India, Dec. 17 -- Marking a major change in citizenship law, Canada will now extend automatic citizenship to children born or adopted abroad to Canadian parents who were themselves born outside the country-a move expected to benefit many Indian-origin families.

The reform follows the coming into force of Bill C-3, An Act to Amend the Citizenship Act (2025), which took effect on Monday and addresses long-standing issues faced by so-called "Lost Canadians".

The changes also mean that a Canadian parent who was born or adopted outside Canada can now pass on citizenship to a child born or adopted abroad, either now or in the future. To qualify, the parent must demonstrate that they spent at least three years in Canada before the child's birt...