CIMM Committee Meeting

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Minutes of Proceedings

Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration (CIMM)

45th Parliament, 1st Session

Meeting 6

Tuesday, October 7, 2025, 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Room 225-A, West Block

Webcast

Presiding

Julie Dzerowicz, Chair (Liberal)

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Members of the Committee present

Liberal

Conservative

Bloc Québécois

Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe

Acting Members present

• Hon. Nathaniel Erskine-Smith for Salma Zahid (Liberal)

Associate Members present

• Fred Davies (Conservative)

Other Members present

• Hon. Nathaniel Erskine-Smith (Liberal)

In attendance

House of Commons

• Alexie Labelle, Legislative Clerk

• Michelle Legault, Legislative Clerk

Bill C-3, An Act to amend the Citizenship Act (2025)

Witnesses

Department of Citizenship and Immigration

• Uyen Hoang, Director General, Citizenship Branch

• Stephanie Jay-Tosh, Acting Senior Director, Citizenship Legislative Policy

• Alain Laurencelle, Team Manager and Senior Counsel, Legal Services Unit

• Allison Bernard, Senior Policy Analyst

• Jody Dewan, Senior Policy Analyst

Pursuant to the order of reference of Monday, September 22, 2025, and the motion adopted by the committee on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, the committee resumed consideration of Bill C-3, An Act to amend the Citizenship Act (2025).

It was agreed, — That the proposed budget in the amount of $5,500, for the study of Bill C-3, An Act to amend the Citizenship Act (2025), be adopted.

The witnesses answered questions.

The committee commenced its clause-by-clause study of the Bill.

The Chair called Clause 1.

On Clause 1,

Michelle Rempel Garner moved, — That Bill C-3, in Clause 1, be amended by adding after line 9 on page 2 the following:

“(4.1) Subsection 3(2) of the Act is replaced by the following:

(2) Paragraph (1)(a) does not apply to a person if, at the time of their birth, neither of their parents was a citizen, lawfully admitted to Canada for permanent residence or a protected person under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Michelle Rempel Garner and it was negatived on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Michael Ma, Costas Menegakis, Brad Redekopp, Michelle Rempel Garner — 4;

NAYS: Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Peter Fragiskatos, Amandeep Sodhi, Salma Zahid, Sameer Zuberi — 5.

At 3:47 p.m., the meeting was suspended.

At 3:50 p.m., the meeting resumed.

Michelle Rempel Garner moved, — That Bill C-3, in Clause 1, be amended

(a) by replacing line 36 on page 3 with the following:

“1,095 days during any period of five consecutive years before the person’s birth; or”

(b) by replacing line 28 on page 4 with the following:

“1,095 days during any period of five consecutive years before the person’s birth.”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Michelle Rempel Garner and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Michael Ma, Costas Menegakis, Brad Redekopp, Michelle Rempel Garner — 5;

NAYS: Peter Fragiskatos, Amandeep Sodhi, Salma Zahid, Sameer Zuberi — 4.

Nathaniel Erskine-Smith moved, — That Bill C-3, in Clause 1, be amended by adding after line 28 on page 4 the following:

“(8.1) Section 3 of the Act is amended by adding the following after subsection (3):

(3.1) Subsection (3) does not apply in respect of a person who, while a minor child, was adopted, before or after the day on which An Act to amend the Citizenship Act (2025) comes into force, by a citizen if the adoption is recognized by the province or territory in which the adoptive parent resides and was in accordance with the Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in respect of Inter-Country Adoption that was concluded on May 29, 1993 and came into force on May 1, 1995.‍”

After debate, by unanimous consent, the amendment was withdrawn.

Michelle Rempel Garner moved, — That Bill C-3, in Clause 1, be amended by adding after line 28 on page 4 the following:

“(3.1) Paragraph (1)(b) does not apply to a person born outside Canada on or after the day on which An Act to amend the Citizenship Act (2025) comes into force if the person

(a) is 18 years of age or more but less than 55 years of age and does not have an adequate knowledge of one of the official languages of Canada;

(b) is 18 years of age or more but less than 55 years of age and does not have an adequate knowledge of Canada and of the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship, as demonstrated in one of the official languages of Canada; or

(c) is 18 years of age or more and has not undergone a security assessment to determine whether or not they would be inadmissible under any of sections 34 to 37 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.”

Clause 1, as amended, carried on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Michael Ma, Costas Menegakis, Brad Redekopp, Michelle Rempel Garner — 5;

NAYS: Peter Fragiskatos, Amandeep Sodhi, Salma Zahid, Sameer Zuberi — 4.

Clause 2 carried on division.

Clause 3 carried on division.

On Clause 4,

Brad Redekopp moved, — That Bill C-3, in Clause 4, be amended

(a) by replacing line 6 on page 7 with the following:

“at least 1,095 days during any period of five consecutive years before the person’s adoption; or”

(b) by replacing line 16 on page 7 with the following:

“at least 1,095 days during any period of five consecutive years before the person’s adoption.”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Brad Redekopp and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Michael Ma, Costas Menegakis, Brad Redekopp, Michelle Rempel Garner — 5;

NAYS: Peter Fragiskatos, Amandeep Sodhi, Salma Zahid, Sameer Zuberi — 4.

Nathaniel Erskine-Smith moved, — That Bill C-3, in Clause 4, be amended by adding after line 16 on page 7 the following:

“(4.1) Subsection (4) does not apply in respect of a person who, while a minor child, was adopted, before or after the day on which An Act to amend the Citizenship Act (2025) comes into force, by a citizen if the adoption is recognized by the province or territory in which the adoptive parent resides and was in accordance with the Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in respect of Inter-Country Adoption that was concluded on May 29, 1993 and came into force on May 1, 1995.”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Nathaniel Erskine-Smith and it was negatived on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, Peter Fragiskatos, Amandeep Sodhi, Sameer Zuberi — 4;

NAYS: Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Michael Ma, Costas Menegakis, Brad Redekopp, Michelle Rempel Garner — 5.

Brad Redekopp moved, — That Bill C-3, in Clause 4, be amended by adding after line 16 on page 7 the following:

“(4.1) No person who is adopted on or after the day on which An Act to amend the Citizenship Act (2025) comes into force may be granted citizenship under any of subsections (1) to (3) if the person

(a) is 18 years of age or more but less than 55 years of age at the date of his or her application and does not have an adequate knowledge of one of the official languages of Canada;

(b) is 18 years of age or more but less than 55 years of age at the date of his or her application and does not have an adequate knowledge of Canada and of the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship, as demonstrated in one of the official languages of Canada; or

Clause 4, as amended, carried on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Peter Fragiskatos, Michael Ma, Costas Menegakis, Brad Redekopp, Michelle Rempel Garner, Amandeep Sodhi, Salma Zahid, Sameer Zuberi — 9;

NAYS: — 0.

Clause 5 carried on division.

On new Clause 5.1,

Brad Redekopp moved, — That Bill C-3 be amended by adding after line 2 on page 8 the following new clause:

“5.1 The Act is amended by adding the following after section 26:

26.1 (1) Within three months after the end of each fiscal year, the Minister must prepare an report for the previous year that sets out the number of persons who become citizens as a result of the coming into force of An Act to amend the Citizenship Act (2025), their countries of citizenship other than Canada, if any, their most recent country of residence and the provisions of this Act under which they are citizens.

(2) The Minister must cause the report to be laid before each House of Parliament on any of the first 15 days on which that House is sitting after the report is completed.”

On Clause 6,

Brad Redekopp moved, — That Bill C-3, in Clause 6, be amended by replacing line 3 on page 8 with the following:

“6 (1) Subsection 27(1) of the Act is amended by adding the following after paragraph (c):

(c.01) respecting the length of physical presence in Canada required under subparagraphs 3(3)(a)(ii), 3(3)(b)(ii), 5.1(4)(a)(ii) and 5.1(4)(b)(ii), including the manner of calculating the length of physical presence, any documents required to demonstrate that a person meets the requirement and the circumstances in which the requirement does not apply;

(2) Paragraph 27(1)‍(j.‍1) of the Act is amended by”

Clause 6, as amended, carried on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Peter Fragiskatos, Michael Ma, Costas Menegakis, Brad Redekopp, Michelle Rempel Garner, Amandeep Sodhi, Salma Zahid, Sameer Zuberi — 9;

NAYS: — 0.

On new Clause 6.1,

Brad Redekopp moved, — That Bill C-3 be amended by adding after line 13 on page 8 the following new clause:

“6.1 The Act is amended by adding the following after section 27:

27.01 (1) Within three months after the end of each fiscal year, the Minister must prepare a report for the previous year that sets out the number of persons in respect of whom the requirement to undergo a security assessment under paragraphs 3(3.1)(c) or 5.1(4.1)(c) was waived and the reasons for which it was waived.

(2) The Minister must cause the report to be laid before each House of Parliament on any of the first 15 days on which that House is sitting after the report is completed.”

Clause 7 carried on division.

The Title carried on division.

The Bill, as amended, was adopted on division.

ORDERED, — That the Chair report the Bill, as amended, to the House on division.

ORDERED, — That Bill C-3, as amended, be reprinted for the use of the House of Commons at report stage, on division.

At 5:30 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.

Rémi Bourgault

Clerk of the committee