C-3An Act to amend the Citizenship Act (2025)
Government bill, introduced in the House of Commons on June 5, 2025
- Status
- Became law on November 20, 2025 · S.C. 2025, c. 5
What it does
Changes the Citizenship Act to expand citizenship by descent and adoption rules, restore citizenship to some people, and add a simple renunciation process for some new citizens.
What it does
- Ensures citizenship by descent for people born outside Canada before the bill takes effect to a Canadian parent.
- Extends citizenship by descent to people born outside Canada after the first generation, if a Canadian parent had a substantial connection to Canada before the child’s birth.
- Allows citizenship to be granted to people born outside Canada who were adopted before the bill takes effect by a Canadian parent.
- Allows citizenship to be granted to people born outside Canada who are adopted on or after the bill takes effect by a Canadian parent with a substantial connection to Canada before the adoption.
- Restores citizenship to people who lost it under the former section 8 retention rules, and lets some people who gain citizenship under this bill use a simplified process to renounce it.
Who it affects
- People born outside Canada
- Children of Canadian citizens
- Adopted children
- People who lost citizenship
- Some new citizens
Background
The bill was introduced in the House of Commons on 5 June 2025. It amends the Citizenship Act.
Where it is
House of Commons
First reading
Completed.
Second reading
Completed.
Committee
Completed.
Report stage
Completed.
Third reading
Completed.
Senate
First reading
Completed.
Second reading
Completed.
Committee
Completed.
Third reading
Completed.
Royal assent
Royal assent
Completed.
Introduced by a cabinet minister on behalf of the government. Government bills get set time for debate, so they are the most likely to become law. How a bill becomes law
How the House voted
3rd reading and adoption of Bill C-3, An Act to amend the Citizenship Act (2025)
Vote 47,
Passed
177 yeato163 nay
Party breakdown for vote 47 Party Position Yea Nay Did not vote Liberal Yea 169 0 1 Conservative Nay 0 141 2 Bloc Nay 0 22 0 NDP Yea 7 0 0 Green Yea 1 0 0 Total 177 163 Concurrence at report stage of Bill C-3, An Act to amend the Citizenship Act (2025)
Vote 45,
Passed
169 yeato163 nay · 2 paired
Party breakdown for vote 45 Party Position Yea Nay Did not vote Liberal Yea 163 0 6 Conservative Nay 0 141 3 Bloc Nay 0 22 0 NDP Yea 6 0 1 Green Did not vote 0 0 1 Total 169 163 Bill C-3, An Act to amend the Citizenship Act (2025) (report stage amendment)
Vote 44,
Passed
170 yeato163 nay · 2 paired
Party breakdown for vote 44 Party Position Yea Nay Did not vote Liberal Yea 163 0 6 Conservative Nay 0 141 3 Bloc Nay 0 22 0 NDP Yea 6 0 1 Green Yea 1 0 0 Total 170 163 2nd reading of Bill C-3, An Act to amend the Citizenship Act (2025)
Vote 36,
Passed
189 yeato138 nay · 10 paired
Party breakdown for vote 36 Party Position Yea Nay Did not vote Liberal Yea 160 0 9 Conservative Nay 0 138 6 Bloc Yea 22 0 0 NDP Yea 6 0 1 Green Yea 1 0 0 Total 189 138
What MPs said
Each party’s first speech on this bill in the House, from Hansard. Excerpts are the speaker’s opening sentences, unedited.
LiberalLena Metlege Diab· June 19, 2025
“I will continue by saying that this bill was already introduced in the last Parliament but did not go through all the stages. The previous government put in place interim measures to allow lost Canadians affected by the first-generation rule limit to be offered a discretionary grant of citizenship until corrective legislation was passed.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caConservativeBrad Redekopp· June 19, 2025
“The Conservatives opposed the bill then, and we continue to have significant issues with the bill. There are three major parts to the bill.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caBlocAlexis Brunelle-Duceppe· June 19, 2025
“The bill responds to an Ontario Superior Court of Justice ruling which declared that the first-generation limit on citizenship applicable to the children of Canadians born abroad is unconstitutional. The government then had six months to amend the law.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caNDPJenny Kwan· September 15, 2025
“I am delighted to join the discussion and the debate about Bill C-3. This morning the bill was debated, and I listened intently to the debate back and forth, which was primarily from Conservative members.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caGreenElizabeth May· September 15, 2025
“It is one thing for a member to say they have championed the bill, Bill C-3, and repairing the rights for lost Canadians, but as a leader of a different party, I want to say that the hon. member for Vancouver East is absolutely right. She has championed this and championed this and not stepped back for one minute.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.ca
Read the source
LEGISinfo status: Royal assent received. Bill data from LEGISinfo, votes from openparliament.ca and the House of Commons. Last updated October 13, 2026.