Canada Overhauls Citizenship Law, Removes First-Generation Limit

Ottawa: Canada has introduced significant reforms to its citizenship law, reshaping how citizenship by descent applies to families living abroad. Bill C-3, which came into effect on December 15, 2025, aims to modernise citizenship by descent, address constitutional concerns, and reflect the realities of globally mobile Canadian families.

The new law automatically recognizes individuals born before December 15, 2025, who would have been citizens but for the first-generation limit or other historical restrictions, as Canadian citizens. They can apply for official proof of citizenship without submitting a new application. Additionally, Canadian parents born or adopted abroad can now pass citizenship to their children born or adopted outside Canada, provided they demonstrate a "substantial connection" to Canada by spending at least three years in the country prior to the child's birth or adoption.

These changes are expected to benefit thousands of Canadians of foreign country origin, who can now pass citizenship to their children born abroad. The reforms address the unconstitutional first-generation limit, introduced in 2009, which barred citizenship by descent for children born abroad to Canadian parents who were also born or adopted outside Canada.