April 20, 2026
"I might already be Canadian?" - We're hearing this question daily.
Since Bill C-3 took effect in December 2025, Americans with Canadian ancestors have been reaching out in record numbers. According to recently released IRCC data, nearly 2,500 American citizenship by descent applications were approved in January 2026 alone, and the the U.S. accounted for about 24,500 of the 82,500 citizenship by descent approvals issued in 2025.
Many had no idea they were eligible until recently.
Before December 15, 2025, Canadian citizenship by descent was generally limited to the first generation born outside Canada. C-3 removed that restriction in many situations, allowing citizenship to extend to second-generation or later individuals who were previously excluded.
If you were born before December 15, 2025, and have a Canadian parent, grandparent, or earlier ancestor in your direct line, you may already be a Canadian citizen by operation of law. You don't apply to become one. You apply for proof, in the form of a citizenship certificate.
For those born or adopted on or after December 15, 2025, citizenship still passes down through generations, but the Canadian parent born or adopted abroad must show at least 1,095 days (about three years) of physical presence in Canada before the child's birth or adoption. This is called the substantial connection test.
IRCC received more than 12,000 citizenship by descent applications between December 15, 2025 and the end of January 2026. The U.S. led by a wide margin. The U.K. was second, followed by Mexico and France.
The Parliamentary Budget Officer has estimated that approximately 115,000 people may be newly eligible under C-3.
If you have Canadian roots, even ancestors who left Canada generations ago, there's a real chance you may already qualify for Canadian citizenship. Many people we work with have never set foot in Canada, never held a Canadian passport, and only recently discovered their Canadian ancestry through family records or genealogy research.
If you think you might qualify, it's worth looking into.
Try our Citizenship Eligibility Quiz to see if C-3 might apply to you.
Source: David Baxter, The Canadian Press, "U.S. leads interest by wide margin in getting Canadian citizenship by descent," April 2026.