There is good news for people who dream of living in Canada and becoming citizens. Canada has made an important change to its citizenship system.
A new law, Bill C-3, came into effect on December 15. Under this law, many foreign-born individuals can now be recognized as Canadian citizens.
Bill C-3 automatically grants Canadian citizenship to people who were earlier excluded due to the first-generation limit or outdated rules. It also allows eligible individuals to apply for official proof of Canadian citizenship.
Since Canada has a large Indian immigrant population, this change will greatly benefit members of the Indian diaspora who have been waiting for citizenship.
What Changes Under the New Rules?
Under the new rules, Canadian parents who were born or adopted outside Canada can now pass their citizenship to children who are born or adopted abroad.
However, there is one important condition: the parent must have been physically present in Canada for at least three years (1,095 days) before the child’s birth or adoption.
This change modernizes Canada’s citizenship-by-descent policy and expands eligibility beyond just the first generation born outside the country.
Why Bill C-3 Was Introduced
Bill C-3 was introduced by the Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) in early 2025.
It was designed to fix problems in the earlier system, which allowed citizenship only if the Canadian parent was born in Canada or had received citizenship before the child’s birth.
The Need for Citizenship Reform
The new law follows years of legal and political pressure over the first-generation limit introduced in 2009. That rule prevented children born abroad from getting citizenship if their Canadian parents were also born or adopted outside Canada.
In December 2023, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice ruled that key parts of this rule were unconstitutional. The federal government chose not to appeal the decision
and admitted that the law was causing unfair outcomes for children of Canadians living abroad.
