The law
Bill C-3 explained: who became Canadian in 2025
What Canada's 2025 citizenship law changed, who it made a citizen automatically, and what it means for children born after December 15, 2025.
Blog
Plain-language guides to citizenship by descent
The law, the records and the paperwork, explained without jargon and linked to official sources.
Family lines
A Canadian grandparent: does citizenship reach you?
How Canadian citizenship passes from a grandparent through your parent to you, what each link has to show, and where grandparent lines usually break.
Paperwork
Certificate or passport: which comes first?
A citizenship certificate proves you are Canadian. A passport lets you travel as one. Why you need the first before the second, and what each involves.
Research
Where the records are: finding a Canadian ancestor
Civil registration, parish registers, census returns, border and naturalization records: what each can prove about a Canadian ancestor, and where it is held.
Status
Citizenship by descent or permanent residence?
Permanent residence is something you apply for and can lose. Citizenship by descent is a status you may already hold. How the two compare for people in Canada.
Staying safe
How to check a citizenship representative
Who is allowed to charge for citizenship advice in Canada, how to verify a licence in a couple of minutes, and the warning signs of fraud.
Start here
Find out where your family line leads.
The check is free and takes about two minutes. If your line doesn't qualify, we'll tell you so.