Quick answer
Citizenship by descent means you may already be Canadian because a parent was a citizen when you were born or adopted. You do not “apply to become” a citizen in the usual adult-grant sense. You apply for proof — a citizenship certificate — so IRCC can confirm the legal chain.
On 15 December 2025, Bill C-3 amended the Citizenship Act and changed the first-generation limit. IRCC's official explanation is on Change to citizenship rules in 2025.
Am I eligible? Interactive checker
Were you born in Canada?
Start with your own birthplace. Adoption has extra IRCC rules — read the official page if you were adopted.
Canadian citizenship by descent requirements
IRCC counts generations this way:
- Canadian citizen — born in Canada, or granted citizenship (naturalized).
- First generation — born outside Canada to a Canadian who was born in Canada or naturalized.
- Second generation or later — also born outside Canada, to a first-generation Canadian.
Born or adopted on or after 15 December 2025
IRCC says people born outside Canada in the second generation or later may be Canadian if their parent was also born or adopted outside Canada to a Canadian citizen (so the grandparent was Canadian) and that same parent spent at least 1,095 days in Canada before the birth. IRCC calls this a substantial connection: 1,095 days of cumulative physical presence in Canada before the applicant's birth or adoption.
Born or adopted before 15 December 2025
IRCC says citizenship may have been restored or given to people born outside Canada in the second generation or later before that date. In most cases, you are automatically a Canadian citizen if you were born before 15 December 2025 outside Canada to a Canadian parent. The same can apply if you were born to someone who became Canadian because of these rule changes.
People who became citizens automatically and do not want Canadian citizenship can apply to renounce it, using IRCC's process.
Adopted people have a parallel direct grant path. Use the official Bill C-3 page rather than assuming the birth rules apply unchanged.
How to obtain proof — step by step
You need a clear parent-child paper trail: your birth record, the Canadian parent's birth or naturalization record, and marriage or name-change records that connect the names. IRCC has required records from the original civil-registration authority. Check the current document list on the proof-of-citizenship page before you file.
Use IRCC's proof of citizenship application. IRCC reviews whether you are a citizen and, if so, issues the certificate. If you already applied under the 2023–2025 interim measure, IRCC says you do not need to start a new certificate application; they will use the new rules.
IRCC tells people who think they may be citizens to get the certificate first, then a Canadian passport, to avoid delays at the border. Dual citizens should also read IRCC guidance on entering Canada as a citizen.
This is not Express Entry
A citizenship certificate is proof of status you may already hold. It is not a points score, language test, or settlement-fund requirement. If the checker (or IRCC) says you are not a citizen, use how to move to Canada for immigration pathways.
Americans with a Canadian parent or grandparent can also read the US-framed companion, citizenship by descent for Americans.
Frequently asked questions
If descent is not available, plan a regular move
Compare provinces and cities while you wait on IRCC, or switch to an immigration pathway if you are not a citizen.