The Canadian government has reformed Canadian citizenship laws by a lot through Bill C-3, An Act to Amend the Citizenship Act (2025). This new law deals with citizenship by descent and fixes constitutional problems that affected thousands of people with Canadian heritage.

Bill receives Royal Assent on November 20, 2025

Bill C-3 got royal assent on November 20, 2025. This marked the official approval of major changes to Canada’s citizenship rules. The government’s original proposal came on June 5, 2025. They wanted to extend citizenship by descent beyond the first generation. This balanced inclusivity while protecting Canadian citizenship’s value. The bill gained support in Parliament because it fixed previous citizenship restrictions that created unfair outcomes for Canadians with children born abroad.

Comes into effect on December 15, 2025

Bill C-3 became law on December 15, 2025. Before this date, Canada’s Citizenship Act only allowed citizenship to pass to the first generation born abroad. The new law changes how citizenship passes to children of Canadians born outside the country completely. On top of that, it will give citizenship by descent to anyone born outside Canada before the law started if their parent was a citizen. The law also lets people born outside Canada after the first generation become citizens if their Canadian parent had strong ties to Canada before their birth.

Responds to 2023 Ontario court ruling on first-generation limit

Bill C-3 fixes issues raised by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice ruling from December 19, 2023. The court found key parts of the Citizenship Act’s first-generation limit went against the constitution. These rules violated sections 6 (Mobility of citizens) and 15 (Equality rights) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The federal government didn’t appeal this decision. They agreed the old law created “unacceptable outcomes for Canadians whose children were born outside the country”. Between the court ruling and Bill C-3’s start, people affected by the first-generation limit could apply for a “discretionary grant of citizenship”. These applications will automatically fall under the new rules without needing to apply again.

The new law gives back citizenship to people who lost it because they didn’t apply to keep it under the old Section 8, or their application wasn’t approved. Bill C-3 removes what people called the “second-generation cut-off” for citizenship eligibility. This rule had stopped children born abroad from getting Canadian citizenship if their Canadian parent was also born outside Canada.

New Law Grants Citizenship to Previously Ineligible Individuals

Bill C-3 has altered the map of Canadian citizenship and now gives citizenship rights to tens of thousands who couldn’t claim their status before. This big change removes the first-generation limit that blocked many families with strong Canadian connections.

Who qualifies under the new rules

The updated Citizenship Act recognizes two new groups of eligible citizens. You can become a Canadian citizen if you were born or adopted abroad before December 15, 2025, and would have been a citizen without the first-generation limit or other old rules. You just need to apply for proof of citizenship. The second group covers people adopted abroad before December 15, 2025. If a Canadian parent who was born or adopted outside Canada adopted you, you can now apply through the adoption path.

The changes also give citizenship to “Lost Canadians” – people with real ties to Canada who lost their citizenship or never got it because of old exclusionary policies. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada states, “Today’s changes affirm their place in the Canadian family and strengthen the sense of belonging that citizenship represents”.

How Canadian citizenship is now passed to children born abroad

The new rules let Canadian parents born or adopted abroad pass citizenship to their children born or adopted outside Canada. But if your child is born or adopted on or after December 15, 2025, you must show a “substantial connection” to Canada. You can prove this connection by showing you spent at least 1,095 days (three years) in Canada before your child’s birth or adoption.

This creates a clear path for citizenship by descent that balances fairness with real Canadian connections. The “substantial connection” rule doesn’t apply to people born before the law started.

Impact on Canadian citizen application process

Bill C-3 makes the citizenship application process easier. You don’t need to reapply if you applied under the interim measure after the 2023 court ruling. Immigration officials will process existing applications with the new rules without asking for more documents.

The new rules make you a Canadian citizen automatically, but you still need to get proof of citizenship. On top of that, the law has a simple way to give up citizenship if you got it automatically but don’t want it. Government sources say these changes clarify who benefits from the new rules and fix old exclusions that affected generations of Canadian families.

Substantial Connection Requirement Applies to Future Generations

Bill C-3 creates new paths to citizenship beyond first-generation Canadians. The substantial connection requirement balances inclusivity while keeping meaningful ties to Canada.

What is the 1,095-day rule?

The 1,095-day rule serves as the foundation for the substantial connection test in Bill C-3. You need to be physically present in Canada for at least 1,095 days (three years). This timeframe matches the residency requirement to get citizenship through naturalization. The days don’t need to be consecutive. The calculation looks at your total days spent on Canadian soil. This three-year threshold makes sure meaningful connections exist between Canada and those who claim citizenship through descent beyond the first generation.

Who must meet the substantial connection test?

The substantial connection requirement affects children born abroad on or after December 15, 2025. It applies when their Canadian parent was also born or adopted outside Canada. Second-generation (or later) children born abroad can get citizenship only if their Canadian parent shows the required physical connection to Canada. The requirement applies to the parent, not the child seeking citizenship. The citizenship cannot pass to future generations without this parental connection.

How to prove physical presence in Canada

You must show documents that prove your Canadian parent’s physical presence in Canada for 1,095 days before your birth or adoption. These can include pay stubs, academic transcripts, leases, and other records. Immigration officers review these supporting documents to check if you meet the substantial connection requirement. The calculation needs to be accurate. You can use the online calculator through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

Bill C-3 Restores Rights to Lost Canadians and Their Descendants

Many people with legitimate ties to Canada found themselves stuck in citizenship limbo because of outdated and discriminatory provisions in Canadian citizenship laws.

Definition and history of ‘Lost Canadians’

“Lost Canadians” describes people who either lost their Canadian citizenship or never received it despite their strong connections to Canada. These cases emerged because earlier citizenship laws excluded people based on their gender, marital status, and birthplace. The first Canadian Citizenship Act of 1947 created several random and discriminatory laws that left many people without citizenship rights. Legislative reforms in 2009 and 2015 helped about 20,000 people regain their citizenship. Yet some groups remained excluded, especially those who faced the first-generation limit and people who lost citizenship under Section 8 retention rules.

How the bill resolves past exclusions

Bill C-3 fixes these historical wrongs by automatically giving citizenship to people born abroad before December 15, 2025, who should have been citizens if not for the first-generation limit or other outdated rules. The legislation removes generational limits for anyone born before the bill takes effect. The bill also helps “Section 8 Lost Canadians” – people who got citizenship at birth but didn’t apply to keep it before turning 28. This bill differs from previous changes because it allows citizenship to pass through generations without limits, as long as applicants can prove they have a Canadian parent.

Legal experts weigh in on generational impact

Legal analysts see Bill C-3 as a sensible answer to the 2023 Ontario Superior Court ruling. The bill confirms that citizenship rights shouldn’t come with random restrictions that create different classes of citizens. Immigration law experts point out that these changes modernize Canada’s citizenship system by creating consistent paths forward. During parliamentary talks, experts stressed that citizenship means more than just paperwork—it represents connection and belonging. This legislation fixes historical unfairness that denied citizenship based on factors like gender, which hit Canadian women who married foreign nationals particularly hard.

What This May Mean For You

Canadian citizenship rules have changed dramatically with Bill C-3. These changes will affect thousands of people. You automatically become a Canadian citizen if you were born outside Canada before December 15, 2025, to a Canadian parent who was also born or adopted abroad. The changes will create 115,000 new Canadians within five years.

The cost of these citizenship changes will reach CAD 28.98 million according to the Parliamentary Budget Officer. You need to apply for a citizenship certificate as formal proof of citizenship if you think you qualify. A simplified renunciation process exists if you want to decline your automatic citizenship.

The rules will change after December 15, 2025. Your Canadian parent must prove a substantial connection to Canada if you’re born abroad after this date. This means they need to show they lived in Canada for at least 1,095 days before your birth. School records, work history, and tax documents can help prove this connection.

The application process might feel overwhelming with these complex changes. Joshua Slayen and our team of legal immigration specialists can guide you through it. We understand citizenship law and will handle your application carefully. Canada’s citizenship framework now reflects modern Canadian families’ lives better than ever.  Contact us today.