Subsequent descendants of Canadian citizens were cut off from their birthright because their Canadian parents had also been born abroad. v. Attorney General of Canada, which found the “first-generation limit” to passing on Canadian citizenship unconstitutional, the new legislation may open the door to Canadian citizenship for millions of people descended from Canadians. The descendants will automatically be new citizens, able to obtain proof of Canadian citizenship, rather than having to apply for citizenship. Amandeep Hayer, a Vancouver immigration lawyer and co-author of a book on maintaining permanent residence and obtaining citizenship in Canada, says Canadian citizenship law has had a series of roadblocks to Canadian citizenship. For example, neither married women, nor unmarried men could pass on their Canadian citizenship to their children until citizenship law reforms that passed in 1977.

Source: National Post February 25, 2026 12:43 UTC