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Citizenship by descent expanded

C-3 An Act to amend the Citizenship Act (2025)

Grants Canadian citizenship to people born or adopted abroad to a Canadian parent, including beyond the first generation.

What the law does

The law grants Canadian citizenship by descent to anyone born or adopted abroad before the changes took effect to a Canadian parent. For those born or adopted abroad afterward beyond the first generation, it grants citizenship if the Canadian parent had a substantial connection to Canada. The law also restores citizenship to people who lost it by failing to apply to keep it or whose applications were rejected, and creates a simplified process for certain newly recognized citizens to give it up.

Official text

Official summary

This enactment amends the Citizenship Act to, among other things, (a) ensure that citizenship by descent is conferred on all persons who were born outside Canada before the coming into force of this enactment to a parent who was a citizen; (b) confer citizenship by descent on persons born outside Canada after the first generation, on or after the coming into force of this enactment, to a parent who is a citizen and who had a substantial connection to Canada before the person’s birth; (c) allow citizenship to be granted under section 5.‍1 of that Act to all persons born outside Canada who were adopted before the coming into force of this enactment by a parent who was a citizen; (d) allow citizenship to be granted under section 5.‍1 of that Act to persons born outside Canada who are adopted on or after the coming into force of this enactment by a parent who is a citizen and who had a substantial connection to Canada before the person’s adoption; (e) restore citizenship to persons who lost their citizenship because they did not make an application to retain it under the former section 8 of that Act or because they made an application under that section that was not approved; and (f) allow certain persons who become citizens as a result of the coming into force of this enactment to access a simplified process to renounce their citizenship.

The government's summary, printed at the front of the bill as introduced.

Kind
Government bill
Sponsor
Lena Metlege Diab, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (Halifax West—Peggy's Cove)
Introduced
in the House of Commons
Last activity

Where it stands

  1. ProposedJun 5, 2025
  2. Being debated
  3. Almost law
  4. LawNov 20, 2025

Became law November 20, 2025

  1. First reading in the House done

    Before the House on 1 sitting day,

  2. Second reading in the House done

    Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration

    Before the House on 4 sitting days, to

    2nd reading and referral to committee - CIMM: agreed to, 189–⁠138 (division 36),

  3. Committee in the House done

    Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration

    Before the House on 1 sitting day,

  4. Report stage in the House done

    Before the House on 5 sitting days, to

  5. Third reading in the House done

    Before the House on 2 sitting days, to

    3rd reading: agreed to, 177–⁠163 (division 47),

  6. First reading in the Senate done

    Before the Senate on 1 sitting day,

  7. Second reading in the Senate done

    Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology

    Before the Senate on 1 sitting day,

  8. Committee in the Senate done

    Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology

    Before the Senate on 1 sitting day,

  9. Third reading in the Senate done

    Before the Senate on 1 sitting day,

  10. Royal assent done

Exact procedural stages

Officially: Royal assent received November 20, 2025 · S.C. 2025, c. 5.

  1. House
  2. Senate
  3. Royal assent

Debates in the House 0

No debate on this bill is in the record we hold yet.

Also raised in 9

Question Period, members' statements and other debates where the bill came up.

Show 9

  1. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

    · Oral Questions · named 4 times

  2. First Nations Clean Water Act

    · Government Orders · named 1 time

  3. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

    · Oral Questions · named 1 time

  4. Government Business No. 11—Proceedings on Bill C-26

    · Government Orders · named 1 time

  5. Government Business No. 12—Proceedings on Bill C-30

    · Government Orders · named 1 time

  6. Government Business No. 12—Proceedings on Bill C-30

    · Government Orders · named 1 time

  7. Combatting Hate Act

    · Government Orders · named 1 time

  8. Business of Supply

    · Government Orders · named 10 times

  9. Report Stage

    · Government Orders · named 1 time

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Status, stages and votes from LEGISinfo. Debates are linked from the House's own record of what was before it. Grades are the site's analysis of each statement.