New Canada citizenship law comes into force

By Bruce Allen In Canada Immigration News

On December 15, 2025 the new amendments to the Canadian Citizenship Act came into force. This follows the approval of Bill C-3 by the Canadian Parliament on November 20, 2025. These amendments repeal the first generation limit on acquisition of Citizenship by descent as to all persons born before December 15, 2025. This means most such persons can now claim Canadian citizenship based on a grandparent, great grandparent, or in some cases more remote ancestor who was born or naturalized in Canada. The new law also benefits adopted children whose adoptive parents are the children or grandchildren of persons born in Canada. Until now, only persons whose parents were born or naturalized in Canada could claim citizenship.

Children born on or after December 15, 2025 may also claim citizenship based on a grandparent or great grandparent, but these children must be able to demonstrate that their immediate parent has a “substantial connection” to Canada. This is defined as 1,095 days (three years in total) of cumulative physical presence in Canada prior to the birth of the child claiming citizenship.Children born after December 15, 2025 in the first generation do not have to prove a substantial connection. They are citizens automatically.

These historic changes are the result of a long battle by “lost Canadians” to establish their Canadian birthright and heritage, culminating in the Ontario court case of Bjorkquist v. Canada in December 2023. This case found that the first generation limit was a violation of the Canadian Charter of Rights.

With the coming into force of the new amendments, the “Interim Measure” comes to an end. The “Interim Measure” was a program that allowed persons who would become citizens under C-3 to apply for a discretionary grant of citizenship. Several hundred people obtained citizenship through this program. However, the majority of applications were not finalized as of December 15, 2025. The government has stated these applications will continue to be processed under the new law.

Our law firm has successfully handled many hundreds of cases of citizenship by descent, and we have offices in both the United States and Canada. Contact us now by email, or call us at (216) 593-0180 if you would like help in establishing your claim to Canadian citizenship.