Muhammad Amanullah | August 18, 2026
The True Post — Canada: Applications from people seeking Canadian citizenship have surged in recent months, with a significant share coming from the United States. Following changes to Canada’s citizenship law, growing numbers of people are seeking to establish their eligibility for Canadian citizenship through ancestors who may have left Canada several generations ago.
Citizenship Certificate Applications Rise Sharply
According to data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the number of people receiving citizenship certificates under Bill C-3 increased by nearly 50 per cent between April 1 and May 31.
From the middle of December, when Bill C-3 came into effect, through May 31, approximately 6,100 people had received Canadian citizenship certificates under the new law. By comparison, 4,075 certificates had been issued by March 31.
An additional 17,390 people received citizenship certificates on the basis that one of their parents was a Canadian citizen.
What Is Bill C-3?
Bill C-3 expanded the scope of Canadian citizenship.
Under the legislation, people may be eligible for Canadian citizenship if they can establish a connection to a Canadian citizen ancestor, even if that ancestor left Canada several generations ago.
The legislation was introduced following a court ruling that found the previous restriction limiting citizenship to people born abroad in the first generation to be overly restrictive.
Thousands of Americans Are Becoming Canadian Citizens
American citizens make up a significant portion of those benefiting from the new rules.
According to the available figures, 3,110 American citizens received Canadian citizenship certificates under Bill C-3 between mid-December and the end of May.
Another 8,125 American citizens received citizenship certificates because one of their parents had been born in Canada.
This means Americans represent a substantial share of people gaining recognition as Canadian citizens under the new and existing citizenship rules.
This May Only Be the Beginning
So far, approximately 23,490 people have been recognized as Canadian citizens and issued citizenship certificates.
These individuals can now apply for Canadian passports and have the right to live and work in Canada.
However, Elections Canada says such new citizens cannot vote in federal elections unless they have lived in Canada at some point in their lives.
Officials and experts say the current numbers may represent only a fraction of the people who could eventually become eligible for Canadian citizenship under Bill C-3.
Growing Backlog of Applications
The surge in citizenship certificate applications has had a major impact on the number of pending cases.
In April, approximately 56,000 applications were awaiting decisions. By May, that figure had increased to 70,400.
According to the latest information available on the immigration department’s website, approximately 121,800 people are now waiting for a decision on citizenship certificate-related applications.
These applications include people making citizenship claims under Bill C-3 for the first time, as well as individuals seeking replacement certificates for lost or stolen citizenship documents.
Processing Times Nearly Double
The increase in applications has also significantly affected expected processing times.
In May, applicants were being told to expect a wait of approximately 12 months. By August 10, the estimated processing time had increased to 25 months.
The longer processing period is creating additional difficulties for people seeking to benefit from the new law, particularly applicants who must provide historical documentation covering several generations of their families.
How Many People Could Become Eligible?
There are different estimates of how many people could potentially qualify for citizenship under Bill C-3.
During the 19th and 20th centuries, large numbers of Canadians, particularly people from Quebec, moved to the United States for employment.
Many of their descendants have since been born and raised in the United States.
The Parliamentary Budget Officer has estimated that changes to the citizenship law could affect approximately 115,000 people.
Government Also Surprised by the Demand
Before the new legislation came into effect, former Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab told a parliamentary committee that the government was not expecting a major surge in applications.
She said applications could eventually reach tens of thousands over time but indicated that a sudden and significant increase was not expected.
Recent figures have painted a different picture, with applications increasing rapidly and authorities now facing a substantial backlog.
Archives Facing Increased Pressure
Applicants seeking citizenship may need to prove their connection to Canadian ancestors using old family records, birth certificates, marriage records, travel documents and other historical evidence.
The surge has also placed unusual pressure on Canadian archives and institutions that maintain genealogical records.
Elissa Hyde, president of the Association of Canadian Archivists, said some institutions have experienced increases of between 100 and 300 per cent in requests for genealogical records.
She said some applicants require records dating back hundreds of years, forcing archivists to handle a large volume of requests despite limited resources.
Finding Historical Records Can Be Difficult
Some records required for citizenship applications date back to periods before Canada was even established.
Certain documents are preserved in small church archives, while some passenger records from historic ships are available only on microfilm.
These records cannot always be found through ordinary digital searches. Archivists may sometimes have to examine handwritten documents page by page to locate an individual’s name.
The additional workload could also affect other archival users and people conducting unrelated historical research.
Archivists Call for More Funding
The Association of Canadian Archivists has called on the federal government to provide additional funding to archives across the country so they can handle the increased demand for records created by Bill C-3.
Archive representatives say the additional workload comes at a time when the federal government has reduced funding for a Library and Archives Canada program by $1.5 million annually.
Archivists argue that they are facing significantly increased demand while having fewer financial resources to handle it.
Another Wave of Applications Could Follow
Archivists are concerned that demand could increase further, particularly in cases where immigration officials determine that documents previously submitted by applicants are insufficient.
In June, immigration authorities temporarily suspended approximately 100 citizenship certificates that had already been issued after identifying potential problems with supporting documentation.
Of those cases, 83 were subsequently resolved and the certificates were restored, while another 17 individuals were given an opportunity to provide additional documents proving their Canadian ancestry.
Political Pressure Is Growing
If applicants cannot provide the required evidence, some citizenship certificates could eventually be cancelled.
NDP immigration critic Jenny Kwan said she had received numerous letters and requests from people whose citizenship certificates had been suspended.
Bill C-3 has opened a pathway to Canadian citizenship for thousands of people, but the sharp increase in applications has also created a new administrative challenge for immigration officials, archivists and applicants.
The government now faces the task of processing the growing number of applications in a timely manner while maintaining transparency and ensuring that citizenship claims continue to undergo appropriate document verification.
