(CANADA) Canada’s long-running “Lost Canadians” problem narrowed sharply on December 15, 2025, when Bill C-3, An Act to Amend the Citizenship Act (2025), came into force and automatically restored or granted citizenship to people who lost it, or never got it, because of older rules—along with many of their descendants born abroad before that date.
The change targets families caught by technical limits that, for decades, split relatives into different legal categories even when their ties to Canada were real and well known inside the family. For those newly covered, the immediate next step is not “applying to become Canadian” in the usual sense, but applying for proof that they are already Canadian—most often a citizenship certificate.
How to get proof of citizenship
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) said people who qualify can now file for proof of citizenship through its online guidance, including the application used for a citizenship certificate. The department’s public-facing process is set out on its official page to apply for a citizenship certificate (CIT 0001) through IRCC, which also points to fees and processing times.
Key practical points:
– Applicants who previously submitted FGL-related proof-of-citizenship applications do not need to resubmit.
– IRCC will apply the new law to existing files, potentially sparing families extra fees, duplicate document requests, and additional waiting.
What the reform fixes
At the center of the reform is the first-generation limit (FGL), a rule that blocked citizenship by descent beyond the first generation born outside Canada. That limit, along with other historical restrictions, created “Lost Canadians”: people with Canadian parents or grandparents who expected citizenship to pass down, only to learn—sometimes when applying for a passport, school aid, or a job—that the chain had been broken by law.
Bill C-3 also addresses several other historical categories:
- Section 8 cases: People born outside Canada to a Canadian parent in the second or later generation who acquired citizenship at birth but later lost it because they did not apply to retain it before age 28.
- Descendants of earlier Lost Canadians who were excluded by the FGL.
- Cases where citizenship lapsed after long periods abroad.
- Situations affected by pre-1977 bans on dual citizenship.
- Past registration requirements for births abroad with retention ages ranging from 22 to 28.
Who is covered automatically
The automatic grant under Bill C-3 is broad for people born or adopted abroad before December 15, 2025. Citizenship is automatically extended to those formerly blocked by the FGL or other outdated rules, including multi-generational descendants who can point to an “anchor” Canadian citizen—someone who was born in Canada or naturalized there.
The law also reaches:
– Adoptions abroad that happened before December 15, 2025, including cases where a Canadian parent was themselves born or adopted abroad (a group that previously faced gaps).
The forward-looking line: new rule for births/adoptions after Dec 15, 2025
Bill C-3 draws a clear line for future cases. For children born or adopted abroad on or after December 15, 2025, where the Canadian parent was also born or adopted outside Canada, the parent must show a 1,095 days (3 years) cumulative physical presence in Canada before the child’s birth or adoption.
In short:
– The law restores citizenship for past families who were locked out.
– For future multi-generation cases, it requires proof of a substantial connection to Canada (the 1,095-day rule) to protect what Senator Mary Coyle called the “citizenship value.”
Timeline and legislative path
- June 5, 2025: Bill C-3 introduced.
- November 20, 2025: Bill C-3 received royal assent.
- December 15, 2025: Bill C-3 came into force (the date when legal status flipped for covered people).
The change moved quickly after a 2023 court ruling declared the FGL unconstitutional, prompting a broader rewrite rather than another narrow fix. Previous reforms in 2009 and 2015 restored citizenship to about 20,000 people, but thousands remained until Bill C-3.
Practical impacts and challenges
The human reality can be messy. Lost Canadians frequently spend years collecting old birth records, adoption files, and proof of a parent’s Canadian status—sometimes across borders and in multiple languages.
Stakes and likely near-term effects:
– Access to a Canadian passport and the right to live and work in Canada without permits.
– Ability to pass citizenship to children.
– Increased demand for proof-of-citizenship documents, especially citizenship certificates, for travel, school enrollment, employment checks, or family sponsorships.
Analysts (such as VisaVerge.com) predict proof-of-citizenship demand will the biggest near-term pressure point as newly recognized citizens seek documentation for everyday needs.
Important: Even though the law grants citizenship automatically to covered groups, day-to-day life usually requires paper proof. The citizenship certificate often becomes the key document.
Choice and renunciation
Bill C-3 recognizes that some people may not want restored citizenship or may face conflicts with other countries’ laws. The source material notes:
- A simplified renunciation process is available for those who choose to give up citizenship after it is restored or recognized.
This underscores that citizenship can be both a personal identity and a legal status with real consequences.
Scope and scale
The source material says the new rules affect “tens of thousands worldwide,” including notable cases involving Americans with Canadian ancestry. These issues commonly surface in countries with large Canadian diaspora communities.
Key takeaway
- Bill C-3 significantly reduces the pool of so-called Lost Canadians by automatically restoring or recognizing citizenship for people affected by the FGL and other historical rules, primarily for births and adoptions that occurred before December 15, 2025.
- For children born or adopted on or after December 15, 2025, a 1,095-day (3-year) cumulative physical presence in Canada by the Canadian parent is required if that parent was born or adopted outside Canada.
- Applicants who already filed under the FGL do not need to resubmit; IRCC will apply the new law to existing files.
This reform does not erase the history that produced Lost Canadians, but it changes what that history means today: in many cases, people previously told they were outsiders to Canada’s citizenship law can now ask Ottawa for proof that they belong.
Bill C-3, effective December 15, 2025, automatically restores Canadian citizenship to people excluded by the first-generation limit and other historical rules, including many descendants born or adopted abroad before that date. IRCC will apply the law to pending FGL-based files so applicants need not resubmit. For births or adoptions on or after Dec. 15, 2025, a Canadian parent born or adopted abroad must show 1,095 days of cumulative physical presence in Canada. Eligible people should apply for proof of citizenship, usually a certificate.
