Could You Qualify for Canadian Citizenship Through Your Grandparent?

If you were born outside Canada and one of your grandparents was Canadian, you may now be eligible to request a discretionary grant of Canadian citizenship under the current interim measures.

What the Interim Measures Say

In March 2025, the federal government introduced interim rules for people impacted by Canada’s first-generation limit (FGL) on citizenship by descent. Under these rules:

• If you fall under the FGL, you can submit an online application for a citizenship certificate (proof of citizenship).
• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will review your application. If you are affected by the FGL, IRCC may invite you to apply for a discretionary citizenship grant.
• IRCC also provides an online questionnaire you can complete to find out if the FGL applies to your situation.
• If you are eligible, you can also apply for urgent processing of your citizenship certificate.
  
  

If your parent was a Canadian (and you were born abroad), you should check the questionnaire to see if you may benefit from this pathway.

Why Were These Measures Introduced?

Under Canadian citizenship law:

• Normally, children born outside Canada to Canadian parents can inherit Canadian citizenship at birth.
• But under the “first-generation limit” (introduced in 2009), a Canadian citizen born abroad could not pass on their citizenship to a child born abroad. In other words, Canadian citizenship by descent was restricted to only one generation born outside Canada.
• In December 2023, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice found that the FGL was unconstitutional because it created unequal classes of citizenship.
• The court suspended its declaration until a future date, so the law remains in effect for now — but the government acknowledged that the rule had unfair consequences for many Canadians.
• While legislative reforms are being prepared, the government put interim measures in place to help individuals affected by the FGL.
  
  

What’s Coming Next?

The government has introduced a new bill, known as Bill C-3 (An Act to amend the Citizenship Act), which would:

• Automatically grant citizenship to people who would have been citizens had the first-generation limit not been in place.
• Extend citizenship by descent beyond the first generation born abroad in situations where the Canadian parent meets a “substantial connection” to Canada test. Specifically, the Canadian parent must have been physically present in Canada for at least 1,095 days (about 3 years) in any five-year period prior to the child’s birth or adoption.
• Require that adult applicants (18 and older) applying for citizenship by descent undergo a security check.

For the bill to become law, it must pass three readings in both the House of Commons and the Senate and receive royal assent.

What Should You Do Next?

If you were born outside Canada and a grandparent (or parent) was a Canadian citizen:

• Start by using IRCC’s online questionnaire to see whether the first-generation limit may affect you.
• If you are impacted, consider submitting an application for a citizenship certificate under the interim measures.
• If approved, you may be invited by IRCC to apply for a discretionary citizenship grant.
• If you need citizenship urgently (for example, to obtain a Canadian passport or for travel reasons), look into the urgent processing option.
• Keep an eye on the progress of Bill C-3. If it becomes law, it may broaden eligibility for you or simplify your case.