Claiming Canadian Citizenship Through a Grandparent — or even a Great-Grandparent!

Updated January 2026: On November 20, 2025, Bill C‑3 received Royal Assent and on December 15th, 2025 the bill was passed, marking a major reform to Canada’s Citizenship Act. This law aims to correct structural inequities created by the so-called “first-generation limit,” and to restore citizenship to many who were previously excluded. The information below now covers citizenship through parents, grandparents, great-grandparents and beyond.

Claiming Canadian Citizenship Through a Grandparent or even a Great-Grandparent!

With Bill C-3 now in place, getting citizenship through a grandparent is now a reality but many people are wondering What about through a great-grandparent?

Citizenship Through a Grandparent: The Current Rules

Until now, Canada’s citizenship law only allowed you to inherit citizenship automatically if:

• Your parent was Canadian (either by birth in Canada or naturalization), and
• You were born outside Canada to that Canadian parent.

If your Canadian connection was only through a grandparent being born or naturalized in Canada at the time of your birth, meaning your parent was a first generation born outside Canada, you had no claim under the old rules. Citizenship could not “skip” a generation.

How Bill C-3 Changes Things

Bill C-3 will remove the old first-generation limit and allow Canadian citizenship to pass to grandchildren born abroad.

• If your grandparent, great-grandparent or beyond was a Canadian citizen, you will be able to claim citizenship directly, even if your ancestors never obtained Canadian citizenship.
• There will be a “substantial connection” test if you are born after December 15th, 2025 

Individuals born before December 15, 2025 may be eligible for citizenship if they can demonstrate a direct lineage to a Canadian ancestor and provide documentary proof such as birth certificates showing the ancestor was a Canadian citizen at the time of the next generation’s birth.

For individuals born on or after December 15, 2025, eligibility is subject to a substantial connection requirement, meaning the Canadian parent must have spent a prescribed period of time physically present in Canada before the child’s birth. In all cases, applications must be supported by clear, credible evidence establishing both lineage and citizenship status.

This is a major shift.

Citizenship Through a Great-Grandparent: Is It Possible?

It’s important to understand that IRCC made no distinction between grandparents and earlier ancestors. They reference it as ‘second generation or later’. This means that anybody born before December 15^th, 2025 who has Canadian ancestors is eligible to submit an application for Canadian citizenship.

In Short

• If you have a Canadian grandparent:
  

  If you were born before December 15^th, 2025, then you are Canadian and you are applying for proof of that. For you it’s a case of gathering the documents you need to prove your eligibility and submitting your application in order to be issued with your citizenship certificate.

• If you only have a Canadian great-grandparent or beyond:
  You are still eligible but will need more documents that go back further to prove your lineage.

What You Should Do Now

If you think you might qualify:

• Gather important documents like birth certificates, marriage certificates, and proof of your grandparent’s Canadian citizenship.
• Trace where each generation was born and lived.
• Draft an easy to understand family tree so you are able to see the lineage easily

Canadian citizenship by descent is documentation-heavy. Start preparing your family records early to avoid delays.

If you believe you are eligible for Canadian citizenship based on the above information then please get in touch and speak with an expert now.

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