{"id":3408,"date":"2025-09-05T10:59:35","date_gmt":"2025-09-05T14:59:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cadimmigration.com\/?p=3408"},"modified":"2025-09-05T11:00:55","modified_gmt":"2025-09-05T15:00:55","slug":"are-you-eligible-for-a-canadian-passport-through-citizenship-by-descent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cadimmigration.com\/?p=3408","title":{"rendered":"Are You Eligible for a Canadian Passport Through Citizenship by Descent?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Many people living outside Canada are unaware that they may already hold Canadian citizenship by descent\u2014simply because their parent or even grandparent was a Canadian citizen. If you qualify, you can secure proof of citizenship and later apply for a Canadian passport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, not all cases are straightforward. Some individuals may be affected by the <em>first-generation limit (FGL)<\/em>, which restricts citizenship by descent beyond one generation. The Canadian government has introduced interim measures to provide discretionary grants of citizenship to certain groups of \u201cLost Canadians.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">Who May Already Be a Canadian Citizen?<\/mark><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If <strong>your parent or grandparent was a Canadian citizen<\/strong>, you may automatically have citizenship by descent, even if you were born abroad.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>This means you have the <strong>legal right to enter and live in Canada<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>To confirm, you must apply for <strong>proof of citizenship<\/strong> (citizenship certificate).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Once you receive the certificate, you can then apply for a <strong>Canadian passport<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">Who Falls Under the First-Generation Limit (FGL)?<\/mark><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The FGL rule means that citizenship by descent is only passed to the <strong>first generation born abroad<\/strong>. If your parent was Canadian by descent (not born in Canada themselves), you may not automatically qualify.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But under <strong>interim measures announced in March 2025<\/strong>, you may still be eligible for a <strong>discretionary grant of citizenship<\/strong> if you are a \u201cLost Canadian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">Categories of Lost Canadians Eligible for Citizenship Grants<\/mark><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Born or adopted before December 19, 2023<\/strong>, and affected by the FGL.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Born or adopted on\/after December 19, 2023<\/strong>, with a Canadian parent who lived in Canada for at least 1,095 days before your birth\/adoption.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Born before April 1, 1949<\/strong>, and still affected by the FGL.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Former Canadian citizens<\/strong> who lost their status after failing to comply with earlier retention requirements.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">How to Apply for Proof of Citizenship<\/mark><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Download and complete the <strong>application package (CIT 0001)<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Provide required documents:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Two valid IDs (one with a photo).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Citizenship photos (one for online, two for paper).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Translations if documents are not in English or French.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>IMM 5476 form if using a representative.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pay the <strong>$75 fee<\/strong> online or at an embassy (if abroad).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Submit your application online or by mail.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Processing time:<\/strong> About <strong>5 months<\/strong>, though urgent requests may be expedited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">How to Apply for a Canadian Passport<\/mark><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you have your <strong>citizenship certificate<\/strong>, you can apply for a passport either by mail or at Service Canada.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Documents required:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Passport application form (PPTC 153).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Canadian citizenship certificate.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Proof of identity (driver\u2019s license, foreign passport, etc.).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Two identical photos signed by your guarantor.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Fees:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>5-year passport \u2192 $120<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>10-year passport \u2192 $160<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Processing times vary depending on urgency (10\u201320 days standard, faster for urgent\/emergency).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">Key Takeaway<\/mark><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If your parent or grandparent was Canadian, you might already be entitled to Canadian citizenship. With proof of citizenship, you can obtain one of the world\u2019s most powerful passports, opening doors to travel, work, and settlement opportunities worldwide.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-white-color has-vivid-red-background-color has-text-color has-background has-medium-font-size\">For a <strong> consultation<\/strong> about Immigration options, reach out to the <strong>CAD IMMIGRATION <\/strong>today!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-16018d1d wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-text-color has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/cadimmigration\/profilecard\/?igsh=aWYzamtvMzlvZHUy\" style=\"border-radius:50px;color:#fffffa;background:linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(135,9,53) 0%,rgb(179,22,22) 100%)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">INSTAGRAM<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-text-color has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@cad_immigration?_t=8rYlOtSiktj&amp;_r=1\" style=\"border-radius:50px;color:#fffffa;background:linear-gradient(317deg,rgb(135,9,53) 0%,rgb(179,22,22) 100%)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">TIKTOK<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-text-color has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/cad-immigration\/\" style=\"border-radius:50px;color:#fffffa;background:linear-gradient(42deg,rgb(135,9,53) 0%,rgb(179,22,22) 100%)\">LINKEDIN<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Many people living outside Canada are unaware that they may already hold Canadian citizenship by descent\u2014simply because their parent or even grandparent was a Canadian citizen. If you qualify, you can secure proof of citizenship and later apply for a Canadian passport. However, not all cases are straightforward. Some individuals may be affected by the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":3410,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[79,83,49,3,78,76,77,57,70,36],"class_list":["post-3408","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cicnews","tag-cad-immigration","tag-cad-immigration-news","tag-cadimmigration","tag-canadaimmigration","tag-immigration-canada","tag-immigration-new-rules","tag-immigration-new-updates","tag-immigration-trend","tag-immigration-updates-canada","tag-immigrationupdates"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cadimmigration.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3408","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cadimmigration.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cadimmigration.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cadimmigration.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cadimmigration.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3408"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cadimmigration.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3408\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3409,"href":"https:\/\/cadimmigration.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3408\/revisions\/3409"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cadimmigration.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3410"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cadimmigration.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3408"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cadimmigration.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3408"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cadimmigration.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3408"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}