IRCC Asks Some Bill C-3 Recipients to Return Citizenship Certificates
In June 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) sent letters to a group of people who had recently received proof-of-citizenship certificates under Bill C-3, asking them to return the documents while their files were reviewed. This was not a blanket demand for all newly issued citizenship certificates, and it was not a mass revocation of citizenship.
Bill C-3 received Royal Assent on November 20, 2025 and came into force on December 15, 2025. It removed the first-generation limit on citizenship by descent, restoring a path to citizenship for many people long known as "Lost Canadians." The June 2026 letters went to a subset of those granted certificates under the new rules — reported to be among roughly 4,075 people, about half of them born in the United States.
According to reporting, IRCC said it had information suggesting some recipients may not have been entitled to the certificate that was issued. The recurring concern was documentation: some applications were supported by records that did not come from the original source authority, such as a civil registry or vital-statistics office. The letters were issued as surrender notices under subsection 26(1) of the Citizenship Regulations, which is a review mechanism, not a revocation.
The situation changed quickly. Within days, IRCC began sending "revalidation letters" telling many recipients that their files had been reviewed, that there was sufficient evidence to support their claim, and that they could keep their certificates. Officials later attributed the confusion in part to unclear internal guidance.
If you received a letter from IRCC about your certificate, it relates to a document review tied to Bill C-3 descent claims. It does not affect Canadians naturalized through the ordinary citizenship process, and the specific status of any individual file depends on IRCC's review of that file.
This is general information, not legal advice — for your situation, consult an authorized immigration representative.