Canada’s Bill C-3 changed citizenship-by-descent rules on December 15, 2025, making many Americans with Canadian ancestry Canadian citizens by law. Actor Josh Duhamel is cited as one example because of his French-Canadian family line, but the same rule may apply to millions of ordinary Americans who can prove an unbroken line of descent from a Canadian ancestor.
Bill C-3, formally An Act to Amend the Citizenship Act, eliminated Canada’s first-generation limit on citizenship by descent.
Under the change, anyone who can trace a continuous line of descent to a Canadian ancestor became a Canadian citizen, regardless of how many generations ago that ancestor lived.
This means eligibility is not limited to people with a Canadian parent. It may also apply through a grandparent, great-grandparent, or more distant ancestor, as long as the line of descent is unbroken and can be documented.
Josh Duhamel’s Canadian Ancestry
Josh Duhamel, known for his role in the Transformers franchise, has previously joked that he is “basically Canadian” because he was born only miles south of the Canadian border.
His eligibility is linked to French-Canadian ancestry through his father’s side.
The article states that:
- His father, Larry Duhamel, is one-eighth French-Canadian.
- Larry Duhamel’s grandfather, William Duhamel, was born in Stormont, Ontario.
- William Duhamel’s parents were both born in Quebec.
The surname “Duhamel” is described as French for “from the hamlet” and is common in French-Canadian communities.
Duhamel has also spoken about his ancestry on Who Do You Think You Are?, saying that his grandfather’s side of the family was from French Canada.
Why Many Americans May Qualify
Duhamel is one example of a broader group of Americans who may now be eligible for Canadian citizenship and a Canadian passport through ancestry.
The article notes that the likelihood may be especially high for Americans with roots in New England, where many French-Canadian families settled between 1840 and 1930 during a mass emigration known as the Great Hemorrhage.
Possible clues that a person may have a Canadian citizenship claim include:
- A grandparent who spoke French.
- Family roots in communities historically known for large French-Canadian populations.
- Ancestors from Quebec or other parts of Canada.
- A documented line of descent from a Canadian-born ancestor.
There is no generational limit under the rule described in the article. The key requirement is proving an unbroken line of descent from a Canadian ancestor.
How Eligible People Apply
People who qualify are already Canadian citizens by descent. They do not need to pass a citizenship test, swear an oath, or meet a Canadian residency requirement.
Instead, they must apply for a Proof of Canadian Citizenship certificate.
Applicants need compliant copies of official documents tracing their lineage back to the Canadian ancestor. These may include:
- Birth certificates.
- Marriage records.
- Death records.
For many applicants, collecting the genealogical documents is the most time-consuming part of the process.
Once the documents are prepared, applicants submit a paper application to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Canada’s citizenship department.
As of the time of writing, proof of citizenship processing takes approximately one year, though the timeline can change.
After receiving the citizenship certificate, applicants can apply for a Canadian passport. Passport processing is described as taking approximately 10 to 20 business days.
Practical Benefits
A Canadian citizenship certificate can lead to a Canadian passport and the right to live and work freely in Canada.
For Americans with Canadian ancestry, the main practical question is whether they can document the family line clearly enough to prove the claim. The citizenship right may already exist, but the proof process depends on official records linking each generation back to the Canadian ancestor.
Source article: www.cicnews.com
