Bill C-3: The Law That Restored Canadian Citizenship for Millions
On December 15, 2025, Canada permanently removed the generational limit on citizenship by descent. If you have a Canadian ancestor, you may already be a citizen and not know it.
What Is Bill C-3?
Bill C-3, formally titled An Act to amend the Citizenship Act, came into force on December 15, 2025. It is the most significant change to Canadian citizenship law in decades, and it directly affects millions of people around the world who descend from Canadians.
The law permanently removed the first-generation limit on citizenship by descent. Before Bill C-3, only the first generation born outside Canada to a Canadian parent could claim citizenship. Grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and anyone further down the line were excluded — no matter how strong their connection to Canada.
Bill C-3 eliminated that cutoff entirely. If you can trace an unbroken line of descent from a person who was born in Canada (or who was otherwise a Canadian citizen), you may now be recognized as a Canadian citizen yourself — regardless of how many generations have passed.
Critically, the law is retroactive. If you were born before December 15, 2025, and you would have been a citizen had the generational limit never existed, then you are now recognized as having always been a citizen. You do not need to apply for a grant of citizenship. You already are one. The only step is to apply for proof of citizenship to have it officially documented.
What Changed on December 15, 2025
A side-by-side comparison of Canadian citizenship by descent rules before and after Bill C-3.
- Only the first generation born outside Canada could claim citizenship by descent
- Grandchildren of Canadian-born citizens were completely excluded, regardless of family ties
- Thousands of “Lost Canadians” had no path to recognition despite being born to Canadian families
- The first-generation limit was introduced in 2009 under Bill C-37 and left many families divided
- No generational limit — citizenship by descent extends to grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and beyond
- If any ancestor in your direct line was a Canadian citizen, you may qualify
- The law is fully retroactive — people born before Dec 15, 2025 are recognized as having always been citizens
- No residency requirement for those born before the law took effect
Who Is Eligible Under Bill C-3?
Bill C-3 creates two distinct sets of rules depending on when you were born. The critical dividing line is December 15, 2025.
Born Before December 15, 2025
If you were born before the law took effect, you benefit from the most generous provisions of Bill C-3. There is no residency requirement and no generational limit. You simply need to demonstrate an unbroken chain of descent from a Canadian citizen.
The key requirements are straightforward: you must be able to produce a birth certificate for each person in the chain from you to your Canadian-born ancestor, proving that each generation is the child of the one before it. If your ancestor was born in Canada, their Canadian birth certificate establishes that they were a citizen. From there, each subsequent generation inherits that citizenship through descent.
Because the law is retroactive, you are considered to have been a Canadian citizen from birth — you are not “becoming” a citizen, you are proving that you already are one. This distinction matters for things like passing citizenship to your own children.
Born On or After December 15, 2025
For children born on or after the law's effective date, there is still no generational limit, but an additional requirement applies: the child's Canadian parent must have been physically present in Canada for at least 1,095 days (approximately three years) at any point before the child's birth.
The 1,095 days do not need to be consecutive — they are cumulative. Time spent in Canada at any point in the parent's life counts toward the total. This requirement exists to ensure a meaningful connection to Canada for future generations while still allowing citizenship to pass beyond the first generation.
If you are expecting a child and want them to inherit your Canadian citizenship, you should verify that either you or your co-parent (whoever is the Canadian citizen) has accumulated 1,095 days of physical presence in Canada. If not, you may want to plan time in Canada before the child's birth.
The “Lost Canadians” — Who Are They?
“Lost Canadians” is the widely-used term for people who were Canadian citizens (or would have been) but lost their status — or were never recognized — due to gaps and inconsistencies in previous versions of Canada's citizenship laws.
There are many reasons someone might be a Lost Canadian. Some were born abroad to Canadian parents before 1977 and inadvertently lost their citizenship by not filing a “retention” declaration before their 28th birthday. Others were women who automatically lost their Canadian citizenship when they married a foreign national — a rule that existed before 1977. Still others were simply born one generation too far from Canada under the post-2009 first-generation limit.
Bill C-3 directly addresses the largest remaining group of Lost Canadians: those who were excluded by the first-generation limit. By removing that limit entirely and making the change retroactive, the law recognizes that these individuals have been citizens all along.
If you believe you or a family member may be a Lost Canadian, our Lost Canadians guide explains the different categories and how Bill C-3 affects each one. You can also check your eligibility in about two minutes using our free quiz.
How to Apply for Proof of Citizenship
If you qualify under Bill C-3, here is what the application process looks like from start to finish.
Complete Form CIT 0001
This is the official Application for a Citizenship Certificate (proof of citizenship). It asks for your personal information, details about your Canadian parent or ancestor, and information about each person in the chain of descent. Our CIT 0001 step-by-step guide walks you through every field.
Gather Your Documents
You will need birth certificates for every person in the chain from you to your Canadian-born ancestor — including your own. You may also need marriage certificates to document name changes. See our complete documents checklist for the full list, and our guide to finding your Canadian ancestor if you need help building the chain.
Pay the $75 CAD Fee
The government filing fee is $75 CAD per applicant. If you are applying for multiple family members, each person needs their own application and fee. Payment is made online through the IRCC portal before submitting your application.
Submit Online or by Mail
IRCC accepts applications both through their online portal and by mail. Online submission is generally faster and allows you to track your application status. If submitting by mail, send your application to the IRCC Case Processing Centre in Sydney, Nova Scotia.
Wait for Processing
Current processing times are approximately 11 months from the date IRCC receives your complete application. You may receive requests for additional information during this time. Once approved, IRCC will mail your citizenship certificate to the address on file.
Does This Affect My US Citizenship?
No. This is one of the most common concerns we hear, and the answer is unambiguous: claiming Canadian citizenship has zero impact on your US citizenship.
Both Canada and the United States fully recognize and allow dual citizenship. The United States does not require you to renounce other citizenships, and Canada does not require you to renounce your American citizenship. You will simply hold both at the same time.
As a dual citizen, you can enter Canada on a Canadian passport and enter the US on your American passport. You retain all rights in both countries, including the right to vote, work, and access government services.
There are a small number of practical considerations — for example, US citizens must continue to file US tax returns regardless of where they live, and there are specific rules about declaring foreign bank accounts (FBAR) if your Canadian accounts exceed certain thresholds. But these obligations exist whether or not you hold Canadian citizenship. Our dual citizenship guide covers these practical details.
Common Misconceptions About Bill C-3
We hear these myths constantly. Here is what people get wrong about the new citizenship law — and what the reality actually is.
“I need to move to Canada to claim citizenship”
No residency requirement exists for people born before December 15, 2025. You can live anywhere in the world and still apply for proof of Canadian citizenship. You never need to move to or even visit Canada.
“I need to speak French to become a Canadian citizen”
Citizenship by descent has no language requirement whatsoever. The English and French language requirements apply only to people who are naturalizing — that is, immigrants applying for citizenship after living in Canada. Citizenship by descent is a completely different process.
“I need to hire a lawyer to apply”
The application is a paper-based process. You fill out form CIT 0001, gather your supporting documents, and submit them to IRCC. There is no courtroom, no interview, and no hearing. Many applicants do it themselves or use a guided service like MaplePass.
“It's too expensive to apply”
The government fee is $75 CAD (approximately $55 USD). The largest cost for most applicants is ordering birth certificates from Canadian provincial vital statistics offices, which typically run $25-$75 each depending on the province.
“I need to renounce my US citizenship”
Both Canada and the United States allow dual citizenship. You can hold both passports at the same time. There is no requirement from either country to renounce one citizenship in order to hold the other.
Frequently Asked Questions
Detailed answers to the questions we hear most about Bill C-3 and Canadian citizenship by descent.
Ready to Check Your Eligibility?
Find out if you qualify for Canadian citizenship under Bill C-3 in about two minutes. Our free eligibility quiz walks you through the key questions, then MaplePass can guide you through the entire application.