Canada expanded its citizenship rules recently, a move likely to benefit thousands of Indian-origin families. The Bill C-3, which was passed by the Canadian Senate last week, received royal assent on Thursday, November 20.Although not yet in force, the Canadian Government is expected to announce an official start date for the law soon. The new law amends the first-generation limit to Canadian citizenship by descent introduced in 2009. Under generation limit a child born or adopted outside Canada is not a Canadian citizen by descent if their Canadian parent was also born or adopted outside Canada. Ontario’s Superior Court, in December 2023, ruled the limit unconstitutional, calling it an unfair barrier.
Many Indian-origin Canadians were among those affected, particularly families who spent years working overseas and had children while living abroad. Under the new provisions, citizenship can be passed to children born abroad — beyond the first generation — if at least one parent demonstrates a meaningful connection to Canada. That connection is defined as a cumulative 1,095 days, or three years, of physical presence in the country before the child’s birth or adoption. Legal experts note that these days do not need to be consecutive.
Canada’s Immigration Minister, Lena Metlege Diab, said the Bill addresses long-standing gaps in the system that prevented some Canadians from passing on their citizenship to children born or adopted outside the country. “It ensures fairness for families and sets modern, transparent rules that reflect how people live today. These changes will strengthen and protect Canadian citizenship,” she said in a statement.
The law now awaits a Cabinet order setting the date it will officially take effect. A court has already extended the Government’s deadline for implementation to January 2026, giving Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada time to prepare administrative systems and guidelines.