Canada's updated citizenship law has turned a number of Americans into U.S.-Canadian dual citizens overnight, and Shiloh Jolie — the daughter of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt — is reportedly among them, according to a CIC News report.

The change matters well beyond celebrity households. It flows from amendments to Canada's Citizenship Act that restored or extended citizenship to people who had been excluded by earlier provisions of the law — a group long known as "Lost Canadians." For affected individuals born in the United States or elsewhere abroad, the fix means they now hold Canadian citizenship by descent alongside their American nationality, without having to apply, pay fees, or renounce their existing status.

What changed

Canada's citizenship rules previously limited how far citizenship could pass down to children born outside the country. Under the old framework, a person born abroad to a Canadian parent could pass citizenship to their own foreign-born children only in limited circumstances. That cut-off left some descendants of Canadians without a route to citizenship, even though their parent or grandparent was Canadian.

The legislative amendment closes that gap. It allows Canadian citizenship to pass to a broader category of people born outside Canada to Canadian parents, correcting an outcome that parliamentarians and advocacy groups had criticized for years. People who qualify under the amended provisions hold dual citizenship automatically where their other nationality — in this case American — permits it. The United States allows dual nationality, so Americans who gain Canadian citizenship under the new law keep both passports.

Who is affected

The report highlights Shiloh Jolie as one example. Her mother, Angelina Jolie, filed for divorce from Brad Pitt in 2016, and the family has long been in the public eye. CIC News identifies her among the Americans who now hold dual U.S.-Canadian citizenship as a result of the legal change. Her case illustrates the practical reach of the amendment: children and grandchildren of Canadian citizens born abroad can now confirm their status, and in many instances they already hold it.

The affected population includes two main groups. First, people who were previously denied citizenship because of the old first-generation limit and can now be recognized as citizens. Second, individuals who were citizens already but whose ability to pass citizenship to their own children born abroad was uncertain; the amendment clarifies their position.

What affected Americans should do

Anyone who believes the new provisions apply to them should verify their status through official channels rather than assume the outcome. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) publishes guidance on proof of citizenship, including citizenship certificates, which serve as the official document confirming Canadian status for those born abroad. Applying for a citizenship certificate is the standard step for people who need documentary proof — for a passport, for example.

Dual citizens should also note that Canada, like the United States, treats its citizens as citizens regardless of any other passport they hold. Entering Canada as a Canadian citizen requires a Canadian certificate or passport once status is confirmed.

The change does not create an application deadline, and it does not require affected individuals to choose between nationalities. Americans who qualify simply hold both.

Anyone uncertain about their own situation should consult IRCC's official guidance on citizenship by descent and proof of Canadian citizenship, which reflects the amended law in force.