Canada expands citizenship eligibility under new law, opens clear pathway for many

Canada has updated its citizenship framework, allowing more individuals born abroad to claim Canadian citizenship. Effective December 15, 2025, Bill C-3 came into force, automatically recognizing as citizens those previously excluded due to the first-generation limit or older regulations. The law also enables eligible individuals to apply for proof of citizenship.

Under the new rules, Canadian parents born or adopted abroad can now pass citizenship to children born or adopted outside Canada, provided the parent demonstrates at least three years (1,095 days) of physical presence in Canada before the child’s birth or adoption. The legislation modernizes the country’s approach to citizenship by descent and extends eligibility beyond the first generation born abroad.

The bill, introduced by the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada earlier this year, addresses limitations in the previous system, which only allowed citizenship to be passed if the Canadian parent was born in Canada or naturalized before the child’s birth.


Interim measures expanding citizenship eligibility remain in place while Parliament debated the proposal.

The government encourages applicants to refer to the citizenship section of the official Canadian government website for more details on applying under the new law.