Bill C-3 Tightens Residency, Language Rules for Descent Citizenship

(CANADA) Canada has overhauled how people claim Canadian citizenship by descent, with Parliament passing Bill C-3 in 2025 to both widen access and tighten standards. The law removes the old first-generation limit that blocked many second-generation children born abroad from inheriting citizenship. At the same time, it sets new guardrails: a stricter residency requirement for Canadian parents born outside the country, and adult applicants must now show language proficiency and civic knowledge.

The government says the goal is to align citizenship by descent with the standards used for naturalization, while restoring fairness after a 2023 court decision that criticized the previous rules.

Key change: end of the “first-generation limit”

Under Bill C-3, the biggest shift is the end of the first-generation limit, which previously stopped citizenship from passing to children born outside Canada if their Canadian parent was also born abroad. That restriction drew sharp criticism from families split across borders and was declared unconstitutional by the Ontario Superior Court in 2023.

Lawmakers replaced the cap with a broader system that still requires a real link to Canada. That connection now depends on the Canadian parent’s presence in the country before the child’s birth, plus language and civic expectations for adult applicants.

Residency requirement for parents born abroad

The core of that link is the new residency requirement:

• A Canadian citizen who was born outside Canada must have lived in Canada for at least 1,095 days (three years) within any five-year period before their child’s birth abroad to pass on citizenship.
• The three-year total does not need to be continuous, but it must add up to three full years.

Federal officials say this ensures a substantial tie to Canadian life before citizenship is passed to a child born overseas.

Requirements for adult applicants (18–55)

For adults aged 18 to 55 who seek to claim Canadian citizenship by descent under these rules, the law adds two further elements:

• Language proficiency: Applicants must demonstrate competence in English or French. This mirrors the test used for naturalized citizens and supports integration into daily life, work, and community.
• Civic knowledge: Applicants must show basic understanding of the rights and duties of Canadian citizens.

Together, these steps bring citizenship by descent closer to the broader national standard Canada applies to people who become citizens after immigrating.

Security and admissibility checks

Security also plays a role. Adults inheriting citizenship by descent will receive security and admissibility checks, similar to those conducted in naturalization cases.

• These checks are designed to protect public safety and ensure consistent treatment across citizenship pathways.
• Officials say the process should be familiar to those who have followed immigration application steps in other contexts.

Timeline and implementation

The timeline matters to families planning ahead:

• The government signaled Royal Assent around March 2025, with amendments passed by October 2025.
• Full changes are expected to take effect by late 2025.

This calendar has been closely watched by parents abroad who were previously blocked by the first-generation rule. According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, the reform aims to correct what courts and advocates viewed as structural unfairness while addressing concerns about citizenship passing to generations with little connection to Canada.

The law seeks to be both inclusive and careful: ending the first-generation cap while requiring a measurable connection through residency and, for adults, language and civic readiness.

How to prove residency and apply

Families will need to gather documents that show the parent’s time in Canada during the five-year window prior to the child’s birth. Possible records include:

• School transcripts
• Employment records
• Tax filings
• Rental or mortgage evidence
• Entry/exit records
• Other official papers

There is no new form specifically for this rule. People who qualify typically apply for proof of status through an official citizenship certificate. Applicants use the federal “Application for a citizenship certificate,” which is processed by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

• Guidance and the online application are available on the IRCC page: IRCC: Proof of citizenship (citizenship certificate)

Policy changes overview

Bill C-3 revises eligibility as follows:

1. Removal of first-generation limit: Citizenship can pass beyond the first generation born outside Canada, if other conditions are met.
2. Residency requirement for Canadian parents born abroad: Parent must have lived in Canada 1,095 days within any five-year span before the child’s birth abroad.
3. Language proficiency for adults (18–55): Applicants must prove adequate English or French skills.
4. Civic knowledge for adults: Applicants must demonstrate understanding of citizens’ rights and duties.
5. Security screening for adults: Standard admissibility checks will apply, similar to naturalization.

The update applies to those seeking Canadian citizenship by descent, including families who were excluded under the prior cap. By tying eligibility to a concrete period of residence, lawmakers say they are balancing inclusion with a meaningful connection to Canada.

Impact on applicants

For many families, ending the first-generation limit is a relief. Parents who built lives in Canada before moving or working abroad can now pass citizenship to children born outside the country, even if the parents themselves were born abroad.

This shift may help global Canadian families with:

• School admissions abroad
• Work permits
• Travel hurdles in countries of residence

At the same time, the new residency requirement demands careful proof. Parents born abroad should:

• Count days in Canada within the five years before the child’s birth.
• Gather documentation to meet the 1,095-day standard.
• Reconstruct records where needed—lawyers expect detailed evidence to be important in close cases.

For adult applicants, the language and civic knowledge rules add preparation steps similar to naturalization. Study materials and community programs are widely available to help applicants meet these requirements.

Security screening will be familiar to many immigrants and dual nationals. It may add processing time but ensures a consistent admissibility check across routes to citizenship.

Practical steps for families

• Confirm whether the Canadian parent was born abroad and, if so, count days in Canada within the five years before the child’s birth.
• Gather proof of presence in Canada to meet the 1,095-day standard (school, work, tax, housing, travel records).
• For adult applicants (18–55), plan for language proficiency proof and civic knowledge testing.
• Use IRCC’s portal to apply for a citizenship certificate as proof of status and monitor updates on processing.

Remaining debates and human impact

Some critics worry the three-year bar could exclude Canadians who built lives split across borders—aid workers, military families, or global professionals. Supporters counter that the rule is flexible (three years within any five-year span) and that removing the first-generation limit is a major step toward fairness.

On the human side, the change already affects decisions: a Canadian couple (both born abroad) who lived and worked in Toronto for several years may now accept an overseas assignment and still pass citizenship to a child born abroad, provided one parent meets the 1,095-day condition.

Adult children who were previously excluded may now prepare to demonstrate language proficiency, study for the civic test, and apply for the citizenship certificate that recognizes their status.

Bill C-3 reflects a compromise: broaden access by ending a hard cap, but uphold a real-world link to Canadian life through the parent’s time in the country and the adult applicant’s readiness to live as a citizen. The government frames this as a fairer path that respects both mobility and belonging, and families across the Canadian diaspora will feel the effects as these rules are fully applied through late 2025 and beyond.