Government of Canada introduces legislation to extend citizenship by descent beyond the first generation

On June 5, 2025, the Government of Canada introduced Bill C-3, An Act to amend the Citizenship Act (2025), that would extend citizenship by descent beyond the first generation.

If Bill C-3 passes both Houses of Parliament and receives Royal Assent, it would:

• Automatically give Canadian citizenship to any person who would be a citizen today were it not for the first-generation limit or certain outdated provisions of previous citizenship legislation
• Establish a new framework for citizenship by descent which would allow for access to citizenship beyond the first generation based on a Canadian parent’s substantial connection to Canada.

A Canadian parent who was born abroad would need three years of physical presence in Canada before the birth or adoption of their child to demonstrate a substantial connection to Canada.

The current first-generation limit on citizenship means that someone is not automatically a Canadian citizen if they were born outside of Canada and their parent was also born outside Canada to a Canadian parent or adopted outside Canada by a Canadian parent.

The Ontario Superior Court of Justice declared the first-generation limit unconstitutional in 2023, but suspended the declaration until November 2025.