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 Updated
The Citizenship Act includes a first-generation limit to citizenship by descent. This limit generally means someone is not automatically a Canadian citizen if:
- they were born outside Canada, and
- their parent was also born outside Canada to a Canadian parent or adopted outside Canada by a Canadian parent.
- The grandparent was Canadian.
In December 2023, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice declared that the first-generation limit for many people is unconstitutional.
However, the Court has suspended the declaration until November 20, 2025. This means that the current rules still apply until further notice.
On March 13, 2025, we announced an interim measure that includes:
- a way for those affected by the first-generation limit to be considered for a discretionary grant of citizenship from the minister, and
- priority consideration for people born or adopted on or after December 19, 2023 if their Canadian parent has a substantial connection to Canada.
Find out
- how the first-generation limit affects you
- what you can apply for
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.