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🍁 Bill C-3 — In Force December 15, 2025

American With Canadian Ancestry? You May Already Hold Dual Citizenship.

Millions of Americans are discovering they may already be Canadian citizens — without ever having applied. Canada's Bill C-3 removed the generational limit on citizenship by descent. If even one ancestor in your family tree was born or naturalized in Canada — no matter how many generations back — you may qualify right now. We help you find the records, build the lineage, and build the strongest possible file.

Book a $50 Ancestry Call → See How It Works ↓

A Note on Recent IRCC Scrutiny

In June 2026, IRCC reviewed a small number of citizenship certificates issued under Bill C-3 over how they were documented. The law itself was never in question, and IRCC has since confirmed the overwhelming majority of those files were cleared. What the episode confirmed is what we've built our process around from day one: applications succeed or fail on original-source documentation, not shortcuts. We source directly from civil registries and provincial archives — not genealogy platforms — so your file meets the standard IRCC actually applies.

Most paths to dual citizenship take years and can be expensive. But this one may already belong to you. Canadian citizenship by descent requires no residency, no language test, and no exam. If you have a Canadian ancestor, the law may already recognize you as a citizen. You just need someone who knows where to look.

Find Out If You Qualify

Book a 15-minute call for $50. We'll review what you have, tell you what's missing, and give you a clear picture of what comes next. Your $50 is credited toward any service.

Book Your $50 Ancestry Call →
Bill C-3

The Law That Changed Everything

Before December 2025

The Wall Most Families Hit

Since 2009, Canadian citizenship could only be inherited by the first generation born outside Canada. If your parent was also born in the US — even with a Canadian grandparent — you were locked out. Thousands of families with deep Canadian roots were told they simply didn't qualify.

After Bill C-3

The Wall Came Down

For anyone born before December 15, 2025, the generational limit no longer exists. Citizenship can now flow through grandparents, great-grandparents, and beyond — provided you can document an unbroken line of descent from a Canadian ancestor and no one in that line formally renounced their citizenship.

Why It Matters

What Canadian Citizenship Actually Gets You

This isn't just a piece of paper. It's a second passport with real, lasting benefits — for you and your family.

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The Right to Enter — No Matter What

Every Canadian citizen holds a constitutionally guaranteed right to enter, remain in, and leave Canada under Section 6 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Non-citizens can be turned away at the border for a single past conviction. Citizens cannot.

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Healthcare That Doesn't Bill You

Establish residency in any Canadian province and you're eligible for publicly funded healthcare — doctor visits, hospital stays, surgery — at no direct cost. Most provinces require approximately three months of residency to activate coverage.

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Work Anywhere, For Anyone

No work permits. No employer sponsorship. No immigration paperwork. Canadian citizens can live and work in any province, take any job, start a business, or freelance — it's a constitutional right.

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Buy Property as a Local

Canada's foreign buyer restrictions do not apply to citizens. While non-citizens and non-permanent residents face purchasing limitations, Canadian citizens can buy a home, condo, or land anywhere in the country without restriction.

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University at Canadian Rates

Domestic tuition averages around $7,700 per year. International students at the same institutions pay over $41,000. For you or your children, Canadian citizenship means access to world-class universities at a fraction of the international cost.

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A Pension System That Includes You

Work and live in Canada and you contribute to — and eventually collect from — the Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security. Citizenship is the prerequisite. The earlier you establish it, the better.

Eligibility

Three Things You Need to Qualify

Eligibility under Bill C-3 comes down to these three elements. If all three are in place, you may already be a Canadian citizen under the law.

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One Canadian Ancestor

At least one person in your family line — a grandparent, great-grandparent, or further back — must have been born in Canada or naturalized as a Canadian citizen. That person is your anchor.

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An Unbroken Documentary Chain

Every generation between that ancestor and you must be connected through official records — birth certificates, baptismal records, and marriage certificates that establish the parent-child relationship at each step.

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No Formal Renunciation

No one in your lineage can have formally renounced their Canadian citizenship through an official process with the Canadian government. Simply moving to the US, becoming an American citizen, or never visiting Canada does not count as renunciation.

Our Services

How We Help

Gathering the records for a Canadian citizenship by descent application is the hardest part — and the part where most people get stuck. We do the digging, the translating, the ordering, and the organizing so your application goes in complete, correct, and ready for IRCC review. We work in English and French and are deeply familiar with archives across every Canadian province and the US records that connect families across the border. We do not provide legal advice, fill out government forms, or represent you before any government body.

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Record Review & Gap Analysis

Already started gathering documents? We review what you have, match it against IRCC's publicly available requirements, and give you a clear picture of exactly what's missing and where to find it.

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Ancestry Research & Record Retrieval

We search publicly available databases and archives across Canada and the United States to locate the vital records in your lineage. We work fluently with French-language documents — critical for anyone with Quebec ancestry — and we are familiar with provincial archives from BC to Newfoundland. For records restricted to direct relatives, we prepare the request paperwork so you can sign and submit. No family tree yet? We build one.

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Application Package Assembly & Shipping

Once every record is in hand, we organize, label, and assemble your complete package in the correct order per IRCC's publicly available checklist. We make colour copies, verify photo requirements, and ship everything to the IRCC processing centre via tracked courier. You complete your own CIT 0001 form — we handle everything else.

🇫🇷 Our Specialization

We Specialize in French-Canadian Research — Spécialité : Recherche franco-canadienne

10 Million
Americans estimated to have French-Canadian ancestry
#1
Largest ancestry group eligible under Bill C-3

An estimated 10 million Americans trace their roots to Quebec, Acadia, and the communities built by the nearly one million French Canadians who came to New England between 1840 and 1930. This is the single largest ancestry group eligible under Bill C-3 — and the most complex to research.

Quebec's civil registration system is unlike any other province. Original records are in French, notarial documents require specialized reading, and IRCC applies strict evidentiary standards to Quebec-origin documentation. Getting it right the first time matters.

Our team works fluently in English and French. We read original parish records, civil registrations, and notarial documents directly — no translation delays, no missed details. If your family name is Tremblay, Gagnon, Bouchard, Leblanc, or any of the hundreds of Quebec surnames that crossed the border generations ago — or if your grandmother spoke French at the dinner table — we know exactly where to look.

Pricing

What It Costs

Straightforward pricing. No surprises. Your $50 consultation fee is applied as a credit toward any service you book.

⚠️ Important: The final decision on every citizenship application rests solely with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). We locate and organize documents — we cannot guarantee any outcome.

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Start Here

Ancestry Eligibility Call

$50 USD
15 minutes · Video call
  • Walk through what documents you currently have
  • Compare your records against IRCC's publicly available checklist
  • Identify exactly what's missing
  • Get a research estimate for next steps

Your $50 is credited toward any service you book.

Book Now →
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Core Service

Ancestry Research & Record Retrieval

$60 / hour
Typical 3–4 generation chain: 5–10 hours ($300–$600)
  • Search Canadian and US archives and publicly available databases
  • Work with French-language records — essential for Quebec and Acadian ancestry
  • Order copies of publicly available records from provincial archives
  • Prepare restricted-record request paperwork for you to sign and submit
  • Build or verify your complete family tree and lineage chain
  • Deliver all records organized and ready for your application

Archive fees, government copy fees, and shipping billed at cost — no markup. Written estimate provided after consultation.

Get Started →
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Final Step

Package Assembly & Shipping

$239 USD
Per applicant · Once all records are in hand
  • Organize and label all documents per IRCC's published checklist
  • Produce colour copies as required
  • Confirm photo and identity document specifications
  • Assemble the complete physical package
  • Ship via tracked courier to the IRCC Case Processing Centre

You complete your own CIT 0001 application form. We take care of everything else.

Inquire →
FAQ

Your Questions, Answered

In June 2026, IRCC began a routine review of citizenship-by-descent certificates issued under Bill C-3, contacting a small number of recent certificate holders and asking them to return their documents pending file review. This raised understandable concern, so here's where things stand:

Bill C-3 remains fully in force. Nothing about who qualifies has changed. The review was about how a small subset of applications were documented — not about eligibility. IRCC has confirmed that certificates were flagged only where supporting documents came from secondary sources (such as genealogy platforms) rather than original-source records like civil registries or vital statistics offices.

Of the applications reviewed, the vast majority were cleared or reinstated within weeks, and IRCC has said applicants whose files meet the documentation standard have nothing to worry about. If you're currently waiting on a proof-of-citizenship application, your eligibility is unaffected — the priority now is making sure your file is built on original-source documents from the start.

This is precisely the standard we build to. Every file we assemble is sourced from original civil registries, vital statistics offices, and provincial archives — never from genealogy-site printouts alone — so it holds up to this level of scrutiny the first time.

We are a genealogical research service that helps Americans gather the records needed to file their own Canadian citizenship by descent application. We locate records in Canadian and US archives, order copies, build family trees, and organize your complete package for IRCC submission. We do not provide legal advice, fill out government forms, or represent you before any government body. You file your own application — we make sure it's complete.
Possibly yes. Under Bill C-3 there is no generational limit for anyone born before December 15, 2025. As long as you can document an unbroken line of descent from a Canadian-born or naturalized ancestor, and no one in that line formally renounced citizenship, you may qualify. Every case is different — IRCC makes the final call.
In most cases, no. Unless your grandparent formally renounced their Canadian citizenship through an official process with the Canadian government, simply acquiring US citizenship did not extinguish their Canadian status. The rules varied by era, but formal renunciation was generally required.
No. Both countries recognize and permit dual citizenship. You can hold a US and Canadian passport simultaneously.
No. Citizenship by descent means you are already a citizen under the law — you are applying for a certificate proving that status. No language tests, knowledge exams, or residency requirements apply to those born before December 15, 2025.
No deadline exists for filing. However, IRCC processing times are currently running approximately 11 months and climbing as applications surge — so the sooner you apply, the sooner you receive your certificate.
Per IRCC's publicly available checklist: proof of your Canadian ancestor's birth or naturalization; a long-form birth certificate for each person in the lineage showing their parents' names; and marriage certificates where surnames changed. Older or more complex lineages may also require census records, baptismal records, or other corroborating evidence. Our research service locates and retrieves many of these on your behalf.
No — and any service that tells you otherwise is misleading you. The final decision on every application rests entirely with IRCC. What we can do is help you build the strongest possible file — which materially improves the likelihood of a clean, timely review.
No. We are a genealogical research and relocation service. We are not lawyers and we are not Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCICs). We do not provide legal advice or represent you before IRCC. For legal questions, we can connect you with our trusted RCIC and immigration lawyer partners.
Canadian taxation is based on residency, not citizenship. Remaining in the United States after obtaining Canadian citizenship generally does not create Canadian tax obligations. We recommend consulting a cross-border tax professional for your specific situation.
Provincial healthcare in Canada is based on residency. Once you establish residency in a Canadian province — typically requiring approximately three months — you become eligible to enroll in that province's public health insurance plan.

Find Out If You Already Have a Second Passport Waiting

Book a 15-minute call for $50. We'll review what you have, tell you what's missing, and give you a clear picture of what comes next. Your $50 is credited toward any service.

Book Your $50 Ancestry Call →

Canadian Immigration Concierge is a relocation and genealogical research service. We are not a law firm, not lawyers, and not Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCICs). We do not provide legal advice or representation of any kind before IRCC or any other government body. We do not complete government forms on behalf of clients. We cannot guarantee outcomes — all citizenship decisions rest solely with IRCC. For legal questions, please consult a licensed Canadian immigration lawyer or RCIC. Bill C-3 came into force December 15, 2025. Information current as of July 12, 2026. Laws and procedures may change. For official information visit Canada.ca.