🇨🇦 Relief for Nigerians in Canada: Children Born Abroad May Soon Get Citizenship Automatically

In what could be a landmark shift for Nigerian families living in Canada, the Canadian government has introduced Bill C-3, a proposed law that would eliminate the controversial “first-generation limit” on citizenship by descent.

If passed, this bill would automatically grant Canadian citizenship to children born abroad to Canadian citizens, including many Nigerian-Canadians whose kids currently fall through legal cracks

Since 2009, Canada’s Citizenship Act has only allowed Canadian citizens born in Canada to pass on citizenship to children born overseas. Citizens born outside Canada? They were blocked.

That meant a Nigerian-born Canadian citizen who had a child during travel or even while temporarily living in another country couldn't automatically pass on their citizenship.

“It’s an outdated rule that punishes global families,” said an immigration official in Ottawa. “This bill is about bringing fairness and reality to citizenship law.”

What Bill C-3 Proposes:

• Remove the first-generation limit: Children born abroad to Canadian parents (regardless of where the parent was born) could now qualify for automatic citizenship.

• Eligibility tied to residency: The parent must have lived in Canada for at least three years (1,095 days) before the child’s birth or adoption.

• Retroactive benefit: People who were previously denied citizenship because of the old law could now become citizens automatically.

With over 100,000 Nigerians living in Canada, this bill could bring massive relief to families who have faced years of red tape, reapplications, and even separation.

Parents who moved to Canada, became naturalized citizens, and later had children abroad whether during a visit to Nigeria or elsewhere were often blindsided when told their child wasn’t eligible for citizenship.

In January 2024, a Canadian court ruled the current first-generation limit unconstitutional. Rather than appeal the decision, the government is now moving to align the law with modern realities.

An earlier attempt to fix the issue in March 2024 failed to pass. Now, with Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab backing Bill C-3, momentum is growing.

Bill C-3 must pass both the House of Commons and the Senate and receive Royal Assent before becoming law. Canadian officials say they are committed to implementing the changes “as quickly as possible” once approved.

For many Nigerian-Canadian parents, this could be the beginning of long-awaited justice and security for their children.