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In depth
A 'Lost Canadian' is a person who lost or never received Canadian citizenship due to outdated provisions of the Citizenship Act. The term was coined in the 2000s by advocates fighting for citizenship rights for those affected by historical legislative gaps.
Lost Canadians include: (1) people born before 1947 (when the first Canadian Citizenship Act took effect), (2) children of Canadian mothers born before 1977 (when gender-equal transmission was introduced), (3) those who lost citizenship by naturalizing abroad before 1977, and (4) second-generation+ born abroad under the 2009/2015 first-generation limit.
Bill C-71 (2025) retroactively reinstates citizenship for most Lost Canadians — they are deemed to have been citizens since birth or since the date they would have become citizens.
Related terms
Bill C-71 (Strengthening Canadian Citizenship Act, 2025) is the Canadian law that restored citizenship to beyond-first-generation descendants of Canadians born abroad.
The Citizenship Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. C-29) is the principal Canadian citizenship law, amended by Bill C-71 in 2025.
IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) is the Canadian government department that processes citizenship applications.
The substantial connection test is the Bill C-71 requirement that beyond-first-generation descendants of Canadians born abroad have 1,095 days of physical presence in Canada.