Who can apply
This page explains who is eligible to apply for Canadian citizenship as a stateless person, what it means to be a stateless person and who should fill out the forms.
On this page
How we define a stateless person
A person is stateless if no country or state recognizes them as a citizen or national. To be considered stateless for the purposes of this application, you must meet 3 requirements:
- You were born outside Canada to a Canadian parent on or after April 17, 2009.
- You did not automatically become a citizen of either of your parents’ countries because of the citizenship laws of those countries.
- The country you were born in did not grant you citizenship at birth.
Who can use this application
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:
To be eligible to apply for citizenship as a stateless person, you must
- be stateless now and have always been stateless
- have been born outside Canada to a Canadian parent on or after April 17, 2009
- be under 23 years old when you apply
- have a birth parent who was a Canadian citizen when you were born
- have been physically present in Canada for at least 1,095 days (3 years) of the 4 years immediately before you apply
Even if you meet the requirements above, you may not be eligible to apply if you were one of the following:
- the subject of a declaration by the Governor in Council under section 20 of the Citizenship Act
- You would be notified in writing if this applied to you.
- convicted of any of these offences:
- treason or related offences (sections 47, 51, or 52 of the Criminal Code)
- espionage or related offences (subsection 5(1) or sections 6, and 16 to 22 of the Foreign Interference and Security of Information Act)
- conspiring or attempting to commit, being an accessory after the fact in relation to, or counselling in relation to any of the above offences
- terrorism (section 2 of the Criminal Code)
Who should fill out the forms
Adults (18 years or older): Complete the application yourself.
Minors (under 18 years old): A parent or guardian can apply for the minor, but the minor is still considered the applicant.
If you’re applying for a minor, remember that at least one birth parent must have been a Canadian citizen when the child was born.