Canada Revises Bill C-3 to Restore Citizenship for “Lost Canadians”

Canada is advancing changes to Bill C-3, aimed at resolving the long-standing issue of “Lost Canadians”—individuals who would have automatically been Canadian citizens under previous laws but were excluded due to legal gaps and past restrictions. The House of Commons immigration committee recently approved amendments that introduce additional conditions for adults seeking citizenship through this bill.

Background: Ending the First-Generation Limit

In 2023, an Ontario Superior Court decision struck down the first-generation limit, which had prevented Canadians born abroad from passing citizenship automatically to their children if those children were also born outside Canada. To comply with the court ruling, the government must pass Bill C-3 by November 21, 2025. Missing this deadline could result in automatic citizenship for affected individuals without the new requirements outlined in the bill.

Substantial Connection Requirement

The amendments require Canadian parents who wish to pass citizenship to children born or adopted abroad to show a substantial connection to Canada. Specifically, parents must have spent at least 1,095 days (three years) in Canada during the five years prior to the child’s birth or adoption. This change narrows and structures the timeline compared to the original draft, which allowed cumulative days at any point in the parent’s life.

New Language, Knowledge, and Security Requirements

The committee added new conditions for adult applicants:

Language proficiency: Applicants aged 18–55 must demonstrate competence in English or French.
Knowledge of Canada: Applicants must understand Canadian history, rights, and civic responsibilities.
Security and criminal checks: All applicants aged 18 and older must undergo a security screening.

These additions bring the Bill C-3 process in line with standard naturalization procedures for immigrants.

Concerns from Adoptive Families

Some families who adopted children internationally express concerns that the substantial connection requirement could unfairly impact children raised entirely in Canada. Advocates argue that internationally adopted children fully integrated into Canadian life should not face additional barriers when passing citizenship to their own children, raising questions of fairness and consistency.

Bill C-3: Original vs Amended

Topic	Original Bill	Amended Bill
Citizenship for children born abroad	Allowed if parent had 1,095 days in Canada at any point	Must accumulate 1,095 days within five consecutive years before birth/adoption
Language requirement	Not required	Mandatory for ages 18–55
Knowledge requirement	Not required	Mandatory for ages 18–55
Security check	Not required	Required for ages 18+
Parliamentary reporting	Not included	Minister must report annually on grants under this provision

Next Steps

Bill C-3 will return to the House of Commons for further debate before moving to the Senate. The government is prioritizing this legislation due to the court deadline. If the bill is not passed in time, citizenship could automatically extend to affected individuals without the conditions in the amended bill.

Quick Questions

Q1: What is the purpose of Bill C-3?
A: To restore citizenship to people excluded by past laws and allow Canadians born abroad to pass citizenship to their children.

Q2: What is the substantial connection requirement?
A: Parents must have spent 1,095 days in Canada within the five years before the child’s birth or adoption.

Q3: Why were language and knowledge tests added?
A: To align Bill C-3 with standard naturalization procedures and ensure applicants understand Canadian rights and responsibilities.

Q4: Will adopted children face different rules?
A: Some families believe adopted children may encounter unfair barriers, and this is being discussed.

Q5: What if the bill is not passed by November 21, 2025?
A: Citizenship could automatically be granted to those affected without the requirements outlined in the amendments.

Canada Revises Bill C-3 to Restore Citizenship for “Lost Canadians”