Canada’s New Citizenship Rules Explained (2025 Update)

In December 2025, Canada amended its citizenship law again. Many people have seen headlines saying that Canada has “removed the first-generation limit” and assume that citizenship is now much easier to obtain through family connections.

That is partly true, but it is also widely misunderstood.

This article explains, in plain language:

• what Bill C-3 changed,

• who may now be automatically considered a Canadian citizen, and

• who is generally not eligible, despite the new rules.

The most important rule (this did NOT change)

One rule remains fundamental:

To become a Canadian citizen by descent, at least one parent must have been a Canadian citizen at the time of the child’s birth or adoption.

Citizenship:

• does not skip generations,

• is not granted retroactively, and

• does not flow directly from a grandparent.

If neither parent was Canadian at the time of birth or adoption, the new rules generally do not apply. In practice, confirming this often depends on dates, records, and how citizenship was originally acquired.

What problem was Bill C-3 trying to fix?

Before Bill C-3, Canada had a strict “first-generation limit.”

In simple terms:

• A Canadian citizen born in Canada could pass citizenship to a child born abroad.

• But if that child later had children abroad, those grandchildren were usually not Canadian, even if the family had real ties to Canada.

This created difficult outcomes for families who lived outside Canada temporarily for work, study, or caregiving.

Bill C-3 was designed to address this specific issue, not to create a universal new pathway to citizenship.

What changed under Bill C-3?

1. Many people born abroad before December 15, 2025 may now be Canadian automatically

If a person:

• was born or adopted outside Canada,

• before December 15, 2025, and

• had a Canadian parent at the time, but

• was excluded only because of the old first-generation limit,

then in many cases, that person is now considered a Canadian citizen by operation of law.

They do not apply for citizenship.They apply for proof of citizenship so IRCC can confirm their status.

Whether this applies can depend on documentation, dates, and how the parent acquired citizenship.

2. A new “substantial connection” rule applies going forward

For people born or adopted on or after December 15, 2025, the rules are more restrictive.

If the Canadian parent was also born or adopted outside Canada (second generation or later abroad), that parent must have accumulated:

at least 1,095 days (about three years) of physical presence in Canadabefore the child’s birth or adoption.

If this requirement is met:

• the child is a Canadian citizen by descent.

If it is not met:

• the child is not automatically Canadian and would generally need to immigrate first.

This requirement applies to both birth and adoption cases.

What did NOT change (very important)

Despite what is sometimes suggested online:

• You generally cannot become Canadian because your grandparent was Canadian.

• You generally cannot become Canadian if your parent became Canadian after you were born.

• Bill C-3 does not create a retroactive citizenship pathway based on family history alone.

The law addresses generational cut-offs.It does not change the timing requirement for when citizenship must exist.

A common question I receive

“My grandmother later became a Canadian citizen. Can my mother now apply for Canadian citizenship under the new rules?”

In most cases, the answer is no.

Because the grandmother became Canadian after the mother was born, the mother was not born to a Canadian parent. Bill C-3 does not remove this requirement. Confirming this still depends on exact dates and records.

Final thoughts

Bill C-3 is a meaningful reform, but it is targeted, not universal.

It helps people who:

• already had a Canadian parent at birth or adoption, and

• were previously excluded due to technical generational limits.

Many real-world cases still require careful review of timelines, citizenship records, and historical changes in the law.