Before Bill C-3 came into effect, Canada's Citizenship Act limited the passing on of citizenship to the first-generation for people born or adopted abroad. This meant that a Canadian citizen could only pass on citizenship to or access a direct grant of citizenship for a child born or adopted outside Canada if the parent was either born or naturalized in Canada before the child's birth or adoption.
On December 19, 2023, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice found that parts of the Citizenship Act relating to the first-generation limit to citizenship by descent were unconstitutional. The Government of Canada did not appeal the decision, recognizing that the law had unacceptable outcomes for Canadians whose children were born outside the country.
On June 5, 2025, the government introduced Bill C-3, An Act to Amend the Citizenship Act (2025), to extend citizenship by descent beyond the first-generation in a way that is more inclusive and protects the value of Canadian citizenship. The bill received royal assent on November 20, 2025, and came into effect on December 15, 2025. This means that IRCC now recognizes new eligible citizens and is applying the new rules for passing citizenship on going forward. With the coming into effect of this bill
- people who automatically became Canadian citizens under the new law can apply to get proof of Canadian citizenship
- people adopted abroad before December 15, 2025, by a Canadian parent born or adopted abroad can apply for Canadian citizenship for an adopted child
- people born or adopted abroad on or after December 15, 2025, to a Canadian parent also born or adopted abroad must demonstrate that their Canadian parent has spent three years in Canada when applying for proof of Canadian citizenship, or applying for Canadian citizenship for an adopted child
- people born before December 15, 2025, who automatically became Canadian citizens under the new law and were not previously granted citizenship, and who now want to give up (renounce) Canadian citizenship can apply through a simplified renunciation process
