Big Relief for Indian-Origin Families as Canada Clears Bill C-3 for Foreign-Born Children’s Citizenship
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The Canadian government has greenlighted Bill C-3, which amends the Citizenship Act 2025 (citizenship by descent), marking a key moment in its efforts to make the law more inclusive while preserving the value of Canadian citizenship.
Canada has moved a step closer to modernising its citizenship by descent guidelines after parliament approved a bill that could reshape the lives of thousands of Indian origin families in Canada.
In a statement, the Canadian government stated the approval of Bill C-3, which amends the Citizenship Act 2025, marking a key moment in its efforts to make the law more inclusive while preserving the value of Canadian citizenship
The government's release stated, “Once the new law comes into force, Canadian citizenship will be provided to people born before the bill comes into force, who would have been citizens, if not for the first generation limit or other outdated rules of past legislation.”
What is the First Generation Limit in Canada?
The first-generation limit, which was introduced in 2009, prevents a child born or adopted abroad from automatically receiving Canadian citizenship if their Canadian parent was also born or adopted outside the country.
This rule created difficulties for many Indian origin Canadians who had children overseas. Several immigration advisers state that the amendment is set to resolve most of these long-running problems.
“Now, if any Indian born Canadian citizen is living in Canada, and if their children were born outside Canada, they would be automatically eligible for Canadian citizenship,” stated Darshan Maharaja, a Canada-based immigration in his address to Business Standard.
He also added that under Bill C-3, foreign-born Canadian citizens will be able to pass on Canadian citizenship to their foreign-born children, provided they can show a substantial connection to Canada. Currently, according to estimates, the number of such children is around 115,000.
Also Read: Canada’s 2026-28 Immigration Levels Plan Raises PNP Targets by Over 66%
How Does the New Citizenship Rules Apply?
The government stated that the new law will also allow a Canadian parent born or adopted abroad to pass on citizenship to a child born or adopted abroad, on or after the date the bill comes into force, as long as the parent can show a substantial connection with Canada.
Canada's Minister of IRCC, Lena Metlege Diab, stated that Bill C-3 will fix long-term standing issues in our citizenship loss and bring fairness to families with children born or adopted abroad. It will provide citizenship to people who were excluded by a previous law, and it will set clear rules for the future that reflect how modern families live. These changes will also strengthen and protect Canadian citizenship.
Reason for the Canada Citizenship Laws Being Challenged Earlier
On December 19, 2023, the Ontario Supreme Court of Justice ruled that key parts of the Citizenship Act linked to the first-generation limit were unconstitutional. Ottawa did not challenge the ruling, saying it agreed that the law created an unacceptable outcome for children of Canadians born overseas.
“By adapting the Citizenship Act to reflect the global mobility of modern Canadian families, the federal government has made access to citizenship fairer and reasonable,” stated Don Chapman, Founder of the Lost Canadians.
How is the Future of Citizenship in Canada?
The Citizenship law will take effect on a date set by an order in Council, which the government will announce separately, and until then, an interim measure remains available for those affected by the first-generation limit.
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