Citizenship by Descent : What Bill C-3 Means for Families Abroad | Rules in 2026

Citizenship by Descent in Canada has changed.If you were born outside Canada to a Canadian parent, or you’re trying to pass Canadian citizenship to a child born abroad, the rules have changed in an important way. On December 15, 2025, Canada brought Bill C-3 into force, changing how citizenship by descent works and updating the old first-generation limit that affected many families living outside the country.

At GoToCanada, we help individuals and families understand whether they may already be a Canadian Citizen, whether they need to apply for proof of citizenship, and what steps now apply under the new law. The goal of Bill C-3 is to make the system fairer while still requiring a meaningful connection to Canada in certain cases

Citizenship by Descent in Canada?

As per IRCC, Citizenship by descent means a person may be a Canadian Citizen because they were born outside Canada to a Canadian parent.

Before Bill C-3, Canada had a rule that often stopped citizenship from being passed down to children born outside Canada. This rule was called the first-generation limit. In simple terms, if a Canadian parent was also born outside Canada, their child usually did not automatically become Canadian at birth.

Here’s an easy example. Imagine a grandparent was born in Canada. Their child was born in the U.K. and became Canadian by descent. Later, that child also had a baby in the U.K. Under the old rule, that baby would often not automatically get Canadian citizenship, even though the family was Canadian.

What Changed Under Bill C-3?

Bill C-3, which took effect on December 15, 2025, changed those old rules.

The new law, Bill C-3 created two major changes.First, it helped restore or recognize citizenship for many people who would have been Canadian if not for the old first-generation limit or certain outdated provisions of earlier citizenship laws. This includes many people born abroad before the new law took effect

Second, it created a new forward-looking framework. For children born or adopted abroad on or after December 15, 2025, citizenship can now extend beyond the first generation in some cases, but only where the Canadian parent born abroad as well can show a substantial connection to Canada, defined as 1,095 cumulative days (three years) of physical presence in Canada before the child’s birth or adoption.

Who May Qualify?

You may qualify for Canadian Citizenship by descent if:

You were born outside Canada
At least one parent was a Canadian citizen at the time of your birth
Your situation falls within the updated citizenship rules now in effect

You may especially want to review your case if:

You were previously affected by the old first-generation limit
Your Canadian parent was also born outside Canada
Your family has a multi-generation history of Canadians living abroad

You were previously told you were not eligible under the older law.

Documents You May Need

Depending on your situation, you may be asked to provide documents such as:

Your birth certificate
Your parent’s proof of Canadian citizenship
Documents showing your relationship to your Canadian parent
Identification documents
Records supporting your eligibility under the updated law

If your case involves a child born on or after December 15, 2025, you may also need evidence showing the Canadian parent met the physical presence requirement. The government’s guidance says affected people can apply for Proof of citizenship under the new rules.

Bill C-3 is not only changing the rules for future babies. It is also going back and fixing many older cases where people were already born, should probably have been treated as Canadian, but were blocked by old citizenship rules.

Still got questions?

Our team is here to assess your Canadian Citizenship Eligibility situation, explain your pathways clearly, and support you through each stage of the process. Contact GoToCanada today and get your process started with confidence and clarity.