result in a returned application and months of lost time.
Doherty Fultz Immigration has extensive experience with exactly these kinds of complex, multi-generational cases. As experienced Canadian immigration consultants, we can assess your specific family history and help you understand whether your ancestor’s naturalizsation affects your eligibility.
If your parent, grandparent or earlier ancestor became a US citizen and you are unsure whether you still qualify for Canadian citizenship through descent, Doherty Fultz Immigration can help. Contact us today to explore your eligibility and discuss your family history.
