Bill C-3 · In effect December 15, 2025
You might already be Canadian.
Bill C-3 removed the first-generation limit on citizenship by descent. If a parent, grandparent, or earlier ancestor was Canadian, you may be too. 160+ answered FAQs and a Resource Hub for your application.
Built By
7-gen applicant
FAQ
140+ answered
Resources
Templates, guides, tips, and more
What's next
Pick the path that fits where you are.
Four paths through this site, depending on where you are in the Canadian Citizenship by Descent process.
New here
Start Here
A plain-English overview of Bill C-3, how generations are counted, and what documents you'll need. The page to read first if you're not sure what any of this means yet.
Read the overview →Not sure if you qualify
Browse the FAQs
140+ answered questions covering eligibility, documents, photos, IDs, the application form, the wait, and life as a dual citizen. Organized by topic.
Browse the FAQs →Ready to apply
Resource Hub
Templates, guides, tips, and common mistakes to avoid — everything you need to assemble your Proof of Citizenship application packet and file with confidence.
Open the Hub →Want help
Hire a Guide
If you'd rather not do this alone — or you want to hand off the research, paperwork, or full application assembly — work with a guide who's been through the process themselves.
Meet your guides →THE SCALE
This isn't a small change.
Bill C-3 restored citizenship to a generation of descendants the old law had cut off. The numbers are larger than most people realize.
New generational limit
None
Descent can now pass through any number of generations born outside Canada.
Potentially eligible
Millions
Estimated descendants of Canadian-born ancestors now eligible to apply.
Applications in queue
68,300
As of May 2026. IRCC processing times are lengthening as submissions accelerate.
The news
What changed on December 15, 2025.
Bill C-3 rewrote who qualifies for citizenship by descent. Here's the before and after.
Citizenship by descent
Limited to the first generation born abroad. Extended beyond the first generation.
If you were born abroad before Dec 15, 2025
Cut off if your Canadian parent was also born abroad. Automatically Canadian if you would qualify under the new rule.
If you were born abroad on or after Dec 15, 2025
Cut off if your Canadian parent was also born abroad. Eligible if your Canadian parent has 3 years of physical presence in Canada.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers I wish I'd had.
Five categories, organized by where you are in the process. A few questions in each are free; the rest unlock with the Resource Hub.
Understanding the law
What Bill C-3 changed, and what you can do with Canadian citizenship once you have it.
17 questions →Determining eligibility
The most common scenarios, edge cases, and how to count generations in your line of descent.
34 questions →Planning your application
Organizing a family filing, finding records, and figuring out which documents you'll need.
32 questions →Submitting your application
Preparing documents, filling out CIT 0001, photos, payment, and mailing.
21 questions →After you apply
Tracking, dual citizenship, taxes, traveling to Canada, and what to do once the certificate arrives.
37 questions →WHO BUILT THIS
I trace paper back through time for a living.
ELLERY WREN · FOUNDER & 7-GENERATION APPLICANT
For the last decade I've done chain-of-title research for oil, gas, and wind energy deals — searching public records back to the original land patent, following chains across multiple jurisdictions, and drafting the affidavits that make those deals defensible. Along the way I've built more than forty family trees for work, because reliable title defense sometimes requires knowing exactly who inherited what from whom.
When Bill C-3 passed, I realized the same skills applied to Canadian citizenship by descent. I filed a 7-generation Proof of Citizenship application for my own family, documented every step, and built this site to be the resource I wish I'd had on day one.
Read the full story →