Some well-known People— together with Madonna and Hillary Clinton—might be thought-about Canadian residents beneath a brand new regulation.
On November 20, Invoice C-3: An Act to amend the Citizenship Act (2025) was handed by the Canadian federal authorities, eradicating the first-generation restrict (FGL) to citizenship by descent.
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This new regulation grants Canadian citizenship to those that would have in any other case been ineligible because of the FGL.
Right here’s a take a look at some well-known People who will develop into Canadian residents.
Madonna
Singer-songwriter Madonna Louise Ciccone was born in Bay Metropolis, Michigan, and at present solely holds US citizenship.
Her father, Silvio Anthony Ciccone, is a primary technology American of Italian descent, and her mom—Madonna Louise Fortin—was of French-Canadian descent.
Madonna’s maternal ancestors immigrated to present-day Quebec from the Perche area within the seventeenth century, making Madonna a Canadian citizen following Invoice C-3 coming into pressure.
Viggo Mortensen
Viggo Mortensen, greatest identified for his roles as Aragorn within the “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy and Tony in “Inexperienced Guide,” will quickly develop into a Canadian citizen.
Mortensen was born in New York Metropolis to an American mom (Grace Gamble) and a Danish father (Viggo Peter Mortensen Sr.).
His proper to Canadian citizenship comes by way of his grandfather on his mom’s facet—Walter Sydney Atkinson—who was born in Parrsboro, Nova Scotia.
As of now, Mortensen at present holds twin citizenship of the US and of Denmark.
Lily Collins
Actress and mannequin Lily Collins, daughter of UK musician Phil Collins and US vintage retailer proprietor Jill Tavelman, was born in England and moved to Los Angeles at age 5.
She at present holds twin citizenship of the UK and the US, and might be a Canadian citizen following Invoice C-3 coming into impact.
Whereas neither of her mother and father had been born in Canada, her maternal grandfather, Jack Tavelman, was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba—and later moved to the US, the place he owned a males’s clothes retailer in Beverly Hills, California.
Hillary Clinton
At present solely holding US citizenship, former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton might be thought-about a Canadian citizen following Invoice C-3 coming into pressure.
Each she and her mother and father had been born within the US, however when you dig deeper into her ancestral historical past, Clinton (born Hillary Diane Rodham) has Quebec roots that date again to New France.
Her maternal grandmother, Della Murray, comes from a big household that had French-Canadian roots, in response to Clinton’s 2003 memoir “Dwelling Historical past.” Her matrilineal line goes all the best way again to Jeanne Ducorps, who got here to Quebec as a Filles du Roi.
These household ties additionally make Clinton a distant relative of different well-known Canadians corresponding to Justin Trudeau, Celine Dion, Madonna, and Angelina Jolie.
Jack White
Standard singer-songwriter, guitarist, and drummer Jack White (born John Anthony Gillis) is an American citizen, born in Detroit, Michigan.
Each his mother and father had been born in Michigan. His mom was of Polish descent, whereas his father was of Scottish-Canadian descent.
His ancestral ties to Canada will make him a Canadian citizen when Invoice C-3 comes into impact.
White’s paternal grandfather, Frank Gillis, was born in Nova Scotia, Canada, and his paternal grandmother (Florence Might MacIsaac) was born in Boston to Canadian mother and father from Inverness, Nova Scotia.
About Invoice C-3
The FGL, launched to the Citizenship Act in 2009, limits citizenship by descent to the primary technology, making kids born outdoors Canada to Canadian residents by descent unable to inherit Canadian citizenship.
In response, Invoice C-3, “An Act to amend the Citizenship Act (2025),” was launched in 2025.
Invoice C-3 grants citizenship to these affected by the FGL to citizenship by descent, and shifting ahead would enable Canadian residents by descent to move on their citizenship by descent, topic to a considerable connection to Canada check.
It’s price noting that whereas Invoice C-3 has develop into regulation, the date when the regulation will come into pressure has but to be introduced.
Interim measures
Till Invoice C-3 comes into impact, Canada’s interim measures stay in place.
These interim measures had been introduced in March of 2025 to assist these affected by FGL till Invoice C-3 comes into impact.
That implies that any of the celebrities talked about above—in addition to others affected by Canada’s FGL—can at present submit a web based software for Canadian proof of citizenship.
These making use of utilizing the interim measures won’t should re-apply when the brand new guidelines come into impact.
Get a Free Authorized Session on Making use of for Proof of Canadian Citizenship

