Yes, that's right: until now, children of Canadian citizens born abroad were not entitled to citizenship—solely because of their place of birth.
This injustice is finally being addressed thanks to Bill C-3.
What does it mean to be a Canadian citizen?
Does it depend on where you were born, or is it more about who your parents are and your connection to Canada?
Today, Canada is once again debating who has the right to be called a citizen.
But this time, it’s not theoretical—it affects tens of thousands of people, their families, and their future.
What was the problem before?
The previous law limited the transmission of citizenship to one generation:
If a Canadian citizen was born abroad and later had a child also born abroad,
that child could not inherit Canadian citizenship, even if the parent was Canadian by birth.
This also applied to adopted children.
In other words, children of Canadians by descent were treated as foreigners,
despite having a genuine connection to Canada.
In December 2023, the Ontario Superior Court ruled this restriction unconstitutional,
and the federal government agreed: these rules were unacceptable.
What does Bill C-3 change?
- Abolishes the discriminatory “first-generation limit”
- Introduces a new principle: citizenship through substantial connection to Canada
- Automatically restores citizenship to those who lost it under the old law
- Allows citizenship to be passed on to children born abroad if the parent has lived in Canada for at least 1,095 days (3 years)
- Expands the definition of “Lost Canadians,” including those left out of the 2009 and 2015 reforms
What does this mean in practice?
This is not just a legal amendment—
it’s a restoration of justice,
an acknowledgment of real human stories,
and the start of a new chapter in Canadian identity.
In a world where borders are fading and families live across countries,
such a law is both necessary and timely.
It restores people’s rights, confidence, and sense of belonging.
What’s next?
Bill C-3 is currently under review in both chambers of Parliament.
Until it is officially passed, a temporary measure allows applicants to apply for citizenship despite the first-generation restriction.
More information is available on the IRCC website.
Canadian citizenship is more than a stamp in a passport.
It means rights, recognition, and opportunity.
And Bill C-3 returns all of that to those who were unfairly excluded.
This is a law about equality, inclusion, and humanity.
And it opens the door for a new generation of Canadians—truly and fully.