What happened?

This update is part of the Bill C-3 citizenship by descent hub, with the Citizenship guide. Bill C-3, which took effect on December 15, 2025, has introduced new rules for Canadian citizenship by descent. These changes determine whether children and grandchildren born abroad can claim citizenship through a Canadian ancestor. The legislation removed the first-generation limit and extended Canadian citizenship to people born abroad who can trace an unbroken line back to a Canadian parent, grandparent, or earlier ancestor.

The eligibility of children and grandchildren for citizenship through this lineage now depends on their birth date in relation to December 15, 2025. Individuals born before this date inherit citizenship through the same ancestor without an additional test. However, for those born on or after December 15, 2025, an additional requirement applies.

Who does this affect?

This new test mandates that the Canadian parent, if also born abroad, must prove 1,095 cumulative days of physical presence in Canada before the child's birth. This rule affects Canadian parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, ancestors, children, and grandchildren, with Canada’s citizenship department and IRCC overseeing the process.

The new rules mean that children and grandchildren born before December 15, 2025, inherit Canadian citizenship through the same line of descent without a physical presence requirement for their parents. Conversely, for children born on or after December 15, 2025, their Canadian parent, if also born abroad, must meet the 1,095 day cumulative physical presence requirement in Canada.

What does this mean for you?

If this requirement is not met, a grandchild can still be sponsored for permanent residence and later apply for a grant of citizenship. This particularly impacts parents who discovered their own citizenship after December 15, 2025, and may not have had time to accumulate the required days for children born in 2026 or 2027.

Individuals born before December 15, 2025, in the direct line should apply for their own proof of Canadian citizenship. For children born on or after December 15, 2025, their Canadian parent can accumulate 1,095 days of physical presence in Canada or ensure the child is born on Canadian soil.

What happens next?

If these options are not met, the Canadian parent can sponsor the child for permanent residence. IRCC revised its proof of citizenship package in August 2026, requiring families applying for a grandchild born abroad after December 15, 2025, to complete form CIT 0555. Parents intending to use past time in Canada should begin collecting relevant records.