Millions of Americans can now claim Canadian citizenship by descent. But they have to prove it

Amid rising tensions in the United States, many Americans are looking to Canada — and their roots — for a possible way out.Lynn Rutman, a Cape Cod, Mass., resident with family ties to Quebec and Nova Scotia dating back centuries, said she’s worried about the political situation in her country, citing recent events surrounding controversial immigration enforcement policies and long-standing ideological divides.“It's not just me, many of us are concerned,” she said.She’s now one of thousands who have begun the process of applying for proof of Canadian citizenship following recent changes to Canada’s citizenship rules.Prior to Bill C-3, An Act to Amend the Citizenship Act (2025), citizenship by descent for those born abroad was limited to the first generation.

But now, Canadian citizenship is being retroactively granted to people born before the new law came into effect on Dec. 15, 2025, who would have been citizens if not for the first-generation limit. 

“We feel like we want that Plan B so that we know we have a place to go in the event that things get even worse here,” Rutman said, “which you know, you see it's getting worse by the day.”

The change in law came following a 2023 Supreme Court of Canada decision that found the first-generation limit was unconstitutional, making the certificate “the hottest ticket in 2026,” according to Cassandra Fultz, a regulated Canadian immigration consultant.

Fultz said because the legislative changes coincide with a time of increased global volatility,  many Americans are seeking a second passport of any kind.

“There's no limit on how many generations you can go back, as long as you can prove it,” Fultz said.

For Mary and Ryan Hamel, the new legislation has brought a sense of relief. 

The family of four came to Quebec from Massachusetts as temporary foreign workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I thought Montreal would be the best place for me and my kids and my job allowed me to do that,” Ryan said, adding that becoming a Canadian citizen was always the end goal. 

With a new pathway to permanent residency now open to them, both Mary and Ryan, who have French Canadian roots, started digging into their family history and tracking down official documents showing their lineage.

Fultz said the main documents that are required include baptismal or birth certificates, to show parentage and place of birth, and marriage certificates to show any name changes, which was common practice when women were married.

Unofficial name changes are also a frequent issue, says Fultz, who says she has helped numerous clients apply for a certificate of Canadian citizenship over the years. French names like Pierre, for example, were often anglicized and became Pete when the person moved to the United States.

In those cases, she said, any substantiating documents to fortify a claim, such as death certificates, census records, property deeds, court records or criminal records might be helpful in showing the ancestor is who the applicant says they are.

In Quebec, official documents dating back to 1621 and up to 100 years ago are kept by the Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ), with more recent records available through the Directeur de l'état civil.