New Canadian citizenship law now in force: here’s a tool to check your eligibility

With the coming into force of Bill C-3 on December 15, 2025, thousands of lost Canadians have become eligible for citizenship—even as the federal government took down its “Am I a Canadian?” web tool.

CanadaVisa has released an online tool that you can use to assess your eligibility for citizenship by descent under the new legislation.

When you complete the web form, the tool indicates whether the situation described qualifies for Canadian citizenship.

Check your eligibility for Canadian citizenship

You're likely to qualify if at least one of your parents—or even just one of your grandparents—was Canadian at the time of your birth or adoption.

If you're eligible, you can apply to the Canadian federal government for proof of citizenship.

After having obtained proof of citizenship, you can apply for a Canadian passport.

Canadian citizens have the right to enter and reside in Canada, vote in elections, and run for public office.

Citizenship changes

The changes to Canada’s Citizenship Act in Bill C-3 impact eligibility for citizenship by descent.

In contrast to birthright citizenship, which applies to children born within Canada, citizenship by descent confers citizenship to children—either by birth or by adoption of a Canadian parent—who were born outside Canada.

From April 17, 2009, through to Dec 14, 2025, the Citizenship Act limited citizenship by descent to the first generation, in provisions collectively referred to as the first-generation limit (FGL).

Under the FGL, children could gain citizenship by descent only if born to a Canadian parent with birthright citizenship, or to a Canadian citizen by naturalization.

Children born abroad to Canadians who were themselves citizens by descent (that is, would-be second-generation Canadian citizens by descent) could not inherit Canadian citizenship, and were often described as "lost Canadians."

Upon coming into force on December 15, 2025, Bill C-3 conferred citizenship to all lost Canadians formerly affected by the FGL who had been born prior to that date.

Moving forward—for children born on or after December 15, 2025—the new legislation will allow children of citizens by descent to gain citizenship by descent provided that their Canadian parent meets a “substantial connection to Canada” test, defined as having spent at least 1,095 days in Canada prior to the birth or adoption of the child.