Canadian Citizenship FAQs

Do you have a Canadian ancestor? If yes, were they Canadian before the next person down your line of descent was born? If yes, and there are no adoptions in your line, then you are very likely already a Canadian citizen. You just need to apply for a citizenship certificate (form CIT0001) to prove it.

There is no generational limit. Since Bill C-3 came into force on December 15, 2025, citizenship certificates have been issued to applicants as far out as the 9th generation born abroad, with Canadian ancestors dating back to the 1730s.

Yes. This is true for many applicants and it does not matter. Thanks to the Lost Canadians amendments, unless your ancestor specifically renounced their Canadian citizenship directly to Canadian government officials, as an adult, in writing, you are likely still eligible.

No. They do not need to apply before you or with you, and they never need to apply at all. Many people whose parents or grandparents passed away before it was even possible for them to become Canadian citizens have successfully gotten citizenship by descent.

If you applied before December 2023, that was under the old law which had a First Generation Limit (FGL). The Bjorkquist decision overturned the FGL in December 2023, and Bill C-3 came into effect on December 15, 2025 with no generational limit. You can and should reapply.

If you are the 1st generation born abroad, you can do either. If you are the 2nd generation or further out (3rd, 4th, etc.), you must send in a paper application. If you live in the US or Canada, send by mail or courier. If you live elsewhere, submit through your local Canadian consular post.

No. IRCC does not ask for or want apostilled records. Send colour photocopies of your documents.

No. Unlike the US, Canada does not tax its non-resident citizens. If you don't live in Canada or earn income in Canada, you have no Canadian tax obligations. Applying for a citizenship certificate does not change this.

Unfortunately, Canada does not treat adoptees the same as biological children for citizenship by descent. In most cases, an adoption breaks the chain of descent. If the adopted person in your line got their Canadian citizenship grant before the next person down the chain was born, it may still work. Otherwise, the adoption likely breaks the chain.

IRCC will accept alternative documentation. In order of preference: birth certificate, birth record, baptism record (especially for Quebec ancestors), marriage record (if it lists parents), death record, or other records like censuses, naturalization documents, or military records. Include a note in your cover letter explaining what you could not find.

Not directly. Once you have your citizenship certificate, you can sponsor your spouse for permanent residence, which has its own requirements including the intention to move to Canada. After gaining PR status and living in Canada, your spouse may eventually be eligible for citizenship through naturalization.

This requirement only applies to children born on or after December 15, 2025. The parent passing down Canadian citizenship must have spent at least 1,095 cumulative days physically present in Canada before the child was born. If you were born before December 15, 2025, this does not apply to you.

Processing times vary and are unpredictable. After submitting your application, you will receive an Acknowledgement of Receipt (AOR) letter from IRCC. The time between submission and receiving your certificate can range from months to over a year. You can request urgent processing if you have qualifying reasons.

This is very common, especially with older records. Spelling variations, nicknames, Anglicized French names, and switching between given names were all common practices. As long as you can reasonably show it's the same person, IRCC will accept it. If a parent's maiden name differs from their married name on a child's birth certificate, include a marriage certificate to document the name change.

If you qualify for Canadian citizenship by descent, you're already a Canadian citizen — you're just applying for documentation of that fact. You won't have to pay Canadian taxes if you don't live there. The certificate simply gives you a way to prove your citizenship.