Summary#

This bill changes who is a Canadian citizen by descent and fixes past gaps that left some people without citizenship. It also sets a clear test for future children and adoptees born or adopted outside Canada and restores citizenship to many “lost Canadians.”

• Makes people born outside Canada before the law takes effect citizens if they had a Canadian parent.
• For future births abroad, allows citizenship after the first generation if the Canadian parent spent about three years in Canada before the child’s birth.
• Extends similar rules to children adopted outside Canada.
• Restores citizenship to people who lost it under old “retention” rules.
• Lets people who gain citizenship under this bill use a simpler process to give it up if they do not want it.
• Confirms citizenship even if a qualifying parent (or grandparent) died before the law took effect.
• Start date will be set later by the federal government.

What it means for you#

• Canadians born abroad before the law starts

  • If you were born outside Canada before the law takes effect and had at least one Canadian parent, you become a Canadian automatically from birth.
  • You would still need to apply for a citizenship certificate (proof of citizenship) to get a passport.

• Canadians having children abroad after the law starts

  • If you are a Canadian who was born outside Canada and you have a child abroad in the future, your child can be a citizen if you were physically in Canada for at least 1,095 days (about three years) before the child’s birth.
  • If you do not meet the three‑year presence in Canada, your child would not be a citizen by descent and would need another pathway to come to Canada.

• Canadians adopting children from abroad

  • If you adopted a child outside Canada before the law takes effect and you were a Canadian at that time, your child can be granted citizenship.
  • For future adoptions abroad, your adopted child can be granted citizenship if the Canadian adoptive parent spent at least three years in Canada before the adoption.

• People who lost citizenship under old rules

  • If you lost your citizenship because you did not apply to “retain” it by a deadline under old laws, this bill restores your citizenship automatically.
  • If you once became a citizen and later renounced it, this bill does not give it back automatically.

• Families where a parent died earlier

  • If your qualifying Canadian parent (or grandparent) died before this bill takes effect, you can still be recognized as a citizen if they would have been Canadian under these new rules.

• People who do not want Canadian citizenship

  • If you become a citizen because of this bill and prefer not to be one, there will be a simpler process to renounce (formally give up) citizenship.

Expenses#

No publicly available information.

Proponents' View#

• Fixes long‑standing gaps that left “lost Canadians” without status even though they had a Canadian parent.
• Keeps a real link to Canada for future generations by requiring about three years’ presence in Canada for parents who pass on citizenship from abroad.
• Provides clear, simple rules for both births and adoptions outside Canada, reducing confusion.
• Respects personal choice by offering a simplified way to renounce citizenship for those who gain it automatically.
• Could reduce court cases and administrative headaches by clarifying who is a citizen from birth.

Opponents' View#

• Retroactively adding citizens may strain processing systems and increase passport and certificate backlogs.
• The three‑year presence test may be too strict for Canadians who build careers abroad, including aid workers, business people, and students.
• Different treatment for children born before versus after the law’s start date could be seen as unfair or confusing.
• Implementation may be complex, with many edge cases (for example, counting physical presence days), which could lead to delays or disputes.