Canadian Citizenship by Descent: Grandparent Eligibility in Ontario

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Every legal situation is unique — consult a licensed lawyer before making any legal decisions.

Quick Answer: Can You Get Canadian Citizenship Through a Grandparent?

What Changed in December 2025 — and Why It Matters for Your Family

Picture a family in Scarborough. A grandmother who was born in Winnipeg, immigrated to Pakistan in the 1960s after marriage, and raised children there who later built their lives in Ontario. Under the law as it stood until late 2025, those children were Canadian citizens by descent — but their own children were not, even though their grandmother held Canadian citizenship their whole lives.

That rule — called the first-generation limit — is now gone for people already born. The first-generation limit was the restriction in Canada's Citizenship Act (R.S.C. 1985, c. C-29) that said citizenship by descent could only pass to the first generation born outside Canada. Once your parent was born abroad to a Canadian citizen, the chain stopped there.

Bill C-3 (An Act to Amend the Citizenship Act, S.C. 2025, c. 5) eliminated that cutoff retroactively for anyone born before December 15, 2025. If you have a Canadian grandparent — or great-grandparent, or earlier ancestor — you may already hold citizenship. You need to confirm it.

This matters for thousands of families across the GTA. For help understanding whether you qualify, Nihang Law's immigration law services in Ontario are available for consultations at our Toronto and Scarborough offices.

Could You Already Be a Canadian Citizen? Pick Your Situation

Your situation is likely one of three scenarios. Read the one that fits your family:

Once you have identified your path, the next section explains exactly which rules apply to you.

Understanding the Rules: Before and After December 15, 2025

What “Citizenship by Descent” Actually Means

Citizenship by descent is a legal recognition that you are already a Canadian citizen — not an application to become one. It is governed by section 3 of the Citizenship Act (R.S.C. 1985, c. C-29). Unlike naturalization — the separate process by which a permanent resident applies to become a citizen after living in Canada — citizenship by descent does not require you to have ever been to Canada. When you apply for a Citizenship Certificate, you are asking IRCC to confirm a status you may already hold.

The “Lost Canadians” — Who Was Left Out Before 2025?

Before Bill C-3, the first-generation limit created a group that advocates called “Lost Canadians” — people connected to Canada by family and legal ancestry but cut off by a rule the Ontario Superior Court of Justice ruled unconstitutional in December 2023, finding it violated the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms for many of those affected.

In response, IRCC introduced interim measures in March 2025 to provide some relief while legislation was developed. Bill C-3 made the fix permanent and retroactive. Applications submitted under those interim measures are now being processed under the new rules. If you applied under the interim program and have not yet received a decision, your application stands.

The chart below shows what changed — and what stayed the same — for those born before versus after the December 15, 2025 threshold.

For those born on or after December 15, 2025: the substantial-connection rule means your Canadian parent must have spent at least 1,095 cumulative days — roughly three years — physically present in Canada at any point before your birth. It does not apply to anyone already born before that date.

Citizenship by descent is a distinct pathway from permanent residency options in Canada. Becoming a permanent resident and later naturalizing as a citizen is a different process with different requirements — the two should not be confused.

How to Apply: The Step-by-Step Process for Ontario Residents

The application is more straightforward in concept than in execution. You are not making a legal argument — you are presenting documents that tell your family's story in a way IRCC can verify. Here are the six steps:

1. 1
   Identify your anchor ancestorThe anchor ancestor is the original Canadian citizen in your family line — born in Canada or naturalized. This is typically your grandparent, but may be a great-grandparent or earlier. Every document you gather traces a line from you back to this person.
2. 2
   Map the documentary chain — generation by generationDraw a simple family tree from you to your anchor ancestor. Every person in that chain needs at least one document proving their identity and their parent. Identify gaps before you file — a missing record is far easier to resolve before submission than after IRCC requests it.
3. 3
   Gather the documentsFor each person: certified long-form birth certificates, marriage certificates where names changed, and for the anchor ancestor, a Canadian birth certificate, naturalization certificate, or Canadian passport. Documents in languages other than English or French need certified translations.
4. 4
   Complete IRCC Form CIT 0001Available at canada.ca. Select section B2 — the descent option. If your claim extends beyond the grandparent level, attach additional sheets documenting the full ancestral chain.
5. 5
   Pay the $75 CAD government fee onlinePaid through the IRCC portal at submission. Keep the payment confirmation — you will need the reference number to track your file.
6. 6
   Submit and track your acknowledgementApplications are submitted online through the IRCC portal. Expect an acknowledgement of receipt within 4 to 8 weeks. Active processing then takes approximately 10 to 12 months. If IRCC requests additional documents, you have 90 days to respond — missing that deadline triggers automatic rejection with no appeal right. If IRCC refuses your application, you may have the right to seek a judicial review in Federal Court.

Documents You Will Need — and Why the Chain Cannot Have Gaps

The most common reason these applications run into difficulty is not legal ineligibility — it is documentation. IRCC needs to verify, on paper, that every person in your family line is who you say they are. A single missing link stops the whole application. You need one document per person, for every person between you and your Canadian ancestor:

• Your anchor ancestor (Canadian grandparent or earlier): A long-form birth certificate showing birth in Canada, or a naturalization certificate, or a valid Canadian passport from the relevant period.
• Intermediate generations (your parent, and any between your parent and the anchor): A certified long-form birth certificate for each person, plus marriage certificates for any name changes between generations.
• You, the applicant: Your own certified long-form birth certificate and a government-issued photo identification document.

It is normal to feel uncertain about whether you have the right documents — especially when records span multiple countries. IRCC accepts documents from Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and elsewhere, but they must be obtained from that country's civil registration system and accompanied by certified translations. If official records no longer exist, alternative evidence such as religious records or statutory declarations may be considered.

Name mismatches are the single most common reason for IRCC requests for additional information. If your grandmother's birth certificate shows a different surname than your parent's documents, include a marriage certificate connecting the two names. Do not leave the discrepancy unexplained.

Special Considerations for Multi-Generational Claims

Bill C-3 does not cap the number of generations for people born before December 15, 2025. A great-great-grandparent born in Ontario in the 1890s may still anchor a valid claim — provided every link is documented. IRCC's CIT 0001 form permits additional sheets for ancestors beyond the grandparent level. These claims are valid but demand more research. When records are incomplete or span multiple countries, working with an immigration lawyer rather than a consultant can be the difference between a successful application and a rejected one.

Common Mistakes That Delay or Sink a Citizenship by Descent Application

With a processing timeline of up to 12 months, a filing error is not a minor inconvenience — it can cost you a year or more. Here are the six mistakes that most frequently derail these applications:

• Submitting a short-form birth certificate instead of a long-form certified copy. Short-form certificates do not include the parentage information IRCC requires to verify the generational chain. Every birth certificate must be a certified long-form copy — contact the relevant provincial or national registry before filing.
• Failing to explain name mismatches across generations. If a surname differs between documents due to marriage, transliteration, or anglicization, IRCC needs documentation connecting those names. A marriage certificate or statutory declaration must be included. Do not leave name variations unexplained.
• Missing an intermediate generation entirely. Every person between you and the anchor ancestor requires documentation — you cannot skip from great-grandmother to parent. Each generation must appear in the chain with its own record.
• Assuming recognition is the same as proof. Bill C-3 recognizes citizenship automatically for eligible people — but that recognition is meaningless without a Citizenship Certificate. You cannot travel on a Canadian passport or pass citizenship to your children until IRCC has issued the certificate through a formal CIT 0001 application.
• Treating this as a naturalization application. Citizenship by descent and naturalization are fundamentally different processes. Naturalization is for permanent residents who meet residency requirements; criminal inadmissibility bars that apply to naturalization generally do not apply to descent applications. Conflating the two can cause processing delays.
• Missing IRCC's 90-day response window for additional documents. If IRCC requests additional information, you have exactly 90 days to respond. Miss that deadline and the application is automatically rejected — no appeal, no grace period. You must refile from scratch and pay the fee again. Check your IRCC file status regularly throughout processing.

Next Steps: Getting Professional Help with Your Citizenship Claim in Toronto and Scarborough

Bill C-3 changed the legal standard — but the application has not gotten simpler. Documenting a generational chain across multiple countries, obtaining certified records, and meeting IRCC's evidentiary standards is demanding work. With a 12-month processing window, a preventable error at the filing stage is a costly one.

At Nihang Law, Qasim Ali, Principal Lawyer at Nihang Law, leads our team working with families across Toronto, Scarborough, and the GTA navigating exactly this — multi-generational claims, incomplete records from abroad, and family histories spanning South Asia, the Caribbean, East Africa, and beyond.

If you are unsure whether your family qualifies, or want your application reviewed before it is filed, our immigration team is here. A consultation typically covers an initial eligibility assessment, a review of which documents you have and which you need, and a plan for assembling your application package.

Legal Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Every legal situation is unique — consult a licensed lawyer before making any legal decisions. Nihang Law Professional Corporation is regulated by the Law Society of Ontario (LSO). No solicitor-client relationship is created by reading this article.

About the author

Qasim Ali

Principal Lawyer · Nihang Law Professional Corporation · Toronto & Scarborough, Ontario · Law Society of Ontario

Qasim Ali is the Principal Lawyer at Nihang Law Professional Corporation, serving clients across Toronto, Scarborough, and the broader Greater Toronto Area. He provides full-service legal representation across immigration, real estate, family law, criminal law, civil litigation, employment law, wills and estates, and business law.

Nihang Law is particularly recognized for its depth in immigration and real estate law — a combination that serves newcomers and growing families navigating both legal systems simultaneously.

Learn more about Qasim Ali →

Sources & References

1. Government of Canada — Change to citizenship rules in 2025 (Bill C-3): canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-citizenship/act-changes/rules-2025.html
2. Government of Canada — Check if you may already be a Canadian citizen: canada.ca — already-citizen eligibility
3. Justice Laws Canada — Citizenship Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-29, as amended by Bill C-3, S.C. 2025, c. 5: laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-29/
4. Government of Canada — Application for a Citizenship Certificate (Form CIT 0001): canada.ca — CIT 0001 guide
5. Government of Canada — IRCC processing times: canada.ca/check-processing-times
6. Ontario Superior Court of Justice — December 2023 ruling on first-generation limit unconstitutionality (general reference): ontariocourts.ca
7. Government of Canada — Interim measures for citizenship by descent (March 2025): canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship (IRCC news releases, March 2025)