Under the old rules, it was possible for Canadians to pass on their citizenship to endless generations born outside Canada. To protect the value of Canadian citizenship for the future, the new law limits with a few exceptions citizenship by descent to one generation born outside Canada. This means that children born to Canadian parents in the first generation outside Canada will only be Canadian at birth if:
one parent was born in Canada, or
one parent became a Canadian citizen by immigrating to Canada and was later granted citizenship (also called naturalization).
The rules may also affect children adopted by Canadian parents outside Canada, depending on the way in which the child obtained, or will obtain, their Canadian citizenship. Learn more about the new citizenship law and adoption.