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Canada has introduced Bill C-3, a proposed law that will allow Canadian citizens to pass on their nationality to children born abroad, even if the parent was also born outside Canada.
Since 2009, Canadian law has allowed citizenship by descent only to the first generation born overseas. This prevented many families from giving Canadian citizenship to their children born outside the country.
Bill C-3 seeks to remove this limit. If passed, it would restore citizenship to those previously denied it and allow future citizenship by descent—as long as the Canadian parent lived in Canada for at least 1,095 days (about three years) before the child’s birth or adoption.
The change comes after the Ontario Superior Court ruled in December 2023 that the first-generation limit was unconstitutional, as it discriminated against foreign-born children of Canadians. The federal government accepted the ruling and chose not to appeal.
The new rules will benefit:
- Children born abroad to Canadian parents also born abroad
- Adopted children born outside Canada
- Individuals who lost citizenship at age 28 due to outdated laws
- So-called “Lost Canadians” affected by older regulations
Canada had already restored citizenship to 20,000 people through earlier reforms in 2009 and 2015. Bill C-3 is expected to help thousands more.
The bill still requires Parliamentary approval and Royal Assent. If passed, the government will publish clear eligibility guidelines and application steps on the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website.
