Canada has recently clarified its citizenship by descent laws,
greatly increasing eligibility for applicants who have Canadian
ancestors.
What Has Changed
As of December 15, 2025, Bill C-3 is in force, created to amend
Canada's Citizenship Act and comply with a court ruling that
previous citizenship by descent laws were too restrictive under
Canada's constitutional laws. The law has created two
pathways to address those concerns, depending on the date of the
applicant's birth.
At this time, applications for a certificate of citizenship are
taking one year to process, but this is subject to change. Volume
is expected to increase dramatically, especially given Canada does
not have a double taxation regime.
