AMA: Canadian Citizenship by Descent, Bill C-3, and Proof of Citizenship

Hi everyone! We’ll be hosting our third AMA on Canadian citizenship by descent here on Reddit.

Date: September 15, 2026
Time: 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM Eastern
Host: Cassandra Fultz, RCIC-IRB, Founder of Doherty Fultz Immigration

This AMA is for anyone with questions about Canadian citizenship by descent, including people who are just starting to look into it, as well as people who are already deep in the weeds.

We can discuss general questions about topics like:

• Bill C-3 and Lost Canadians
• proof of Canadian citizenship / citizenship certificates
• Canadian parents, grandparents, great-grandpare

A lot of people are now in this situation: 

• They may qualify for Canadian citizenship by descent under Bill C-3. 
• They have applied, or are thinking about applying, for proof of Canadian citizenship. 
• They are also in Canada on a work permit, or they may qualify for PR. 
• Their work permit or status deadline is coming up before the citizenship certificate is likely to arrive. 

The common question is: 

Do I have to choose between the citizenship application and PR? 

In many cases, the answer is no.  

You may be able to pursue both options at the same time, depending on your circumstances:  

1. Apply for proof of Canadian citizenship if you believe you are already a Canadian citiz

This is general information, not legal advice. If you want advice about your personal situation, you should contact a qualified Canadian immigration consultant or lawyer.

If you are applying for proof of Canadian citizenship by descent, you may find an old naturalization, birth, baptismal, or other historical record online and wonder:

Can I use this, or do I need to wait for an official copy?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer. But before delaying your application for months, ask these five questions.

1. Does the online record show the full document or only an index?

An index entry can be helpful, but it may not be the same as the actual record.

If you only have a database result

A lot of people reaching out to us lately share the same backstory: someone told them years ago that their Canadian connection was "too distant" to matter. No point looking into it. Move on.  

In a lot of those cases, that advice is now out of date. 

 After the constitutional challenge to Canada's old "first-generation limit" and the passage of Bill C-3 (which came into full effect December 2025), the eligibility picture changed significantly for Americans with Canadian ancestry. 

 Here's what we're actually seeing in practice – people may qualify through: 

• a parent 
• a grandparent 
• a great-grandparent 
• a great-great-grandparent 
• and in some cases, even further back 

 The key i

Update: IRCC Has Completed Its Bill C-3 Review. Here's The Latest.

IRCC has finally released an official statement on Facebook explaining what happened with the recent citizenship certificate review process.

For the first time, the department has acknowledged that its own guidance to both officers and applicants was unclear, and that this may have contributed to citizenship certificates being issued without sufficient supporting evidence.

The Key Takeaways

1. IRCC initially identified 100 citizenship certificates issued under Bill C-3 where there were concerns about the supporting documentation.
2. The department then expanded its review to approximately **6,500 Bill C-3 citi

There have been several important developments over the last few days regarding the ongoing IRCC review of some citizenship certificates issued under Bill C-3.

I have now published a detailed update on our website, including my analysis of the Minister's comments, the key quotes from the press conference, and a full transcript of the exchange between Canadian Press reporter David Baxter and Immigration Minister Lina Diab.

Read the full article here:
[https://dfimmigration.ca/minister-confirms-ircc-is-not-finalizing-new-bill-c-3-citizenship-applications-while-review-continues](https://dfimmigration.ca/minister-confirms-ircc-is-not-finalizing-new-bill-c-3-citizenship-applications-while