Beyond the first generation

ince December of 2025, anyone who can trace their bloodline to a Canadian citizen, no matter how long ago that ancestor lived, is considered a citizen of Canada. The Citizenship Act currently allows the implementation of this new law to allow for applications from such individuals to obtain a “Proof of Canadian Citizenship”. For some of these individuals, evidence that demonstrates a substantial connection to Canada is required. This means applicants must be able to prove that their Canadian parent who was born or adopted outside of Canada had spent three years of cumulative physical presence in Canada prior to the applicant’s birth or adoption.

The government of Canada introduced Bill C-3, An Act to Amend the Citizenship Act (2025) in June 2025. The Bill’s provisions included citizenship by descent for individuals who extended beyond the first-generation, which is where the law at that time stood on citizenship by descent. The Bill, widely seen as constructive, inclusive and protective of the value of Canadian citizenship, received royal assent on November 20, 2025, and came into force on December 15, 2025.

If you have direct family ties with a Canadian citizen, and want to emigrate to Canada, this change in legislation could be  your ‘game changer.’