On December 15, 2025, Bill C-3 came into effect, bringing significant changes to the Citizenship Act in response to a 2023 Supreme Court of Canada decision. The changes fundamentally alter how Canadian citizenship by descent is granted. The new provisions extend citizenship beyond the first generation born abroad, adopting a more inclusive definition and safeguarding the intrinsic value of Canadian citizenship for those with genuine ties.
Since this legislative change, many archival institutions across Canada have experienced a sharp rise in requests for historical records—such as baptism, marriage, and birth certificates—needed to prove lineage for citizenship applications. While some jurisdictions, such as Saskatchewan (eHealth), report minimal impact, many archives face increased operational demands. Some are implementing longer service standards and shifting already limited resources, while trying their best to balance these new responsibilities with “regular” services..
To better understand this impact, the Council of Provincial and Territorial Archivists (CPTA) is conducting a short survey to gather data on how Bill C-3 has affected archival operations, resources, and staffing. Results will help inform institutional policy-making, fee structures, resource allocation, and service adaptations in response to this new legislative requirement. We anticipate that it is primarily Provincial/Territorial archives and archives for religious organizations (or archives who hold such records) who are affected… but we don’t know what we don’t know.
Results will be shared with the wider community.
Your participation is crucial to ensuring archives can continue supporting the implementation of Bill C-3 while preserving Canada’s documentary heritage. Thank you for your input.