Canadian Citizen by Descent? Your Children and Grandchildren May Also Qualify

If you recently discovered that you are a Canadian citizen by descent, you may be wondering whether your children and grandchildren can also become Canadian citizens.

The answer depends mainly on when they were born.

Bill C-3, which took effect on December 15, 2025, changed Canada’s citizenship-by-descent rules by removing the first-generation limit for many people born before that date.

As a result, some families can now pass Canadian citizenship through several generations.

What Changed Under Bill C-3?

Before December 15, 2025, Canadian citizenship by descent was generally limited to the first generation born outside Canada.

This meant that a Canadian citizen who was born outside Canada often could not automatically pass citizenship to a child who was also born abroad.

Bill C-3 changed that rule.

For people born before December 15, 2025, citizenship can now extend through an unbroken direct family line to a Canadian parent, grandparent, great-grandparent, or earlier ancestor.

The key point is that citizenship must pass from parent to child through each generation.

What If Your Children or Grandchildren Were Born Before December 15, 2025?

If your children or grandchildren were born before December 15, 2025, they may be Canadian citizens through the same family line that makes you Canadian.

For example, if you became Canadian through your grandparent, your child or grandchild born before the cutoff date may also have a claim through that same ancestor.

They do not necessarily need to have lived in Canada.

Each person would still need to apply for proof of Canadian citizenship and provide documents showing the family connection from the Canadian ancestor down through each generation.

What If They Were Born on or After December 15, 2025?

Different rules apply to children born outside Canada on or after December 15, 2025.

In these cases, the Canadian parent may need to meet a substantial connection requirement.

If the Canadian parent was also born outside Canada, they generally need to prove that they spent at least 1,095 cumulative days in Canada before the child was born.

These days do not need to be consecutive.

Time spent in Canada for work, study, family visits, or other purposes may count if it can be properly documented.

How the 1,095-Day Rule Works

The 1,095 days are counted across the Canadian parent’s lifetime before the child’s birth.

For example, a parent may combine:

• Time studying in Canada
• Employment in Canada
• Family visits
• Periods of residence
• Other documented stays
  
  

If the total reaches at least 1,095 days before the child is born, the child may qualify for citizenship by descent.

What Does This Mean for Grandchildren Born After December 15, 2025?

If your adult child is also a Canadian citizen by descent, their future children may still qualify.

One option is for your child to spend enough time in Canada to meet the 1,095-day physical presence requirement before the child is born.

Another possibility is that the child is born in Canada.

Canada generally grants citizenship to children born on Canadian soil, with limited exceptions such as certain children of accredited foreign diplomats.

What If the Parent Cannot Meet the 1,095-Day Requirement?

If a child born outside Canada does not qualify for citizenship by descent, there may still be another pathway.

The Canadian parent may be able to sponsor the child for permanent residence.

After the child becomes a permanent resident, the parent may then be able to apply for citizenship on the child’s behalf, depending on the child’s age and circumstances.

This can be especially relevant for children born shortly after the law changed, where the Canadian parent did not have enough time to build the required physical presence in Canada.

Sponsoring a Child for Permanent Residence

A Canadian citizen who wants to sponsor a child generally must:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Be a Canadian citizen
• Meet sponsorship requirements
• Show that the child qualifies as a dependant
• Agree to support the child’s basic needs
  
  

Canadian citizens living outside Canada may still be able to sponsor a child if they can show that they intend to return to Canada once the child becomes a permanent resident.

Who Qualifies as a Dependent Child?

In general, a dependent child must be:

• Under 22 years old
• Not married or in a common-law relationship
  
  

If only the child is being sponsored, the child usually becomes the principal applicant.

Consent from the other parent or guardian may also be required.

Citizenship Options After Permanent Residence

The pathway to citizenship after permanent residence depends on the child’s age.

Children Under 18

A minor with a Canadian parent may be able to apply for citizenship without meeting the standard 1,095-day physical presence requirement.

A citizenship test is also generally not required for younger children.

If the child is 14 or older, an oath requirement may apply.

Adult Dependent Children

A child who is 18 or older may need to meet the regular citizenship requirements.

This can include:

• 1,095 days of physical presence in Canada during the relevant five-year period
• Passing the citizenship test
• Taking the Oath of Citizenship
  
  

How IRCC Checks the 1,095 Days

IRCC updated its citizenship application process in 2026 to include more detailed physical presence evidence for these cases.

Families applying for a child born abroad after December 15, 2025 may need to provide detailed records of the Canadian parent’s time in Canada.

IRCC may look at evidence such as:

• Employment records
• T4 slips
• School transcripts
• Passport stamps
• Entry and exit records
• Leases or mortgages
• Insurance records
• Government records
• Sworn affidavits
• Other evidence showing physical presence in Canada
  
  

Applicants should keep clear records showing when and how long the parent was physically present in Canada.

Affidavits and Supporting Evidence

In some cases, sworn affidavits can help support physical presence claims.

These should normally come from people or organizations that can independently confirm the parent’s time in Canada.

Affidavits may come from:

• Employers
• Schools
• Religious organizations
• Community groups
• Other third parties with direct knowledge
  
  

They must be properly sworn before a notary or commissioner and should include the signer’s contact information.

Close relatives generally cannot provide these affidavits for this purpose.

Why Record Keeping Matters

Families who may rely on the 1,095-day rule should start gathering supporting records early.

Documents from several years ago can become difficult to obtain later.

Useful records may include:

• Old passports
• Employment documents
• Tax records
• School records
• Rental agreements
• Utility bills
• Medical or government records
• Travel history
  
  

A well-documented physical presence history can make it easier to prove eligibility.

How to Know Whether Your Grandchild May Be Canadian

If you are a Canadian citizen by descent, your grandchild’s eligibility mainly depends on:

• Their date of birth
• The citizenship status of their parent
• Whether the family line is direct and unbroken
• Whether the Canadian parent meets the physical presence requirement, where required
  
  

The most important date is December 15, 2025.

Children and grandchildren born before that date may benefit from the expanded citizenship rules without the new 1,095-day requirement.

Those born on or after that date may face additional conditions.

Final Takeaway

If you recently learned that you are a Canadian citizen by descent, your children and grandchildren may also have citizenship rights.

For family members born before December 15, 2025, Bill C-3 may allow citizenship to pass through the same Canadian ancestor that gives you your own citizenship claim.

For children born on or after December 15, 2025, the Canadian parent may need to show at least 1,095 days of physical presence in Canada before the child’s birth.