Keep Factually independent
Whether you agree or disagree with our analysis, these conversations matter for democracy. We don't take money from political groups - even a $5 donation helps us keep it that way.
Who introduced Bill C-3 and what was the motivation?
Executive summary
Bill C-3 was introduced by the federal government in June 2025 as legislation to amend the Citizenship Act to remove the “first‑generation limit” and restore citizenship to some people labelled “Lost Canadians,” replacing temporary fixes with statutory rules (Canada’s announcement; LEGISinfo) [1] [2]. The government says the motivation is to respond to a court ruling and correct inequities that strip citizenship from children born abroad to Canadian parents, while some opposition parties and committees have pushed amendments around residency, security and “substantial connection” tests [3] [4] [5].
1. What the government introduced and who tabled it
The bill is a government bill — introduced in June 2025 by the federal government as “Bill C‑3: An Act to amend the Citizenship Act [6]” — and is recorded in parliamentary records and the Department of Justice material accompanying the text [1] [2] [3]. Several legal and policy summaries and law‑firm explainers name Immigration Minister Lena Diab as presenting it on June 5, 2025 [7]. Parliamentary legislative tracking lists the government as the sponsor [2].
2. The stated motivation: fix the “first‑generation limit” and a court decision
The government frames the motivation as correcting the Citizenship Act’s first‑generation limit (the rule that generally prevented Canadian citizens born abroad from passing citizenship to children born abroad beyond one generation) and to implement a durable statutory remedy after a court found aspects of the prior law unconstitutional or problematic; the Justice Department’s charter statement and legal briefs tie the bill to extending citizenship by descent and to Charter considerations [3] [8]. Official communications describe the aim as restoring citizenship to those affected and creating a new framework for descent based on a “substantial connection” to Canada [1] [7].
3. Policy details motivating the drafting: what the bill seeks to change
Bill C‑3 would remove the first‑generation limit and restore citizenship for people who lost it under earlier rules, while setting a new test so a Canadian parent born abroad can pass citizenship if they demonstrate a “substantial connection” to Canada — typically measured by cumulative physical presence (commonly referenced as 1,095 days/three years) or other ties, and by new residency, security or language requirements discussed later in the legislative process [1] [9] [5].
4. Legal timeline and urgency: court rulings and deadlines
Multiple sources tie C‑3 to prior litigation and government deadlines: the bill is presented as a follow‑up to a court decision that declared the two‑generation cut‑off problematic and as a replacement for temporary discretionary grants previously offered; parliamentary and legal tracking shows the government has faced deadlines and extensions to amend the law [8] [10]. The Justice Department produced a Charter Statement assessing potential Charter impacts, signalling legal urgency and constitutional framing [3].
5. Political dynamics and competing perspectives
Parliamentary debate and committee amendments show disagreement over the bill’s details. Conservatives and the Bloc Québécois introduced changes at committee that would tighten eligibility (requiring demonstration of “substantial connection”); the NDP pushed to remove proposed restrictions on birthright restoration, and the Liberals and NDP joined to delete some Conservative changes at report stage — illustrating partisan splits over how expansive the remedy should be [4] [11]. OpenParliament transcripts and reporting note the Bloc’s opposition to the bill in its current form and committee tension [12] [4].
6. Critiques and policy concerns highlighted in analysis
Think‑tank and policy commentaries warn the bill — while expanding eligibility — could either create new “Lost Canadians” or, conversely, open citizenship to people with minimal ties depending on how the “substantial connection” test is applied; the Policy Options piece explicitly argues the bill could expand the definition and number of people affected and questions the limits and timeframes used in the test [13]. Other legal and practitioner briefings emphasize implementation complexity and the need for administrative rules to evidence ties [14] [7].
7. What remains unresolved in available reporting
Available sources document the bill’s introduction, stated goals and contentious amendments but do not fully resolve how final regulations would balance restoration with security/residency checks or exactly which evidentiary standards will be used in practice — those details were still being debated in committee and reported as evolving with amendments [5] [4]. Where sources explicitly disagree, they are cited above.
Bottom line: Bill C‑3 is a government initiative introduced in June 2025 to remove the first‑generation limit and restore citizenship to affected people, motivated by a court ruling and perceived inequities; the substantive debate now centers on how to define and prove a “substantial connection” and whether added residency, security or language requirements unduly restrict or appropriately safeguard the expansion [1] [3] [4] [13].