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Second-Generation Canadian Citizenship: Application Guide

There is no separate IRCC application called a “second-generation citizenship application.” A person who may already be Canadian normally applies for a citizenship certificate, which is proof of citizenship. An adopted person follows a separate direct-grant process.

The correct route depends first on whether the person was born or adopted before December 15, 2025 or on or after that date. The most important point is this: the 1,095-day physical-presence test does not apply to people born before December 15, 2025. It applies to certain people born or adopted outside Canada in the second generation or later on or after that date.

For a person born outside Canada in the second generation or later on or after December 15, 2025, the result is different. Where the Canadian parent was also born or adopted outside Canada, that parent normally must have accumulated at least 1,095 days of physical presence in Canada before the person’s birth. The application must include the CIT 0555 calculation and supporting records.

An adopted person is not treated as automatically Canadian merely because a Canadian completed the adoption. The applicant uses the direct-grant process for an adopted person.

1. Which rule applies to you?

This table is a screening tool. IRCC still needs to verify the dates, parentage, citizenship status, generation and supporting documents.

2. What second generation means

For this rule, IRCC counts generations from the first person born or adopted outside Canada to a Canadian citizen.

• Canadian citizen: born in Canada or granted Canadian citizenship through naturalization
• First generation born abroad: born outside Canada to a Canadian citizen who was born in Canada or naturalized
• Second generation born abroad: born outside Canada to a first-generation Canadian who was also born abroad

A Canadian grandparent may create a citizenship chain, but the grandparent does not simply bypass the parent. The application must show how citizenship passes through each generation.

3. Born before December 15, 2025

Bill C-3 came into effect on December 15, 2025. It extended citizenship to many people who would have been Canadian if the old first-generation limit or certain historic provisions had not blocked the claim.

In most cases, a person is automatically Canadian where the person was:

• born before December 15, 2025
• born outside Canada
• born to a parent who was Canadian when the person was born

This can include a parent who became Canadian because of the 2025 changes.

No 1,095-day test for this cohort

IRCC’s current paper guide is explicit: where the applicant was born before December 15, 2025, the physical-presence section does not apply.

The applicant does not need to reconstruct three years of the parent’s time in Canada. The main task is proving:

• the applicant’s identity and birth
• the parent-child relationship
• the parent’s Canadian citizenship
• the citizenship and parentage chain through earlier generations where needed
• any historic facts that affect the claim

Automatic citizenship and proof of citizenship are different. The citizenship certificate is the document IRCC issues after confirming the person is Canadian.

4. Born on or after December 15, 2025

For births on or after December 15, 2025, the result depends on how the Canadian parent became Canadian.

Parent born or naturalized in Canada

Where the Canadian parent was born in Canada or received a grant of citizenship before the child’s birth, the child is normally within the first generation born abroad. The second-generation 1,095-day test is not the governing requirement.

Parent also born or adopted outside Canada

Where the child and Canadian parent were both born or adopted outside Canada, the child may be in the second generation or later.

The Canadian parent normally must have accumulated at least 1,095 days of physical presence in Canada before the child’s birth.

The days:

• are cumulative
• do not need to be consecutive
• can be built through multiple stays in Canada
• must fall before the child’s birth

The proof application normally requires CIT 0555 and supporting records.

5. Can citizenship come through a Canadian grandparent?

A Canadian grandparent may be the starting point of the claim, but the evidence must establish the full chain. Our companion guide to Canadian citizenship by descent through a grandparent under Bill C-3 works through the legislative background in more detail.

A common pre-December 15, 2025 scenario is:

1. The grandparent was born in Canada or became a naturalized Canadian.
2. The applicant’s parent was born outside Canada and was a Canadian by descent.
3. The applicant was also born outside Canada before December 15, 2025.
4. The old first-generation limit previously blocked the applicant.
5. Bill C-3 may now mean the applicant is automatically Canadian.

The parent does not always need to have obtained a passport or certificate before the applicant’s birth. The legal question is whether the parent was a Canadian citizen under the applicable law. IRCC must verify the chain.

A grandparent’s citizenship alone does not prove the final result. Each generation requires reliable evidence.

6. What application do you file?

Non-adopted person who may already be Canadian

The route is an application for a citizenship certificate, also called proof of citizenship. Our full walkthrough of the document set and eligibility rules is in the Canadian citizenship certificate application guide.

A citizenship certificate:

• proves Canadian citizenship
• can be used to apply for a Canadian passport
• is not a travel document

Paper filing for the core second-generation cohort

IRCC’s current online guide states that a person born outside Canada to a Canadian parent who was also born outside Canada must submit a paper application.

Do not assume that the online portal is available merely because IRCC allows some citizenship-certificate applications online.

Use IRCC’s current application selector before filing.

Adopted person

An adopted person seeking an initial grant does not file an ordinary proof-of-citizenship application. The adopted-person route has two parts:

1. confirmation of the adoptive parent’s Canadian citizenship
2. the adoptee’s application and assessment

IRCC directs applicants to mail the completed application package to the IRCC Digitization Centre - Adoptions in New Waterford, Nova Scotia.

7. Forms for a second-generation proof application

A paper application can include:

CIT 0001

Application for a Citizenship Certificate for Adults and Minors.

CIT 0014

Document Checklist for a Citizenship Certificate. The paper checklist must be included with the mailed application.

CIT 0555

How to Calculate Physical Presence in Canada for a Canadian Parent. This form applies where the applicant must prove the Canadian parent’s 1,095 days.

IMM 5476

Use of a Representative, where an authorized representative is appointed.

The package can also require:

• citizenship photographs
• two pieces of valid identification, with one containing a photo
• proof of payment
• translations and the required translator documentation
• additional forms based on name, date-of-birth, gender, parentage or other facts

Use the current forms on the date of filing. Do not reuse saved forms without checking the version date.

8. How to prove the family citizenship chain

IRCC’s current paper guide requires authentic, reliable and verifiable evidence for every relevant generation. The application cannot rely solely on third-party records.

Depending on the family history, the package may need:

• the applicant’s country-specific birth certificate naming the Canadian parent
• the parent’s birth certificate
• the grandparent’s Canadian birth certificate
• citizenship or naturalization certificates
• Certificates of Registration of Birth Abroad
• Certificates of Retention of Canadian Citizenship
• British naturalization documents issued in Canada or Newfoundland and Labrador
• records showing British-subject or landed-immigrant status under historic rules
• other original-authority records proving birth, parentage or citizenship

Original-authority documents matter

IRCC expects key records to come from the responsible original authority, such as:

• provincial or territorial vital-statistics offices
• the foreign government authority that issued a birth record
• Canadian citizenship authorities
• archival or historical authorities holding the original record

When an official record does not exist

The applicant must:

1. explain in writing why the record cannot be provided
2. show evidence of attempts to obtain it

Useful proof of attempts can include:

• emails to the issuing authority
• letters requesting the record
• written confirmation that the record does not exist or cannot be issued
• archive-search results

Where official birth records cannot be obtained, IRCC lists other possible original-authority records, including hospital, physician or midwife records, early baptismal records, census records and boat manifests.

A weak or incomplete generation in the chain can delay the case, cause a return or lead IRCC to request more evidence.

9. How to prove the parent’s 1,095 days

This section applies only where the 1,095-day substantial-connection test is required.

The applicant must submit CIT 0555 and evidence that supports the parent’s entries, exits and time in Canada.

Employment and education records

• transcripts
• school attendance records
• T4 slips
• employment records

Residential records

• leases
• rental records
• mortgage documents
• home or tenant insurance records

Travel records

• passports
• entry and exit records
• travel-history records

Government records

• social-assistance records
• employment-insurance records
• other government records tied to the parent’s presence in Canada

Other supporting evidence

IRCC permits other relevant proof that demonstrates the parent’s physical presence. CIT 0014 also lists attestations by organizations and affidavits from third parties who know about the parent’s residence and physical presence.

These materials may supplement the package, but the application cannot be supported solely by third-party records. The evidence should work as a package. One document may show an address, another may establish employment, and travel records may close the gaps between periods.

Do not claim that one type of record guarantees acceptance. IRCC may request more evidence.

10. How IRCC counts the days

CIT 0555 creates the relevant period from the Canadian parent’s date of birth to the applicant’s date of birth or date of adoption. The form requires a detailed list of the parent’s entries to and exits from Canada.

Partial days count

IRCC’s Appendix F states that a day of physical presence means any calendar day spent in Canada, regardless of the time of day or reason for the stay. A partial day counts as a full day.

CIT 0555 gives an example in which entry on June 21 and departure on June 28 totals 8 days.

The days do not need to be consecutive

The parent can accumulate the 1,095 days across:

• different years
• repeated visits
• study periods
• work periods
• other stays in Canada

Incomplete dates

Where an exact date is not known, CIT 0555 instructs the applicant to enter the parts of the date that are known and provide an explanatory note and documentary evidence.

Time serving a sentence

Time spent in Canada while serving imprisonment, probation or parole may not count.

CIT 0555 identifies limited exceptions, including:

• successfully completed probation following a conditional discharge
• certain successfully completed youth sentences

Review any criminal-sentence period carefully before counting the days.

11. Crown-servant exception

The physical-presence requirement does not apply where the Canadian parent was a qualifying Crown servant at the time of the child’s birth or when the adoption was finalized.

IRCC’s paper guide also asks whether a Canadian grandparent was a qualifying Crown servant at the time of the Canadian parent’s birth or adoption outside Canada.

Crown service can involve qualifying employment outside Canada in or with:

• the Canadian Armed Forces
• the federal public administration
• the public service of a province or territory

A locally engaged employee does not fall within the same definition. The package must include employment evidence issued by the responsible authority.

12. Adopted persons

Citizenship by descent and citizenship through adoption are not the same process. A person born outside Canada and adopted by a Canadian parent is not automatically Canadian merely because of the adoption.

Adoption before December 15, 2025

A person born and adopted outside Canada in the second generation or later before December 15, 2025 may be eligible for a direct grant of citizenship.

Adoption on or after December 15, 2025

Where the adopted person is in the second generation or later and the Canadian parent was also born or adopted abroad, the parent normally must prove at least 1,095 days in Canada before the adoption.

Two-part process

The application includes:

• Part 1: confirmation that the adoptive parent is Canadian and can pass citizenship
• Part 2: assessment of the adopted person’s eligibility

IRCC’s How to apply page directs applicants to mail the completed and signed forms, required documents and proof of payment to the IRCC Digitization Centre - Adoptions in New Waterford, Nova Scotia. Confirm the current package contents and submission sequence on the IRCC page before filing.

Use the current adopted-person application package. Do not file CIT 0001 for an initial citizenship grant to an adopted person.

13. Fee, processing and mailing

Fee

The citizenship-certificate fee is currently CAD $75. Check the official fee list on the payment date because fees can change.

Processing time

Do not rely on a processing-time number copied into a blog or social-media post. Use IRCC’s live processing-times tool, and see our explainer on how IRCC processing times work.

Processing can be affected by:

• completeness
• ease of verifying the family chain
• historic records
• requests for additional evidence
• the applicant’s response time
• mailing arrangements

Applying from outside Canada and the United States

IRCC’s published processing time for a citizenship certificate is currently about 19 months, and IRCC states that applications from outside Canada and the United States may take longer. Check the live processing-times tool on the day of filing rather than relying on any fixed number.

14. Urgent processing

IRCC may consider urgent processing for reasons that include:

• avoiding harm or hardship linked to protected or personal circumstances listed by IRCC
• moving a minor child to Canada
• statelessness
• travel because of a death or serious illness in the family where another passport is unavailable
• a deadline to renounce another citizenship
• employment
• education
• access to social benefits such as a pension, health care or a Social Insurance Number

The urgent request must include an explanation letter and supporting evidence. Examples include travel proof, employer or school letters, medical evidence and death certificates.

Meeting one of the listed reasons does not guarantee urgent processing or completion by a requested date.

15. What happens after you apply?

After IRCC confirms that the application is complete, it normally issues an acknowledgement of receipt and a unique client identifier where applicable.

IRCC may:

• verify the documents
• request more information or records
• contact the applicant where the case is complex
• approve the application and issue an electronic or paper certificate
• refuse the application where the person is not a Canadian citizen

A citizenship certificate can be used to apply for a Canadian passport. The certificate itself is not a travel document.

16. Return, additional evidence and refusal

IRCC treats different defects differently.

Return of an application

An incomplete paper application can be returned with instructions to resubmit the missing information. An adopted person who files an ordinary citizenship-certificate application for an initial grant can also have the application returned because the adopted-person citizenship route must be used.

Request for more evidence or delay

Where a case is complex, IRCC may request more information or documents and may need more time to process the application. Missing, unclear or difficult-to-verify lineage records can therefore lead to delay or an additional-document request rather than an immediate refusal.

Refusal

A citizenship-certificate application asks IRCC to determine whether the applicant is a Canadian citizen. If IRCC concludes that the applicant is not a citizen, it sends a refusal letter and the processing fee is not refunded.

A refusal may result where the evidence and applicable law do not establish the claimed citizenship, including where:

• the claimed parent was not a Canadian citizen at the legally relevant time
• the parent-child or generation chain is not established
• the 1,095-day test applies and is not met
• the physical-presence evidence does not establish the required days
• a historic citizenship provision or exception does not produce citizenship on the proven facts

Do not describe an incomplete returned application, or an adopted-person application filed through the wrong route, as a refusal. These are possible legal and evidence outcomes, not IRCC statistics ranking the most frequent problems.

17. Renouncing citizenship acquired under Bill C-3

Some people born before December 15, 2025 became Canadian citizens automatically because of the 2025 amendments. A person who does not want that citizenship may be able to use the simplified R7.1 renunciation process.

IRCC states that there is no fee for a qualifying person who:

• automatically became Canadian because of the 2009, 2015 or 2025 Citizenship Act changes
• applies under section 7.1 of the Citizenship Regulations
• meets the remaining eligibility requirements

Renunciation is a serious legal decision. It can affect the right to live in Canada, obtain a Canadian passport and return to Canada as a citizen. Any tax, public-office, military-service or dual-citizenship consequences under another country’s law require separate advice in that country.

What to do next

Before filing, identify:

• the applicant’s date and country of birth
• whether adoption is involved
• which parent was Canadian
• how and when the parent became Canadian
• the Canadian grandparent or earlier ancestor in the chain
• whether the 1,095-day test applies
• whether the original-authority records exist
• whether the application must be filed on paper

Frequently asked questions

Is there a second-generation Canadian citizenship application?

No. A non-adopted person who may already be Canadian normally applies for a citizenship certificate. An adopted person uses the direct-grant process for an adopted person.

Does the Canadian parent need 1,095 days in Canada for every application?

No. The 1,095-day test does not apply to a person born before December 15, 2025. It applies to certain second-generation or later births and adoptions on or after that date.

Do the 1,095 days need to be consecutive?

No. The days are cumulative and can be accumulated across multiple stays.

Do entry and exit days count?

IRCC states that any calendar day spent in Canada counts and that partial days count as full days. CIT 0555 gives a June 21 to June 28 example totalling 8 days.

What is CIT 0555?

CIT 0555 is the form used to calculate a Canadian parent’s physical presence where the 1,095-day substantial-connection test applies.

Can I apply online?

Some citizenship-certificate applicants can apply online. The current IRCC online guide states that a person born outside Canada to a Canadian parent who was also born outside Canada must submit a paper application.

Can I apply through a Canadian grandparent?

A Canadian grandparent may create the citizenship chain, but the claim must be proved through the parent and every relevant generation. The grandparent does not simply bypass the parent.

What if my parent never obtained a Canadian passport or certificate?

That fact does not settle the legal question. The issue is whether the parent was Canadian under the applicable law when the applicant was born. IRCC must verify the chain and evidence.

Are adopted children automatically Canadian?

No. A person adopted abroad follows the direct-grant process. The relevant date and the Canadian parent’s status determine whether the 1,095-day test applies.

Is a citizenship certificate a travel document?

No. It proves citizenship. A Canadian citizen normally uses the certificate to apply for a Canadian passport.

What happens if IRCC refuses the application?

IRCC sends a refusal letter and still collects the processing fee. The next step depends on the refusal reasons and the evidence or legal issue identified.

Official sources reviewed

• IRCC - Change to citizenship rules in 2025
• IRCC - Bill C-3 comes into effect
• IRCC - Guide for Paper Applications for a Citizenship Certificate
• IRCC - Guide for Online Applications for a Citizenship Certificate
• IRCC - Citizenship-certificate application package
• IRCC - CIT 0555
• IRCC - CIT 0014 document checklist
• IRCC - Check if you may be a citizen
• IRCC Help Centre - Canadian child born outside Canada
• IRCC Help Centre - When and how do I apply urgently for a citizenship certificate?
• IRCC - Application for Canadian Citizenship: Adopted person
• IRCC - Apply for a citizenship certificate: About the process
• IRCC - Apply for a citizenship certificate: After you apply
• IRCC - Citizenship for your adopted child: How to apply
• IRCC - Renounce Canadian citizenship

Official sources last checked: July 26, 2026.

This page provides general Canadian citizenship information and is not case-specific legal advice. Citizenship rules depend on exact dates, parentage, adoption, historic legislation and evidence. IRCC makes the final decision on every application.