Apply for Canadian citizenship: Stateless people

Status of changes to the first-generation limit on citizenship by descent Updated Nov 21, 2025

Canada is modernizing its citizenship laws. Bill C-3, An Act to Amend the Citizenship Act (2025), has received Royal Assent. This means that Canadians will soon have a fair, clear way to pass on citizenship to their children born or adopted outside Canada. Until Bill C-3 comes into effect, an interim measure remains in place for people impacted by the first-generation limit on citizenship by descent.

Find out:

This citizenship application is only for stateless people who

  • were born outside Canada to a Canadian parent on or after April 17, 2009
  • have always been stateless (have never been a citizen of any country) and
  • were born to a Canadian citizen

A person is stateless if no country or state recognizes them as a citizen or national under its laws.

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2025-09-11