The Carney government has tabled Bill C-3, a verbatim re-submission of last session’s failed Bill C-71, to let Canadians born abroad automatically pass citizenship to their own foreign-born children—repealing the 2009 first-generation limit imposed by the Harper government.
The draft law, introduced by Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab, would retroactively restore status to anyone shut out by the limit and, going forward, allow “citizenship by descent” where a parent can show at least 1,095 days (three years) of physical presence in Canada before the birth or adoption.
Ottawa estimates that roughly 20,000 “lost Canadians” have already regained status under earlier fixes—Bill C-3 would widen that gate considerably.
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Bill C-3 is also Ottawa’s answer to an Ontario Superior Court ruling in December 2023 that struck the limit as unconstitutional and gave Parliament until midnight of November 20, 2025 to legislate a replacement. If the clock runs out, the offending clauses simply evaporate, leaving a legal vacuum and potentially uncontrolled automatic citizenship claims.
“Citizenship is more than a legal status—it’s a profound connection to the values, history, and spirit of Canada,” Diab argued, insisting the new “substantial-connection” test honours that bond while ending discrimination.
The bill re-opens the perennial “passport-of-convenience” debate: it costs taxpayers to process and police far-flung citizens, yet offers Ottawa no guarantee of economic participation or tax revenue.
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