Bill C-3: Americans With Canadian Ancestors May Already Be Citizens

Canadians living abroad may not need a visa, an investment or years of residence to move to Canada — they may simply need paperwork. Since 15 December 2025, when Bill C-3 took effect, people with an unbroken family line to a Canadian ancestor have been able to claim citizenship by descent no matter how many generations separate them from that ancestor.

Key facts

• 15 December 2025: Bill C-3 took effect, removing the first-generation limit on citizenship by descent.
• Anyone born before that date with an unbroken line to a Canadian ancestor is likely already a Canadian citizen.
• Proof comes in the form of a citizenship certificate; a Canadian passport can then be applied for.
• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) currently estimates 34 months to process a new certificate application.
• No residence, investment, language test or citizenship test is required for the descent route.

What changed?

Bill C-3 scrapped the first-generation limit, the rule that had cut off citizenship by descent after a single generation born outside Canada. Under the new law, the number of generations between an applicant and their Canadian ancestor no longer matters.

People born before 15 December 2025 with an unbroken line to a Canadian ancestor are likely already citizens. The task is not to obtain status but to confirm it: applicants request a citizenship certificate, the document that confirms their status, and can then apply for a Canadian passport.

Who is affected and how do you prove a claim?

The route is aimed at people who have a Canadian ancestor and no other easy path to living abroad. Applicants must supply birth, marriage and other records linking each generation to their Canadian ancestor, and IRCC reviews every claim individually.

Many eligible families trace their roots to a few regions. Between 1840 and 1930, close to 900,000 French-speaking Canadians left Quebec for New England mill towns, and families in Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Louisiana also appear among the hotspots. Surnames such as Tremblay, Ouellet and Roy point toward Canadian roots.

Canada and the United States both allow dual citizenship, so successful applicants keep their American passport. IRCC notes that Canadian citizens, including dual citizens, cannot apply for a visa, since Canadian immigration law defines a permanent resident as someone who is not a citizen.

How does it compare with other routes?

• Portugal: since 19 May 2026, Americans need 10 years of legal residence before applying for citizenship, plus knowledge of Portuguese culture, history and politics. The golden visa typically requires a qualifying investment or donation of US$280,000 to US$560,000.
• Italy: a 2025 law narrowed descent claims; an Italian parent or grandparent must have held only Italian citizenship. Since a January 2026 law, each consulate accepts a capped number of applications per year.
• Ireland: registration through the Foreign Births Register requires an Irish-born grandparent and takes about 12 months; a great-grandparent or earlier ancestor does not qualify.
• Mexico: temporary residency can require about US$78,000 in savings at some consulates, or a steady monthly income, and grants residency only.
• Canada, Express Entry: from 3 November 2026, IRCC will award extra points for Canadian work experience or a job offer in a high-wage occupation. Permanent residents need 1,095 days in Canada within five years, plus a language test, a citizenship test and an oath.

What does Canadian citizenship give you?

Citizens can live, work and study anywhere in Canada without a permit. The status has no renewal date and continues to apply while living in the United States. Citizenship on its own creates no Canadian tax filing obligation for people living in the US, since Canada taxes based on where a person lives.

Citizenship can also pass to the next generation. Children born before 15 December 2025 inherit through the same family line. Children born abroad after that date face an added test: their Canadian parent, if born abroad, must have spent 1,095 days in Canada before the birth.

What this means for travellers

Anyone with a Canadian parent, grandparent or more distant ancestor should check whether their family line is unbroken before assuming they need a visa or residence permit to move to Canada. Those who qualify apply for a citizenship certificate first and a passport afterwards.

Timing matters for anyone treating this as a backup plan. IRCC currently estimates 34 months to process a new certificate application, so an application filed this autumn could produce proof in late summer 2029.