Since Bill C-3 came into effect on December 15, 2025, thousands of Americans have been rediscovering their Canadian ancestry.
The bill eliminated Canada’s first-generation limit, making anyone born before December 15, 2025, who can trace a continuous line of descent to a Canadian ancestor, a Canadian citizen by descent.
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That means they are already Canadian citizens and can apply for proof of Canadian citizenship and, with it, a Canadian passport. Thousands of Americans have already been applying. In January 2026 alone, nearly 2,500 Americans filed applications for proof of Canadian citizenship, according to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), Canada’s citizenship department.
For Americans now discovering they are eligible, the real question is: what is the actual benefit of applying?
From the right to travel, live, and work in Canada permanently, to access to a second passport and subsidized university tuition, the advantages are numerous — and they come with real financial perks too. Here’s a look at some of them.
Note: All monetary figures are given in USD unless otherwise specified.
| Benefit | Estimated value | Relocation required |
| Right to live & work in Canada | Priceless | No |
| Canadian passport | Thousands of dollars in visa savings + increased flexibility | No |
| Avoided cost of getting a comparable second citizenship | ~US$200,000+ | No |
| Subsidized university tuition | ~US$99,000 per child | Student must be enrolled and study in a Canadian institution |
| Ability to buy Canadian real estate | Varies according to the property | No |
| Healthcare & social benefits (if relocating) | Significant | Yes |
| Old Age Security | Depends on years spent in Canada, among other factors | Yes |
| Child Care Benefit | Under 6: up to $7,997/year Ages 6–17: up to $6,748/year | Yes |
The above figures are approximations, as of the time of writing, and are subject to change.
The right to travel, live, and work in Canada
Value: Priceless
As a dual U.S.-Canadian citizen, you have the unconditional right to enter, live, and work in Canada at any moment, for any reason, for any length of time.
Unlike a Permanent Resident card, which can lapse if residency obligations are not met, or a work permit, which is tied to an employer, citizenship cannot be revoked for non-use. You could apply for your certificate today, tuck it away, and use it decades from now.
For Americans who have felt political uncertainty impact their lives, this amounts to an irrevocable Plan B. Many Americans who have been applying for proof of Canadian citizenship have no immediate intention of moving, but a desire for a backup passport, just in case of uncertainty.
That citizenship also passes on to your children*, giving the next generation the same benefits and opportunities.
A Canadian passport
Value: Up to several thousand dollars in visa savings, plus priceless flexibility
Canada’s passport currently grants visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 182 destinations worldwide, ranking it among the ten most powerful passports on the planet, and comfortably ahead of the U.S. passport, which covers approximately 179 destinations. For dual citizens, the Canadian passport can be the smarter choice when visiting countries where Americans face stricter entry requirements, saving both visa fees and application time.
The passport advantage extends well beyond casual travel. Through Canada’s International Experience Canada (IEC) program, young Canadian citizens between the ages of 18 and 35 (depending on their other country of citizenship) can live and work in countries across Europe, and beyond on a working holiday permit — gaining international work experience that would otherwise require lengthy immigration processes.
In other words, a Canadian passport offers young dual citizens priceless international experience.
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Access to a second citizenship
Value: $200,000 and up
In an era of geopolitical uncertainty, the demand for second citizenships has never been higher. Americans who cannot trace Canadian ancestry but want a comparable Plan B face a very different price list.
For example, Dominica’s Citizenship by Investment program, one of the most affordable in the Caribbean, requires a minimum non-refundable contribution of $200,000 to the Economic Diversification Fund.
Portugal’s Golden Visa — the European entry point most discussed in the American press — requires an approximately $558,000 fund investment; under Portugal’s updated Nationality Law, which took effect in 2026, the pathway to Portuguese citizenship now requires roughly ten years of legal residency.
For Americans with Canadian ancestry, none of those huge costs apply. Their major costs will be legal and genealogical costs to make a strong application, a one-time government application fee for a proof of citizenship certificate, and (once that’s in hand) an application fee for a Canadian passport.
Subsidized university tuition
Value: Approximately $99,000 per child
Statistics Canada’s most recent tuition survey, released September 10, 2025, prices a domestic undergraduate year in Canada at CA$7,734 on average. The international undergraduate equivalent: CA$41,746. The differential is CA$34,012 per year — approximately $24,800 at current exchange rates — and over a standard four-year degree, it compounds to CA$136,048, or roughly US$99,000 per child.
For an American family with two children, the savings of attending a Canadian university at domestic rates rather than international rates reach close to US$199,000 over eight academic years. A student could study in Toronto or Vancouver on a four-year program, return to the U.S. to begin a career, and pocket the difference.
The gap is also widening. A decade ago, international undergraduates in Canada paid 3.6 times what domestic students paid. In the 2025/2026 academic year, Statistics Canada reports that they pay more than five times the domestic tuition rate. The trajectory makes the value of citizenship for college-bound families an appreciating asset.
The ability to buy Canadian real estate
Value: Varies
Under the Prohibition on the Purchase of Residential Property by Non-Canadians Act — extended in February 2024 to remain in force until January 1, 2027 — foreign nationals are largely barred from buying residential property, outside of rural and remote areas. Canadian citizens are exempt.
Whether that translates to a summer apartment, a retirement home, or a long-term investment depends on the individual.
For Americans who have eyed Vancouver, Toronto, or Montreal real estate and discovered they cannot lawfully purchase a property, a Canadian passport can present a real estate opportunity.
Further financial value if one chooses to relocate
There are even more benefits that can only be accessed if one chooses to relocate to Canada.
For example, an American who relocates to a Canadian province and enrols in a provincial health insurance program will also be able to access healthcare coverage without the expensive monthly premiums.
Other benefits that can be accessed with Canadian residency include Old Age Security and the Canada Child Benefit.
Meanwhile, Americans with a Canadian citizenship certificate do not gain any additional tax obligations unless they choose to relocate, as Canada establishes tax obligations based on residential ties, not legal status.
For Americans who qualify, the math is simple: a one-time application fee, some genealogical work, and a processing time that currently sits at 12 months— in exchange for benefits that, for many families, will be well worth six figures over a generation.
The only real question is whether to apply now or later, and given current processing times, the answer for most is now.
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