New Jain Immigration Services

  Can a Criminal Record Affect a Canadian Citizenship by Descent Claim? If you were born outside Canada and have a Canadian parent, you may be wondering whether you can claim Canadian citizenship by descent . But what happens if you also have a criminal record, a past conviction, a pending charge, or a criminal matter in another country? This is an important question because Canadian citizenship law distinguishes between already being a Canadian citizen by operation of law and applying to become a Canadian citizen through a grant . The rules surrounding citizenship by descent also changed significantly on December 15, 2025 , when Bill C-3 came into effect. The changes removed the previous first-generation limit in certain circumstances and created new rules for people born or adopted abroad. As a result, a person with a criminal record should not automatically assume that they are unable to claim Canadian citizenship by descent. The correct answer depends on several factors, incl...