Canada’s new citizenship-by-descent rules have expanded access to Canadian citizenship for many people born outside the country. However, the changes have also raised questions about whether a future government could reverse the rules and whether people who gained citizenship under the new law could lose their status.

Bill C-3 changed the Citizenship Act and took effect on December 15, 2025. The legislation removed the previous first-generation limit in certain situations and introduced a substantial connection requirement for people born or adopted abroad in the second generation or later.

Under the new rules, people who were born outside Canada before December 15, 2025, & would have been Canadian citizens if not for the previous first-generation limit can generally be recognized as Canadian citizens. For people born or adopted abroad on or after that date, a Canadian parent who was also born or adopted abroad generally needs to show at least 1,095 days of physical presence in Canada before the child’s birth or adoption.

The changes have led some prospective applicants to ask whether a future Parliament could restore a generational limit.

Could Parliament Change Bill C-3?

The Citizenship Act is federal legislation, so Parliament can amend it through a new law. A future government could therefore propose changes to the rules governing citizenship by descent.

However, changing the law would not automatically mean that people who already became Canadian citizens under Bill C-3 would lose their citizenship.

Canada has changed its citizenship rules in the past. The federal government notes that amendments made in 2009 and 2015 gave citizenship to certain people and restored citizenship to others. Those changes did not take Canadian citizenship away from people who were already Canadian citizens before the amendments came into effect.

An immigration lawyer quoted in the original report explained that a future Parliament could change the Citizenship Act, but that this would be different from simply cancelling citizenship that had already been acquired legally under the current rules.

The lawyer said citizenship obtained under Bill C-3 should not be viewed as temporary or conditional. If the government determines that a person is a Canadian citizen under the law and issues proof of citizenship, that person has Canadian citizenship under the legislation in force at that time.

Changing The Citizenship Act Takes Several Steps

A future government could not simply reverse Bill C-3 through an administrative decision.

Any major change to the Citizenship Act would require legislation to be introduced and considered by Parliament. A bill normally goes through several stages, including readings, committee consideration and votes in both the House of Commons and the Senate.

After both chambers approve the legislation, it must receive Royal Assent before it becomes law.

This means that a change to citizenship rules would require a formal legislative process rather than a simple decision by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

The exact effect of any future amendment would depend on the wording of the new legislation. Parliament could decide how new rules apply to people who become citizens in the future, while the treatment of people who already hold citizenship would depend on the specific provisions adopted.

When Can Canadian Citizenship Be Revoked?

Canadian citizenship can be revoked in specific circumstances. The federal government states that citizenship may be taken away when it was obtained through fraud, misrepresentation or knowingly hiding important information on an immigration or citizenship application.

For example, submitting altered or false documents or providing false information during an application can have serious consequences. Depending on the circumstances, citizenship can be revoked if it was obtained through fraud/ misrepresentation.

The revocation process also includes procedural safeguards. Before citizenship is taken away, the government sends a Request for Information letter. The person has an opportunity to respond. If the government proceeds, a Notification Letter is issued and the person can provide additional information or evidence.

It is important to note that the Federal Court is the decision-maker in citizenship revocation cases unless the person requests that the Minister make the decision.

A change in government policy or political circumstances is therefore different from the existing legal grounds for revoking citizenship.

Earlier Citizenship Controversy Caused Confusion

Questions about the security of citizenship by descent became more prominent after issues surrounding applications under the new rules.

The government had previously introduced an interim measure after the Ontario Superior Court of Justice found key parts of the first-generation limit unconstitutional in December 2023. The federal government did not appeal that decision and later introduced Bill C-3 to change the Citizenship Act.

Bill C-3 received Royal Assent on November 20, 2025, and came into effect on December 15, 2025.

The legislation now provides a broader route to citizenship by descent. It also created rules for future generations based on a Canadian parent’s substantial connection to Canada.

These developments created uncertainty for some applicants who were following changes to documentation requirements and applications affected by earlier reviews. However, the introduction of new requirements or a review of an application does not mean that Canadian citizenship can be cancelled simply because the government changes its policy.

Who May Be A Canadian Citizen Under Bill C-3?

People born outside Canada may already be Canadian citizens depending on their family history and the date of their birth.

Under the current rules, people born outside Canada before December 15, 2025, may generally be Canadian citizens if their Canadian parent was also a Canadian citizen when they were born. The new law also covers certain people who were previously excluded because of the first-generation limit.

For people born/ adopted outside Canada on or after December 15, 2025, the rules can require the Canadian parent, who was also born/ adopted abroad, to demonstrate a substantial connection to Canada.

The parent generally needs at least 1,095 cumulative days of physical presence in Canada before the child’s birth or adoption.

A person who believes they may already be Canadian can apply for proof of citizenship. The citizenship certificate confirms a status that already exists under Canadian law; it does not, by itself, create citizenship for someone who is not eligible.

Canadian Ancestry Must Be Documented

Having a Canadian parent, grandparent or earlier ancestor does not automatically establish Canadian citizenship in every situation.

Applicants must establish the relevant family connection & meet the rules that apply to their circumstances. Documentation linking each generation can be important when citizenship is claimed through descent.

The federal government advises people who believe they may already be Canadian to determine whether they meet the citizenship rules before applying for proof of citizenship.

For people who became Canadian under Bill C-3, the key issue is whether they met the law in force when their citizenship was established.

A future Parliament could amend Canada’s citizenship legislation. However, any future change would need to be considered under its own terms. A change to the rules for future applicants would not, by itself, establish that people who already became Canadian citizens under Bill C-3 had automatically lost their citizenship.

For this reason, people considering an application based on citizenship by descent should assess their family history, supporting documents and eligibility under the current Citizenship Act rather than treating the new citizenship rules as temporary.

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