Canada and Italy Tighten Citizenship by Descent in 2025 Reforms

The Canadian government has tightened the rules for citizenship by descent, passing Bill C-3 in October 2025 and changing how some children born abroad to Canadian parents can claim citizenship. The amendments to the Citizenship Act apply in Canada and affect families worldwide who planned to rely on citizenship passed through a parent born outside the country. The revised law adds new hurdles — including a physical presence requirement for parents born abroad and added tests for some adult applicants — aimed at tying citizenship more closely to real ties with Canada.

Key change: physical presence for parents born abroad

Under Bill C-3, the biggest change is a new physical presence threshold for Canadians who were themselves born outside Canada.

• If a Canadian parent was born outside Canada and then has a child abroad, that child will only acquire citizenship by descent if the Canadian parent has been in Canada for at least 1,095 days (three full years) within any five-year window before the child’s birth.
• The government says the goal is to strengthen the link to Canada and align inherited citizenship rules more closely with expectations for naturalized citizens.

In practical terms, this means:

• A Canadian who grew up or now lives abroad may need to return to Canada for a sustained period before their child’s birth to pass citizenship automatically.
• Families who cannot meet the threshold will likely face longer timelines, added documentation, or will need to pursue alternative immigration routes for the child.

New requirements for adult applicants (18–55)

The amendments also create new procedural steps for some adults inheriting citizenship by descent.

• People aged 18–55 who come forward to confirm or formalize citizenship under the revised law must now meet language and civic knowledge standards, similar to the regular grant-of-citizenship process.
  • Applicants will need to demonstrate the ability to communicate in English or French.
  • Applicants must show understanding of basic rights, duties, and Canadian history.
• Authorities will also perform security and admissibility checks for these adult-by-descent cases.

These new steps mirror naturalization requirements and signal that Canada increasingly expects active ties and basic knowledge from adults claiming citizenship through ancestry.

Practical examples

• A Canadian engineer born in Dubai to Canadian parents later becomes a citizen by descent, then relocates to Singapore for work and plans a family there. Under the new law, unless she has spent three years in Canada during the five-year period before the child’s birth, her child will not automatically gain citizenship by descent.
  • Options include returning to Canada long enough to meet the 1,095-day mark before birth, or seeking temporary resident status for the child with a later pathway to citizenship.
• A 30-year-old in London whose father is a Canadian born abroad may now face language and civic knowledge requirements when asserting citizenship by descent — similar to what many naturalization applicants already complete.

Documentation and timing — what applicants should prepare

For most families, timing and documentation will be the pressure points. Important actions and evidence include:

• Carefully count days in Canada over the last five years to confirm whether you meet the 1,095-day rule.
• Keep travel records, tax filings, school enrollment records, employment documents, boarding passes, and passport stamps to show physical presence.
• For adult applicants (18–55):
  • Prepare proof of English or French ability (tests, Canadian schooling, or other accepted proof).
  • Study and be ready for a civic knowledge test (Canadian history, institutions, and rights).
  • Obtain police clearances and other documents for security/admissibility checks.
• Keep copies of birth records, proof of parent’s citizenship, and evidence of the parent’s physical presence in Canada during the relevant five-year window.

Process expectations and potential delays

• Expect possible extended processing times if application volumes rise after the law’s implementation.
• Demand often spikes after major policy changes — some applicants may rush to file, while others will delay to accumulate time in Canada.
• Officers will scrutinize proof of days in Canada for the defined five-year period before birth; consistent and clear evidence is essential.

How this fits in a broader international trend

Canada’s shift is part of a wider pattern among advanced democracies to tighten citizenship-by-descent rules and emphasize present-day connections rather than distant ancestry.

• VisaVerge.com analysis notes the alignment with other countries revisiting multi-generation inheritance of citizenship.
• The new rules do not change birthright citizenship for children born in Canada, but they do reshape eligibility for children born abroad and place more responsibility on Canadian parents born outside the country.

Italy’s parallel reforms (Law 74/2025)

Italy enacted Law 74/2025 (converted from Decree-Law No. 36/2025), effective March 28, 2025, and added similar guardrails:

• Two-generation limit: claims limited to parents or grandparents (maximum two previous generations).
• 12-month legal residence in Italy required to show a real link.
• No automatic recognition for people born abroad who already hold another citizenship.
• Tighter consular processing and screening; a July 2025 constitutional court ruling kept birthright by descent intact but endorsed stricter guardrails.

These changes illustrate a shared policy direction: tying citizenship by descent to real, present-day connections such as residence, language, and cultural links.

Who will be most affected

• Canadians born abroad who have lived overseas for long periods and plan to start families outside Canada.
• Adult descendants (18–55) who discover a Canadian link later in life and must prove language and civic knowledge.
• Employers, universities, and community groups that may need to adjust schedules and offer support (e.g., language preparation or civic-study sessions).
• Immigration lawyers and consultants facing more questions on timelines, dual citizenship planning, and fallback options.

Summary of policy changes

Recommendations for families and applicants

• Calculate how many days you have been in Canada over the last five years and project whether you’ll reach 1,095 days by the child’s due date.
• Consider returning to Canada, staggering travel, or birthing in Canada where practical.
• For adult applicants, gather language proof, study a civic guide, and obtain police clearances if requested.
• Monitor official guidance and forms from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada — the IRCC citizenship page is the central source: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-citizenship.html
• Seek trusted legal or immigration advice when in doubt, and keep meticulous records to support any claim.

Canada’s move places inherited citizenship on a path closer to lived connection — a trend echoed in Italy and increasingly in other countries — and will reshape how diaspora families plan across borders.