How to Get Canadian Citizenship by Descent: Rules Under Bill C-3

You claim Canadian citizenship by descent by applying to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for a citizenship certificate, which is the only document that officially proves you are Canadian when you were born abroad.¹ Whether you qualify depends on when you were born and how your parent became Canadian. The rules changed on December 15, 2025, when Bill C-3 removed the old first-generation limit in most situations and opened citizenship to many people who had been shut out.²

Who Qualifies Now

There are three main paths, sorted by your generation and birth date, plus a narrow exception for Crown service.

First Generation Born Abroad

If at least one of your parents was born in Canada or naturalized before your birth, you are automatically Canadian no matter where you were born. This rule has been in place since 1977. You still need to apply for a citizenship certificate to have official proof, which is what a passport office or benefits agency will ask for.³

Second or Later Generation, Born Before December 15, 2025

This is the group Bill C-3 changed most. Between April 17, 2009, and December 15, 2025, a first-generation limit blocked citizenship from passing beyond the first generation born outside Canada, so if your Canadian parent had also been born abroad, you were generally not a citizen.⁴

Bill C-3 removed that barrier retroactively. If you were born outside Canada before December 15, 2025, and your parent was a Canadian citizen when you were born, you are now automatically Canadian in most cases, even if that parent was also born abroad. You do not have to show that your parent spent any specific amount of time in Canada. You do have to apply for the certificate before you can use your status for a passport or other purposes.²

Second or Later Generation, Born On or After December 15, 2025

If you were born abroad on or after December 15, 2025, and your Canadian parent was also born abroad, citizenship can still pass to you, but only if that parent spent at least 1,095 days (roughly three years) physically present in Canada before your birth. Those days do not have to be consecutive. If neither Canadian parent meets the threshold, citizenship does not pass.⁵

When applying under this path, you complete Form CIT 0555 to calculate your parent’s time in Canada and back it up with records like school transcripts, tax slips, rental agreements, or passport stamps.⁶

The Crown Servant Exception

The generation rules above do not apply if your Canadian parent or grandparent was working abroad at the relevant time as a Crown servant: a member of the Canadian Armed Forces, an employee of the federal public administration, or an employee of a provincial or territorial public service. In that case citizenship passes automatically.⁴

Adopted Children Follow a Different Track

If you were adopted abroad by a Canadian citizen, you apply on Forms CIT 0010 and CIT 0012 rather than the standard CIT 0001, and the adoptive parent’s citizenship must be confirmed before your file is processed. The first-generation limit works similarly on this track: an adopted child is not eligible if the adoptive Canadian parent was themselves born abroad to a Canadian or obtained citizenship through adoption, unless the Crown servant exception applies.⁷

Documents to Gather Before You Start

Pulling records together is the slowest part, especially when your parent’s documents are old or foreign-issued. Line them up before you open the application.

You need your own long-form birth certificate showing both parents’ names. For the Canadian parent, you need proof of their citizenship: a provincial or territorial birth certificate, a previous citizenship certificate, or a naturalization certificate showing the date citizenship was granted. Quebec birth and marriage certificates issued before January 1, 1994, are not accepted, so if that is all your parent has, you will need an updated copy.⁶

You also need two valid pieces of identification, both showing your name and date of birth, at least one with a photo. Passport and driver’s license is the usual pairing. Birth certificates, SIN cards, bank cards, and credit cards do not count as ID for this application. Paper applications require two identical printed citizenship photos meeting IRCC’s specifications; online applications require one digital photo. Get the specs right the first time, because IRCC will return applications with non-compliant photos.⁸

Any document not in English or French needs a translation with an affidavit from the translator. The affidavit is not required if the translator is a Canadian certified translator (a member of a provincial or territorial translators’ organization). Family members and the applicant cannot do the translation. And if you already hold an old citizenship or naturalization certificate, or a pink transmission copy, all originals go back to IRCC with your application.⁶

If your birth certificate is missing or does not name your Canadian parent, IRCC may ask for DNA testing to prove the biological relationship. Wait for IRCC’s letter before arranging anything; testing done on your own initiative will not be accepted, and results must come from a lab accredited by the Standards Council of Canada.

How to Submit and What It Costs

Both online and paper applications use Form CIT 0001, and the fee is $75 CAD either way.⁹

Online is faster for most people. You need an email address, a scanner or digital camera for uploading documents, and a valid credit card or Canadian debit card. Once you create an IRCC account and pass the eligibility questions, you have 60 days to finish and submit. You can apply for up to three children at once if you are the biological or legal parent at their birth. One firm rule: do not file online if you have already sent in a paper application for the same request, because IRCC will not process the duplicate.¹⁰

Paper applications go to CPC-Sydney, P.O. Box 10000, Sydney, NS, B1P 7C1. Pay the $75 fee through IRCC’s online payment portal first and include the receipt. Keep a copy of everything you send.¹¹

When your application is approved, you can receive an electronic certificate (a PDF downloaded through your IRCC Portal account) instead of the mailed paper version. The e-certificate does not shorten the review itself, but it cuts out the final mailing wait. You can only hold one valid citizenship certificate at a time.¹²

Tracking Progress and Asking for Urgent Processing

Once IRCC receives your file, you get an acknowledgment with an application number. Paper applicants check status through the Client Application Status (CAS) tool; online applicants use their IRCC secure account.¹³ Check regularly, because this is how you will find out if IRCC needs more from you. Current processing times are posted on IRCC’s website and shift with volume; expect several months for a standard application, and expect longer waits in the period right after Bill C-3, when a large number of newly eligible people are applying.

IRCC will consider urgent processing if you need the certificate to travel because of a death or serious illness in the family, to avoid losing a job, to attend school, to access benefits like healthcare or a pension, to address statelessness, or to move a minor child to Canada. Include an explanation letter and supporting evidence, such as a plane ticket with proof of payment, a letter from your employer or school, a doctor’s note, or a death certificate. IRCC does not guarantee the certificate will arrive by your deadline even when you qualify, so if you already know the date you need it, apply as early as possible rather than counting on the urgent route.¹⁴

If IRCC Refuses Your Application

You have two options. You can apply to the Federal Court of Canada for judicial review of the decision, but you must file within 30 days of the date on the refusal letter, and the court reviews how the decision was made rather than re-hearing the facts. Or you can file a fresh application at any time, which means paying the $75 again and assembling all the documents from scratch. Before reapplying, figure out why the first application was refused so you can fix the issue.¹⁵

A Note on Taxes

Getting a Canadian citizenship certificate does not by itself make you a Canadian taxpayer. Canada taxes based on residency, not citizenship. If you live outside Canada and are not a Canadian tax resident, you generally only owe Canadian tax on Canadian-source income such as rental income from Canadian property, Canadian pensions, or capital gains on certain Canadian assets.¹⁶ The picture is more complicated if you also hold U.S. citizenship, because the United States taxes its citizens on worldwide income regardless of where they live. If you are in that position, talk to a cross-border tax professional before your first Canadian tax year.

1
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Apply for a Canadian Citizenship Certificate: About the Process
2
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Change to Citizenship Rules in 2025
3
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Apply for a Canadian Citizenship Certificate: Who Can Apply
4
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Changes to Citizenship Rules 2009 to 2015
5
Parliament of Canada. Bill C-3 Royal Assent – An Act to Amend the Citizenship Act (2025)
6
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Guide for Paper Applications for a Citizenship Certificate for Adults and Minors (Proof of Citizenship) Under Section 3
7
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Application for Canadian Citizenship – Adopted Person
8
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. What Photos Do I Need to Include With My Citizenship Application
9
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Citizenship and Immigration Application Fees
10
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Apply for a Canadian Citizenship Certificate: How to Apply
11
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Case Processing Centre: Sydney, Nova Scotia
12
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Learn More About the Electronic Citizenship Certificate
13
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. How to Check the Status of Your IRCC Application
14
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. When and How Do I Apply Urgently for a Citizenship Certificate
15
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. What Can I Do If My Citizenship Application Is Refused
16
Canada Revenue Agency. Non-Residents of Canada