This means that in most cases you’re automatically a Canadian citizen if you were born
- before December 15, 2025
- outside Canada to a Canadian parent
This rule also applies to you if you were born to someone who became Canadian because of these rule changes.
this post was submitted on 29 Dec 2025
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I wonder if I, too, could be a citizen by recursion.
That can't be right. That's infinitely recursive...
Canada has only existed since 1867, so not exactly.
The law looks back further than Confederation. This was addressed in previous amendments to the Act.
It has to since Canada didn’t have independent citizenship legislation until 1947.
The citizenship law looks back before Confederation.
In fact, Canadian citizenship only came into existence in 1947. Canada has the separate constitutional authority from the 1930s but WW II held up the legislation.
Before 1947, Canadians were British subjects domiciled in Canada.
So, if I understand this correctly, if I can prove that one of my ancestors was a Canadian citizen, then all their descendants have automatically been made Canadian citizens, including me?
Yes it seems so, but only up to people born before Dec 15 2025. Anyone born after require that their Canadian parent had spent at least 3 years in Canada, in order to also be Canadian
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I was hopeful for a moment then realized that my Canadian ancestors would have been British.
If they had status as British subjects domiciled in Canada pre1947, or domiciled in a predecessor colony before Confederation, that would be considered Canadian.
For example, they could have been born in the colony of Nova Scotia before 1867, or they could have moved from the UK to Nova Scotia and, effectively, become British subjects domiciled in Nova Scotia.
It’s worth the deep dive genealogically if you’re seriously considering applying for a certificate of citizenship.
Very interesting. I'll have to look into it. Fortunately, I have family on both sides who were very into family history; they were diehard Mormons.
Even if you and others don’t want to get citizenships in place for yourselves, it would be important to get it in place and document time in Canada, as future generations born after December 15, 2025 will have to have parents who spent 1095 in Canada.
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Holy shit, I might be a Canadian citizen!
My genealogy might finally pay off! I have a lot of French Canadians back in my family tree. Now to track down the documents to prove it
BanQ is an official archival database from the province of Quebec.
The subreddit has information in its ‘How to find Documents’ FAQ.
For Quebec you can find a lot of birth records here
Looks like my 2nd great grandfather was born in Hawkesbury, Ontario in 1881! I think that means I qualify!
You’ll want to start here for a birth record.
https://www.archives.gov.on.ca/topic/birth-marriage-and-death/
Lots of details captured here on how to apply and what forms you need https://www.reddit.com/r/Canadiancitizenship/wiki/index/
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I like poutine. Will that work?
Depends if you use real cheese curds or shredded cheese.
Shredded cheese on poutine is an automatic life sentence without parole.
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My brother lives an hour from the border, is that close enough?!?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aroostook_War
If your family has been living in part of that yellow area for a long time, maybe.
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What if my ex was 1/4 Canadian? Do I have to re-marry her?
Can I marry your ex? I want out of here.
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I did my genealogy a couple of summers ago, and found out that my maternal grandmother's family came from Canada to Syracuse for factory work, in the late 19th century.
I am definitely going to be looking into this.
nvm... only applies to people born after law took effect.
You don’t seem to understand the effect of C-3 coming into force.
If you were born to or adopted by any parent who can trace a line of descent back to a Canadian by birth or naturalization (or a British subject domiciled in Canada pre1947), then you are probably a Canadian citizen as of December 15, 2025.
For persons born or adopted after December 15, 2025, their Canadian parent born or adopted outside Canada will need to demonstrate 1095 days of presence in Canada prior to their birth or adoption.
That includes great, great grandparents.
Two of my great, great grandparents (my grandfather's grandparents) were born in Canada. Reading through the law, I'm having trouble identifying exactly where this makes me eligible. Can I ask for a bit of help pointed in the right direction?
I have my birth certificate linking me to my father, his birth certificate linking him to my grandfather. Then US census records linking my grandfather to my great grandmother, and US census records linking her to her (Canadian born) parents. I guess I need to find proof of their Canadian births…
Go read the FAQ on this… you are probably reading some old info. The law changed due to the old law being ruled unconstitutional. You are most likely eligible based on what you’ve stated.
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Damn. My wife and I were just talking about this. My Great grandmother was Canadian and I thought it was too far out for me to consider going for citizenship.
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So it’s blood only? My mum was Canadian, but I’m adopted.
This is a straightforward case as long as you were adopted when your mother had citizenship status and the adoption took place before December 15, 2025.
Whether your mum was born in Canada or a Canadian citizen by descent, you’ll need go through a two-step process with some help from your mum.
Step 1 - Your mother’s citizenship status needs to be confirmed by IRCC. When this is done, an identifier will be created so you can complete step 2.
Step 2 - your adoption is documented so that IRCC can provide a grant of citizenship.
Here is the page with the forms - they haven’t all been updated yet to say that the first generation limit doesn’t apply to your parent.
If you were born or adopted before December 15, 2025
Citizenship may have been restored or given to people who were born outside Canada in the second generation or later before December 15, 2025.
This means that in most cases you’re automatically a Canadian citizen if you were born
- before December 15, 2025
- outside Canada to a Canadian parent
This rule also applies to you if you were born to someone who became Canadian because of these rule changes.
If this change made you a Canadian automatically, but you don’t want to be one, you can apply to give up (renounce) your Canadian citizenship.
Adopted people are likely eligible to apply for Canadian citizenship through a direct grant for adopted people if they were born and adopted outside Canada in the second generation or later before December 15, 2025.
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Oh, that's interesting. My father had our lineage researched and learned that an ancestor took the side of the British during the USA revolutionary war. He had to move to Canada after the colonies won their independence due to a campaign of harassment in which his barn was burned down.
The most interesting thing about it before now was that someone in my family history had supported the other team. Now it might have actual bearing on my life instead of just being a fun story.
I didn't qualify as a kid (which is interesting because one of the things I was considering was moving to Montreal for university which would probably have lead to a very different life than I have now), but the law changes allowed me to later claim citizenship (under the 2009 change, IIRC). There is (or at least was when I did) a fair amount of documentation to write and provide about all your relatives so be ready for that.
I am a 4th generation Canadian. I guess I am safe.
Do you have to apply or is it automatic? If automatic I can see potential for another round of eligibility issues in Australia's parliament coming up - you can't be a member of parliament while holding another citizenship and unknown/forgotten citizenships have caught people out before.
It is automatic, but you have to apply for the certificate of citizenship.
There are related regulations that have just been published in The Canada Gazette that will enable people to have a simplified process for formal renunciation of Canadian citizenship to Canadian authorities if they believe they may be Canadian citizens by descent.
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