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Are You Eligible?
Before reading further, answer these four questions.
- Was your parent, grandparent, great-grandparent, or an earlier ancestor born in Canada?
- Were you (and the relatives between you and that Canadian ancestor) born before December 15, 2025?
- Are you connected to that Canadian ancestor through a biological line, not an adoption?
- To your knowledge, did everyone in your biological line keep their Canadian citizenship (no formal renunciation)?
If you answered "yes" or "maybe" to these questions, your claim is worth reviewing with a lawyer.
Marin Immigration Law can assess your chances of success, identify risks in your application and how to protect against refusals, review your documents to identify any gaps that might weaken your application, and provide clear legal advice on how to proceed.
What Changed?
Before December 15, 2025, Canadian citizenship by descent stopped at the first generation born outside Canada.
If your parent was born in Canada, you could claim citizenship. If your grandparent was born in Canada, but your parent was born in the United States, you could not claim citizenship.
Bill C-3 changed that.
The new law removed the first-generation limit in specific situations, including for many people born outside Canada before December 15, 2025, who would have been citizens if not for the old rule.
In most of those cases, the chain of citizenship can now pass through multiple generations born abroad, as long as the line of descent can be proven.
Learn more in our detailed guide: Bill C-3: Canadian Citizenship by Descent Expanded for Americans.
Who Qualifies for Canadian Citizenship by Descent Under Bill C-3?
Canadian citizenship by descent depends on your family line. The starting point is your Canadian ancestor, referred to as your “anchor” relative. For many Americans, their Canadian anchor relative is a parent, grandparent, great-grandparent, or earlier ancestor who was born in Canada.
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What About Children Born After
December 15, 2025?
If you gain Canadian citizenship through Bill C-3 and later have a child born outside Canada, a forward-looking rule called the substantial connection test applies.
To pass citizenship to that child, you must show you have spent at least 1,095 days physically in Canada before the child's birth.
Marin Immigration Law helps build a physical presence record using official travel history from the Canada Border Services Agency.
Why Claim Canadian Citizenship by Descent?
For many Americans, the citizenship-by-descent claim is about more than just a passport.
Recognized Canadian citizens can:
(specific exemptions vary by province)
How Marin Immigration Law Handles Your Case
Most Americans worried about Canadian ancestry don't have a clean folder of birth certificates going back four generations. They have a story, a few documents, and a lot of question marks. Our process turns that into an evidence-backed citizenship application.
Paid Legal Consultation
Book a paid legal consultation. You will be paired with a licensed Canadian immigration lawyer from our team.
They confirm your eligibility, screen for absolute disqualifiers like adoption or formal renunciation, flag weak points in your evidence, and provide you with a clear strategy.
Learn what to expect from your consultation.
Onboarding & Legal Strategy
If you decide to work with us, your immigration lawyer drafts a legal submission letter explaining exactly why you, your children, or any other eligible family members may qualify under Canadian law.
From here, we take full ownership of your file: completing forms, reviewing and gathering documents, and handling all matters as we build your file.
Professional Genealogical Research
Our professional genealogist, Kendra Gaede (PLCGS, BJ, BFA), confirms your Canadian lineage and locates original-source records.
She retrieves documents directly for your Canadian born relative, great-grandparents and older generations. If a key record is missing, we build a proof argument using census records, baptismal entries, death certificates, and other supporting evidence to demonstrate the lineage on a balance of probabilities.
This professional research is included in the Proof of Canadian Citizenship flat fee.
Review, Submission & Support
Before filing, an independent lawyer on our team who has not worked on your file reviews the application from the perspective of a citizenship officer. This helps catch weak points, missing details, or administrative issues before submission.We then submit the package to the IRCC, handle filing fees and registered mail, and continue supporting you until a decision is made.
Processing typically takes 12–15 months. If approved, you receive a Canadian citizenship certificate and can apply for a passport, enjoying full rights as a Canadian citizen.
If your flat-fee application is returned as incomplete due to an administrative issue, such as a missing signature, an incorrect photo size, or an incomplete form field, we resubmit it at no additional cost. Coverage for postage, filing fees, and more are all included.
Start the ProcessTransparent, Flat-Fee Pricing
Start with a paid consultation with our licensed immigration lawyers, where we review your situation, assess your eligibility, and give you a clear legal strategy.
*Our credit for legal services applies only to fixed, flat-fee legal services found here. This credit does not apply to limited retainers or services billed on an hourly basis, including file reviews or any other hourly legal services.
