Mr. Speaker, today I rise to speak in support of Bill C‑3, an act to amend the Citizenship Act, and to reaffirm the importance of the requirement for a substantial three-year connection. This measure is central to our vision of a strong, vibrant, and equitable Canadian citizenship.
Every time we talk about citizenship, we talk about what it means to be Canadian. Not only is it a legal status, but it is an identity based on participation, respect, and responsibility.
The question that arises from this bill is, why three years? Since second reading, the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration has conducted a thorough study of Bill C‑3. The witnesses were very clear: Being physically present for three consecutive years is the fairest and most realistic way to demonstrating a genuine connection to Canada.
This standard is based on an already well-established principle. To apply for citizenship, a permanent resident must have spent 1,095 days in Canada in the last five years. It takes three years to get to know and respect our institutions, to understand our values and to integrate into Canadian life.
For Canadians born abroad, this same requirement strikes a balance. It keeps citizenship open to the world without removing it from its national roots. We want citizenship to remain a meaningful commitment, not merely an administrative legacy. Three years is proof of a real connection, a connection with lived experiences and an emotional connection in particular. It is a flexible and modern model, recognizing that the international context is always changing.
Canadians travel, study and work abroad. They are researchers at other universities, diplomats, entrepreneurs, artists and teachers. Bill C‑3 recognizes this reality and takes it into consideration. It allows Canadians living abroad to maintain genuine ties to Canada while ensuring that every generation has also spent a meaningful part of their life here in Canada.
The bill calls for the parent born abroad to have spent at least a total of three years in Canada before the birth or adoption of their child. These years may be non-consecutive. They may be the result of education, employment, a family commitment or community involvement. It is a modern, flexible and, above all, inclusive approach that respects life journeys while preserving the integrity of citizenship.
I will now address the issue of intergenerational ties, which must remain strong. Canadian citizenship is a living legacy. This bill ensures that, from generation to generation, the connection to the country remains practical and meaningful. By making citizenship by descent possible beyond the first generation, but requiring this substantial three-year connection, we are creating a balance between openness and responsibility. We are not closing the door. We are firmly anchoring it in Canadian soil. We are telling every family that its citizenship is a right, but also a commitment to the community, to our democracy and to our shared values.
This is a fair and lasting response to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. This reform is in response to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, which ruled in 2023 that the first-generation limit on citizenship by descent is unconstitutional. Bill C‑3 expands access, but in a balanced way. It ensures that the children born abroad to Canadian parents inherit not only a status, but also a real Canadian experience.
Three years is how long it takes to integrate, work, study, establish friendships and contribute to Canadian society. It is how long it takes to love one's country, Canada, not from afar, but from within.
That is why we say that it is not about living in Canada. It is about experiencing Canada, with its culture, its art and its values, while respecting its institutions, of course. It is a citizenship that is lived, not just inherited. This three-year substantial connection is not a barrier; it is evidence of attachment.
Canadian citizenship is not a passport that someone just happens to get. It is a commitment to a country that is known for its openness, diversity and justice. This bill reminds us that citizenship is passed down not just through blood or paper, but also through experience, contribution and solidarity.
There also needs to be a balance between fairness and consistency. The three-year threshold applies consistently to all Canadians born or adopted abroad. It aligns citizenship by descent with the naturalization criteria, which ensures complete consistency and fairness. This will reinforce a simple idea: Citizenship in Canada is based on meaningful participation in the life of the nation. It is a shared responsibility, a shared bond and a pride to be nurtured.
In conclusion, this citizenship is worthy of our country, our values and humanity most of all. Bill C‑3 is not a simple administrative update. It is a statement of principle on what it means to be Canadian in 2025.
We live in a world of mobility, diversity and complexity. This bill does not restrict; it brings people together. It does not close doors; it ensures that the human thread connecting every citizen in Canada remains alive and sincere. Indeed, being Canadian is more than just a status. It is a sense of belonging, a bond of the heart and the memory. It is the pride of a country that is built by the people who live in it, contribute to it and choose it.
Three years is not much time to learn to love a country, but it is enough time to never want to leave it again, as was the case in my experience. After three years of immigration, I loved this country. I found it really hard to distance myself from this beautiful country of Canada.
I invite my esteemed colleagues to support this bill, which is fair, balanced and deeply human, so that Canadian citizenship remains a living promise, the promise of a united, open Canada that is proud of its citizens around the world.