An Act to amend the Citizenship Act (Bill C-3)

Validated finding · five-country-2010-20260922-v118-evidence-presentation-fix

CountryCanada

Operative dateDecember 15, 2025

CategoryCitizenship and nationality

Policy toolCitizenship by descent / legislative amendment

Affected groupForeign-born descendants of canadian citizens

Policy effect

Repeals the first-generation limit on Canadian citizenship by descent, retroactively restoring Canadian citizenship to persons born abroad before December 15, 2025 to a Canadian citizen parent across multiple generations, and introduces a substantial connection requirement (1,095 days of physical presence in Canada) for Canadian parents born abroad to pass citizenship to children born on or after December 15, 2025.

Conditions and exceptions

Validated condition or limit: Repeals the first-generation limit on Canadian citizenship by descent, retroactively restoring Canadian citizenship to persons born abroad before December 15, 2025 to a Canadian citizen parent across multiple generations, and introduces a substantial connection requirement (1,095 days of physical presence in Canada) for Canadian parents born abroad to pass citizenship to children born on or after December 15, 2025.

Official source excerpt

Quoted verbatim from the official source below. Ellipses indicate omitted text.

… citizenship](https://www.canada.ca/en/services/immigration-citizenship.html) 3. [Canadian citizenship](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-citizenship.html) 4. [Changes to citizenship rules and requirements](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-citizenship/act-changes.html) # Change to citizenship rules in 2025 On December 15, 2025, the Government of Canada passed [Bill C-3, An Act to amend the Citizenship Act](https://www.parl.ca/legisinfo/en/bill/45-1/c-3). This legislation changes the first-generation limit to citizenship by descent. On this page, we explain what this change means, how to check if you’re affected, and what you need to do **before travelling** to Canada. This change officially took effect on **December 15, 2025**. ## On this page - [What the change means](#what) - [If you applied under the interim measure](#interim) - [How to prove your Canadian citizenship](#prove) - [Before travelling to Canada](#before) ## What the change means Before Bill C-3, Canadian citizenship by descent was limited to the first generation born outside Canada. This rule was called the first-generation limit to citizenship … a citizen through naturalization). - **First generation:** Born outside Canada to a Canadian citizen who was born in Canada or granted citizenship (naturalized). This person is Canadian by descent. - **Second generation or later:** Also born outside Canada to a first-generation person. This person is now Canadian in some situations. This is also how we count generations for people who are adopted and apply for a direct grant of citizenship. ### If you were born or adopted on or after December 15, 2025 People born outside Canada in the second generation (or later) may be Canadian if - their parent was also born or adopted outside Canada to a Canadian citizen (meaning the grandparent was Canadian), **and** - that same parent spent at least 1,095 days in Canada before the birth Adopted people are likely eligible to apply for Canadian citizenship through a direct grant for adopted people if - they were born and adopted outside Canada in the second generation or later, **and** - their Canadian parent spent at least 1,095 days in Canada before the adoption ### If you were born or adopted before December 15, 2025 Citizenship may have been restored or given to people who were born outside … Canada in the second generation or later before December 15, 2025. This means that in most cases you’re **automatically a Canadian citizen** if you were born - before December 15, 2025 - outside Canada to a Canadian parent This rule also applies to you if you were born to someone who became Canadian because of these rule changes. If this change made you a Canadian automatically, **but** you don’t want to be one, you can [apply to give up (renounce) your Canadian citizenship](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-citizenship/renounce-canadian-citizenship.html … You may also want a certificate as **proof of your citizenship** if you became a citizen automatically. When you apply, we’ll review your application to check if you’re a Canadian citizen. If you are, we’ll give you a citizenship certificate (proof of your Canadian citizenship). This proof will help you apply for a Canadian passport and avoid delays at the border if [you plan to enter Canada](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-citizenship/act-changes/rules-2025.html#before). [Apply for a citizenship certificate.](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees …

Parliament of Canada / Canada GazetteStatutes of Canada, Bill C-3 (An Act to amend the Citizenship Act), SI/2025-129, Royal Assent November 20, 2025Open official source

Retrieved from https://canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/2025/12/bill-c-3-an-act-to-amend-the-citizenship-act-2025-comes-into-effect.html

Review method

Two separate automated exact-claim source reviews

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An Act to amend the Citizenship Act (Bill C-3)

Policy effect

Conditions and exceptions

Official source excerpt

Review method

Other Canada changes operative in 2025