How Americans Can Prove Canadian Citizenship Through a Grandparent or Great-Grandparent

If you’re an American with Canadian roots, you may already be a Canadian citizen without knowing it. Bill C-3, An Act to Amend the Citizenship Act, took effect on December 15, 2025, and removed the long-standing “first-generation limit” on citizenship by descent. 

For the first time, Canadians’ grandchildren and great-grandchildren born outside Canada can formally claim their citizenship retroactively.

This guide walks you through what changed, whether you qualify, and exactly what documents you need to prove your claim.

What Changed Under Bill C-3?

Before Bill C-3, Canadian citizenship by descent was limited to the first generation born outside Canada. In practical terms, if your parent was born in Canada and you were born in the United States, you were a Canadian citizen. 

But if both you and your parent were born outside Canada, even if your grandparent was born in Toronto or Québec City, you did not qualify. This cutoff left a large group of people, often called “Lost Canadians,” without citizenship despite deep Canadian roots.

Bill C-3 changed everything. The law retroactively removes the first-generation limit for anyone born before December 15, 2025. If you were born before that date and have a Canadian ancestor in your direct bloodline, whether a grandparent, great-grandparent, or even further back, you may already be a Canadian citizen. 

You do not need to apply to become a citizen; you need to apply for a document that proves you already are one.

Do You Qualify?

If you were born before December 15, 2025, you only need to prove an unbroken bloodline back to a Canadian ancestor. There is no generational cap. Whether your Canadian connection is through a grandparent or great-grandparent, or even further back, you qualify as long as the documentary chain is intact.

Step-by-Step: How to Apply for Proof of Citizenship

Because Bill C-3 retroactively grants citizenship, you are not filing an application for a grant of citizenship — you’re filing for a Citizenship Certificate (Proof of Canadian Citizenship). 

Here’s how the process works:

Step 1: Confirm Your Eligibility

Map out your family tree and identify the Canadian ancestor in your direct line. Canada, like the United States, grants citizenship to individuals born on its soil, so if your grandparent or great-grandparent was born in Canada, they were a Canadian citizen by birth. Naturalized Canadians also pass down citizenship.

Step 2: Gather Your Documents

This is the most demanding part of the process. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) requires hard documentary evidence linking you, generation by generation, back to your Canadian ancestor. IRCC requires a long-form birth certificate for every person in your generational chain. The short-form or wallet-sized certificates are rejected because they do not list parents’ names and therefore cannot establish the parent-child link.

Here is what you’ll typically need:

• Your long-form birth certificate (listing both parents’ names)
• Your parents’ long-form birth certificate
• Your grandparents’ birth certificate or proof of Canadian citizenship
• Your great-grandparent’s Canadian birth certificate (if tracing back that far)
• Marriage certificates for any generation where a name has changed
• Divorce decrees or legal name change documents where applicable
• Proof of your Canadian ancestor’s citizenship, such as a naturalization certificate, an old Canadian passport, or a provincial birth record

For ancestors born before modern civil record-keeping, IRCC accepts certified baptismal records as an alternative to birth certificates, provided the records are authenticated by the institution. Historical census records from Library and Archives Canada can also serve as corroborating evidence to establish an ancestor’s presence in Canada.

If your family’s Canadian roots are in Québec, certified parish records can be obtained from the Directeur de l’état civil (DEC) or the Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ). Demand for these records has surged dramatically since Bill C-3 passed, so request them as early as possible.

Step 3: Complete the Forms 

Complete the necessary forms for applying for your Citizenship Certificate. 

Pay close attention to name mismatches across generations, as this is the most common reason applications are returned. List every name variant in the appropriate section of the form and include an explanation.

Step 4: Submit Your Application

Applications are submitted online, and the government filing fee is $75 CAD.

Step 5: Wait for Processing

Due to a surge in applications following Bill C-3, current processing times are running approximately 11 to 15 months as of mid-2026. Nearly 50,000 people are currently waiting for decisions on citizenship certificate applications. Plan accordingly, especially if you intend to use a Canadian passport for travel.

Step 6: Receive Your Citizenship Certificate

If approved, you’ll receive an official Citizenship Certificate from IRCC. You can then use it to apply for a Canadian passport.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

1. Using short-form birth certificates. IRCC categorically rejects them. Always order the long-form (also called a “full” or “detailed”) birth certificate from the relevant state or provincial vital records office.
2. Missing an intermediate generation. You cannot jump from yourself to a great-grandparent without documenting every step in between. Every generation in the chain must be accounted for.
3. Unexplained name changes. Women who took a spouse’s surname, or ancestors with Anglicized or Francized names, create gaps in the record that must be bridged with marriage certificates or other legal documents.
4. Applying for a citizenship grant instead of a proof certificate. If you were born before December 15, 2025, and qualify under Bill C-3, you are already a citizen — you do not apply for a grant. Applying through the wrong process will delay your application.

What About U.S. Tax Implications?

Americans considering a second citizenship should be aware of the U.S. tax system. The United States taxes its citizens on worldwide income regardless of where they live.

Acquiring Canadian citizenship may also trigger FBAR (FinCEN 114) and FATCA reporting requirements if you open Canadian bank or investment accounts. Consult a cross-border tax professional before and after your application.

How Canadim Can Help

Navigating a multi-generational citizenship claim involves complex documentation requirements and IRCC procedures that can be difficult to manage on your own — especially across international borders. 

A Canadian immigration lawyer can review your family history, assess your eligibility under Bill C-3, help you assemble a complete evidentiary record, and ensure your application is filed correctly the first time.

Contact Canadim to speak with an experienced Canadian immigration lawyer about your citizenship by descent claim.

Get your free citizenship evaluation → 

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