Canada Opens Citizenship Path for Children Born Abroad; Indian Community Welcomes Bill C-3

Canada has made a significant change to its citizenship laws, now allowing children born or adopted abroad to claim Canadian citizenship. The move, effective from December 15, 2025, through Bill C-3, is expected to benefit many in the Indian diaspora, among other immigrant communities.

Key Changes Under Bill C-3

Under the new rules, children born or adopted outside Canada to Canadian parents are now eligible for citizenship, provided that the parents have spent at least three years (1,095 days) physically in Canada before the child’s birth or adoption. The law also expands eligibility beyond the first generation born abroad, reflecting a more modern and inclusive approach to citizenship based on lineage.

Why Bill C-3 Was Needed

The amendment addresses limitations in previous regulations that restricted citizenship to children whose Canadian parents were themselves born in Canada or had acquired citizenship prior to the child’s birth. Introduced earlier in 2025 by the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), Bill C-3 resolves longstanding legal and political challenges stemming from the first-generation limit implemented in 2009.

In December 2023, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice ruled key parts of this first-generation restriction unconstitutional. The federal government opted not to appeal, acknowledging that the old law unfairly denied citizenship to children of Canadians living abroad.

Impact on the Indian Community

Canada has a large population of Indian expatriates, many of whom have children awaiting recognition of citizenship. With the enactment of Bill C-3, these children can now apply for proof of Canadian citizenship, paving the way for stronger connections to their parents’ home country and enhanced opportunities for education, work, and residence in Canada.

This legislation is being hailed as a major step toward modernizing Canada’s citizenship framework, balancing heritage rights with practical residency requirements, and ensuring children born abroad are not unfairly excluded.