The C-3 changes were in response to the 2023 Bjorkquist court decision that struck down the first-generation limit on citizenship by descent. The Government had to bring in legislative amendments or the Court would have just struck the limit down as a Charter violation.
It was Conservative Party of Canada Harper Government that enacted the limit in reaction to air lifts of Canadians in Lebanon, calling them ‘Canadians of convenience.’
The CPC tried to amend the Bill C-3 to require a 1095 day presence in a 5 year period in order to past citizenship down to future generations, basically making it like the requirement for naturalization. Instead the law has a lifetime 1095 day presence to pass down citizenship to children born after December 15, 2025.
The Government responded to the 2023 Bjorkquist court decision that found the first generation limit unconstitutional as a violation of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
C-3 establishes a requirement going forward: to pass down citizenship to persons born after December 15, 2015 a parent born outside Canada must have had a cumulative 1095 day presence in Canada before the child’s birth.