Canada’s long-debated overhaul of citizenship by descent officially took effect on December 15, 2025, when Bill C-3—An Act to Amend the Citizenship Act (2025)—received Royal Assent and came into force. The new law scraps the so-called “first-generation limit,” a 2009 rule that prevented Canadian parents who themselves were born (or adopted) abroad from passing citizenship to children born outside Canada. Effective immediately, anyone who would have been a citizen but for that limit is now deemed a citizen from birth.
The change is retroactive and automatic. IRCC estimates that more than 110,000 people—many of them adult professionals who have been living abroad—have suddenly become Canadian. Those who fall into the newly eligible cohort can apply online for a proof-of-citizenship certificate. Processing is expected to spike in the coming weeks, so the department recommends using the new digital submission portal and budgeting extra time for document verification. Canadian consulates have also been instructed to prioritize urgent travel document requests arising from the amendment.
Need help figuring out what these changes mean for your family or your globally mobile workforce? VisaHQ’s Canada team offers end-to-end guidance on passport issuance, citizenship documentation, and worldwide visa requirements—whether you’re registering a newborn or rerouting assignees now eligible for Canadian travel privileges. Visit https://www.visahq.com/canada/ to see how their digital platform and in-house experts can streamline the process.
![Canada Removes ‘First-Generation’ Limit: Bill C-3 Instantly Grants Citizenship to Thousands Born Abroad]()
Going forward, the framework introduces a residency safeguard: a Canadian parent born or adopted abroad will be able to transmit citizenship to a child born overseas provided the parent can show at least 1,095 days (three years) of physical presence in Canada at any time before the child’s birth or adoption. Ottawa says the rule balances modern family realities—remote work, international postings, dual-career households—with the legislative intent that citizenship by descent remain anchored in a "real and demonstrated" connection to Canada.
For global mobility managers, the implications are immediate. Employees who suddenly acquire Canadian citizenship may now travel on Canadian passports, access visa-free entry to more than 185 countries, and become exempt from work-permit requirements when assigned to Canada. Employers should review assignee status, payroll withholding, and tax treaty positions, as Canadian citizenship can trigger worldwide taxation under certain residency scenarios.
Law firms report a surge in inquiries from Canadians abroad who plan to register newborns before returning to overseas postings in 2026. Meanwhile, advocacy groups for “lost Canadians” are celebrating an end to a policy that splintered families for over a decade. With Bill C-3 in force, Canada regains one of the more inclusive citizenship-by-descent regimes among G7 countries—just in time for escalating cross-border talent mobility ahead of the FIFA World Cup 26™ and other global events.
The change is retroactive and automatic. IRCC estimates that more than 110,000 people—many of them adult professionals who have been living abroad—have suddenly become Canadian. Those who fall into the newly eligible cohort can apply online for a proof-of-citizenship certificate. Processing is expected to spike in the coming weeks, so the department recommends using the new digital submission portal and budgeting extra time for document verification. Canadian consulates have also been instructed to prioritize urgent travel document requests arising from the amendment.
Need help figuring out what these changes mean for your family or your globally mobile workforce? VisaHQ’s Canada team offers end-to-end guidance on passport issuance, citizenship documentation, and worldwide visa requirements—whether you’re registering a newborn or rerouting assignees now eligible for Canadian travel privileges. Visit https://www.visahq.com/canada/ to see how their digital platform and in-house experts can streamline the process.
Going forward, the framework introduces a residency safeguard: a Canadian parent born or adopted abroad will be able to transmit citizenship to a child born overseas provided the parent can show at least 1,095 days (three years) of physical presence in Canada at any time before the child’s birth or adoption. Ottawa says the rule balances modern family realities—remote work, international postings, dual-career households—with the legislative intent that citizenship by descent remain anchored in a "real and demonstrated" connection to Canada.
For global mobility managers, the implications are immediate. Employees who suddenly acquire Canadian citizenship may now travel on Canadian passports, access visa-free entry to more than 185 countries, and become exempt from work-permit requirements when assigned to Canada. Employers should review assignee status, payroll withholding, and tax treaty positions, as Canadian citizenship can trigger worldwide taxation under certain residency scenarios.
Law firms report a surge in inquiries from Canadians abroad who plan to register newborns before returning to overseas postings in 2026. Meanwhile, advocacy groups for “lost Canadians” are celebrating an end to a policy that splintered families for over a decade. With Bill C-3 in force, Canada regains one of the more inclusive citizenship-by-descent regimes among G7 countries—just in time for escalating cross-border talent mobility ahead of the FIFA World Cup 26™ and other global events.
