Maple News reports that while the United States debates birthright citizenship, Canada enacted a sweeping reform to citizenship by descent, removing the generational limit on who can inherit Canadian citizenship.
On his first day back in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at ending birthright citizenship for children born in the United States to temporary residents and undocumented immigrants. About eleven months later, Canada passed a law removing the generational cap, enabling people born abroad to claim Canadian citizenship through ancestors.
Under the new rules, millions around the world—including many Americans—could apply for proof of Canadian citizenship based on descent, even if neither they nor their parents have ever set foot in Canada.
Two parallel stories illustrate the impact. Linda, a retired chief executive from New Hampshire, realized she could qualify for Canadian citizenship through her Canadian-born grandparents, unlocking opportunities such as mobility programs to work abroad and future access to Canada. Her son James, living in the Philippines, could pursue life in Canada with his girlfriend via pathways tied to the new law. Separately, Rick, a Kentucky-based semi-retired consultant, learned that his great-grandfather was Canadian, potentially enabling him to settle in British Columbia and support his daughter Emily’s goal of teaching in Toronto.
Meanwhile, Canada is seeing a surge in demand for citizenship documents. Processing times for Canadian citizenship certificates have lengthened, and Quebec’s national archives have reported a dramatic increase in requests—largely from Americans exploring citizenship by descent. For anyone with a Canadian ancestor, citizenship by descent may offer a straightforward route to a formal certificate proving status. Maple News will continue to monitor how citizenship policies on both sides of the border shape mobility and family decisions.