Understanding the new law.

Bill C-3 is the Canadian law that restored citizenship by descent for people whose families were previously cut off by the first-generation limit. It came into force on December 15, 2025. Its formal name is An Act to Amend the Citizenship Act (2025), but most people just call it Bill C-3.

The short version: it removed the rule that prevented Canadians born outside Canada from passing citizenship to their own children also born outside Canada. Getting rid of that rule changed everything for people like me — and probably for you, if you're reading this.

The first-generation limit was the rule that allowed only the first generation born abroad to a Canadian parent to claim citizenship by descent. Their kids — the second generation born abroad — were cut off.

The Ontario Superior Court ruled this unconstitutional on December 19, 2023 in a case called Bjorkquist v. Canada. The judge basically said the limit created two unequal classes of Canadians and that it disproportionately hurt women born abroad. The federal government chose not to appeal, and Bill C-3 is the permanent fix that replaced it.

Bill C-3 being retroactive means that if you qualify, you've actually been Canadian your whole life — you just didn't have proof of it. The law isn't granting you citizenship now. It's recognizing citizenship you already had from the day you were born.

You're not becoming Canadian. You're confirming you've been Canadian all along. That distinction matters more than it sounds, and it shows up everywhere in how the application is processed.

Bjorkquist v. Canada was the December 19, 2023 Ontario Superior Court ruling that struck down the first-generation limit. The court found it violated the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms by creating unequal classes of citizens, and that it disproportionately affected women born abroad.

The federal government decided not to appeal, which was a big deal — it meant the ruling would stand and Parliament would need to write new legislation. Bill C-3 is what they wrote.

The Bjorkquist Interim Measure was IRCC's bridge process between March 2025 and December 15, 2025, used to handle people who clearly qualified under the court ruling but didn't yet have a law to apply under. During that window, IRCC accepted applications and processed them as discretionary grants under section 5(4) of the Citizenship Act.

If you applied during that window, you don't need to reapply — your file is being processed under the final C-3 rules now.

Yes, you can reapply, and you should. If you were turned down under the old first-generation limit, that denial was made under a law that no longer exists. File a fresh CIT 0001 under the current rules. The previous denial doesn't count against you.

A 5(4) grant application that was in process is being converted automatically to a standard CIT 0001 citizenship certificate application. The good news: you won't have to attend an oath ceremony like a 5(4) grant would have required. You'll just receive your certificate when the application is approved. Sit tight.

"Lost Canadian" is an informal term — not a legal one — for people who were technically Canadian citizens under the law but lost or were never told. The old rules created several different ways this could happen: gender discrimination that stripped women of citizenship when they married non-Canadians, the first-generation limit, automatic loss when someone naturalized in another country, and other historical quirks.

The 2009 and 2015 amendments restored citizenship to about 20,000 people. Bill C-3 picks up where those left off and addresses the rest.

No — Bill C-3 has no deadline and no sunset clause. If you qualify, you qualify permanently. That said, IRCC's processing times do shift around — sometimes a lot — so check their site for current timelines if you're trying to plan.

Bill C-3 doesn't affect people who were already Canadian citizens before December 15, 2025. If you were already a citizen, you're still a citizen — the law didn't change anything for you. Bill C-3 only added people who were previously excluded. It didn't take anything away from anyone.