New Canadian citizenship rules could affect 570,000 living in America

End of Canadian First Generation Limit

If you are one of the approx 570,000 Canadians living in the United States—either among 65,000 Canadians in California, 60,000 in Floridaor above 30,000 in states like Massachusetts, Michigan, New York or Texas—the Canadian citizenship rules that have quietly governed your family for years are about to change significantly. With the passage of Bill C-3, Canada passed the most significant update to citizenship by descent in more than a decade—one that will affect not only Canadians in America but also families moving globally from Europe to Asia and the Middle East.

A long-awaited fix for “Lost Canadians”

In late November, Canada passed Bill C-3 – Citizenship Amendment Act (2025). It received royal assent on 20 November 2025 and marks the biggest overhaul of citizenship rules since 2009, when the “first generation limit” was introduced, inadvertently excluding thousands of people who should have been citizens. These people – known as “Lost Canadians” – include those who were born abroad to Canadian parents or grandparents but are in gaps created by older laws, marriage rules, gender rules or 2009 reforms. According to the Parliamentary Budget Officer, At least 115,000 of those foreign-born children will now be eligible for citizenship. Many are in the United States.

When Bill C-3 officially comes into force—a date that has yet to be confirmed—those people will be they are recognized as citizens automatically and retroactively. As the Canadian government put it: reforms create “A modern, consistent way forward” which recognizes how mobile Canadian families have become.

How the New Bill C-3 Framework Works

Bill C-3 has two pillars — one that fixes the past and one that governs the future.

1. Citizenship is restored retroactively

Anyone excluded under the first-generation rules of 2009 or earlier laws that similarly denied citizenship will regain or automatically acquire it once the bill becomes law. This includes adults living in the United States who grew up believing they were Canadian, but often painfully discover otherwise.

2. A new standard for future children born abroad

For children born or adopted outside of Canada after the Act comes into effect, the transmission of citizenship will depend on the parent’s connection to Canada:

• If the parent was born or naturalized in Canada:
  Citizenship continues to pass automatically, as before.
• If the parent was born or adopted abroad:
  Citizenship is transferable only if the parent displays a “meaningful connection» in Canada — defined as at least three years of physical presence.

This model maintains Canada’s openness to globally mobile citizens while fostering strong intergenerational ties.

What does this mean for Canadians living in America?

The United States is home to the largest community of Canadians outside of Canada. For many, these reforms will clear up long-standing questions. for others, it will encourage planning.

Children Born in the US to Canadian Parents

No change here. These guys will continue to qualify automatically for citizenship by descent.

Second-generation Canadians born in the US

This is the group most affected.

If it was a Canadian parent also born abroad—common in long-term expatriate families—citizenship for future children will depend on whether the parent can prove three years of residence in Canada; at any point in their lives. For Canadians who left as infants or grew up mostly in America, this may require gathering school, work or tax records from their previous residence in Canada or planning for future time in Canada before expanding their family.

Intercountry Adoptions

Canadian overseas parents adopting internationally will follow the same substantial connection rule as birth parents. The goal is to create a single, consistent standard, though some adoptive families have raised concerns — especially about children who are fully integrated into Canadian households but have no independent ties. These concerns have been voiced by some Canadian adoptive families, they say CTV News. While the amendments were discussed, they were not included before royal assent due to tight judicial deadlines. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is expected to review the matter.

Frequent cross-border workers and dual citizens

Canadians working in technology, entertainment, academia or professional services who move frequently between the two countries may find that meeting the three-year requirement is relatively straightforward. However, careful record keeping will be important in the future.

Implementation Timeline: A Moving Target

Although Bill C-3 received royal assent, it not yet in effect. Significant operational work remains. Recently, the Ontario Superior Court is granted the government extended until January 20, 2026 for the law to come into force, recognizing that IRCC still needs time to update its internal systems, revise application forms, prepare supporting regulations and train officers to apply the new rules consistently. Until this infrastructure is ready, the government cannot set a specific implementation date. The law can go into effect sooner, but January 20, 2026 is the current maximum date, unless another court extends it.

The temporary measures remain in place

IRCC’s interim discretionary grant process, introduced in March 2025, remains operational. People affected by the first-generation limit can still apply for citizenship through this route until the law officially goes into effect. However, since the new law is about to come into effect, it might be best to wait for that to happen.

Remaining issues—still in the background

While widely welcomed, the new rules leave a few issues unresolved: adoptive families argue that the substantive connection test unfairly burdens children who are already legally part of Canadian households. some legal experts question how older records will be evaluated for parents who must prove three years of physical presence. and installation will inevitably take time, increasing the risk of delays and delays. However, none of these issues detract from the main achievement of the legislation – restoring justice and creating a clear, modern framework for passing on Canadian citizenship to future generations.

Who else should be paying attention?

The law’s ripple effects go far beyond Canadians in America. Relevant groups include:

• Canadian expatriates in Europe, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East
• Dual citizenship families with cross-border careers
• Canadian military, diplomatic and NGO families posted abroad
• Professionals moving globally in technology, academia, finance and multinational corporations
• Prospective adoptive parents
• Immigration lawyers, mobility HR executives and corporate planners

For these groups, understanding pathways to Canadian citizenship becomes essential for long-term planning.

Final Thoughts

For the hundreds of thousands of Canadians now living in the United States, Bill C-3 is the most significant update to Canadian citizenship rules in years. It restores status to families who have long been in legislative limbo and creates a clearer, more modern framework for future generations. Some details—particularly around adoption—may change, but the general direction is clear: Canada is updating its citizenship laws to reflect the realities of a globalized world. For many Canadians in America, the results will be both immediate and deeply personal.