Citizenship Act Delay Pushes Deadline Into Early 2026

Canada faces another delay in its plan to update the Citizenship Act. The Ontario Superior Court of Justice granted the federal government two more months to finish work on Bill C-3. The new deadline now falls on January 20, 2026, instead of November 20, 2025.

Bill C-3 aims to remove the First-Generation Limit, a rule that restricts citizenship by descent for Canadians born abroad. The court first ruled the limit unconstitutional in 2023.

If the bill becomes law, more Canadians born outside the country will pass on citizenship to their children born abroad.

Bill C-3 Shows Steady Movement

The government continues to move the bill through Parliament. Judge Akbarali noted this progress in her decision. She wrote the government has “been making significant progress in its efforts to enact replacement legislation,” and said “there is a reasonable expectation that the replacement legislation may come into force by the end of 2025.”

Bill C-3 has already passed three readings in the House of Commons. It also passed two readings in the Senate. It currently sits with the Senate’s Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology. The committee may suggest changes, but it does not have to.

If the Senate avoids amendments, the bill will return to the House and Senate for final approval. It will then receive Royal Assent and become law.

Interim Measures Stay in Place

The delay means temporary measures will keep helping people affected by the First-Generation Limit. These measures began in March 2025. They allow certain applicants to request citizenship through a discretionary grant.

Four groups qualify:

• People born or adopted before December 19, 2023, who fall under the First-Generation Limit
  
• People born or adopted after December 19, 2023, if their Canadian parent meets the substantial connection test
  
• Some individuals born before April 1, 1949, who remain affected
  
• People who lost citizenship under past retention rules
  

Applicants can request a citizenship certificate as proof of their claim. Officials will then review each case. People may also ask for urgent processing. These steps stay in effect until Bill C-3 becomes law.

Will the Government Meet the New Date?

This marks the fourth delay in updating the Citizenship Act. Still, this extension stands out. The government first asked for a later date—April 22, 2026—but then moved the request to January 20, 2026. This shift suggests stronger confidence in meeting the new schedule.

Government progress in Parliament also supports this view.

What the Bill Could Mean

Bill C-3 would restore broader citizenship rights for families with long ties to Canada. Children will make up most of those affected. Immigration Minister Diab told the Senate committee that expected applications will reach the “tens of thousands over time, not hundreds of thousands.”

The First-Generation Limit took effect in 2009 and blocked many children born abroad from receiving citizenship by descent. The 2023 court ruling said the rule created unequal classes of Canadians and restricted mobility rights. Earlier efforts to fix the law stalled when Parliament was prorogued in 2025. Bill C-3 now carries that work forward.