Canada issued nearly 29,000 proof of citizenship certificates in five months, with 82,000 still…
Between January 1 and May 31, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada issued 28,940 citizenship certificates to proof of citizenship applicants. A proof of citizenship application is for people who are already Canadian citizens and need to get or replace a Canadian citizenship certificate. The department published this data on July 21, providing insight into the surge in demand for these certificates since Bill C-3 took effect in December 2025.
The surge in applications can be attributed to the extension of citizenship by descent to millions of people, most of them in the United States, under Bill C-3. Prior to this change, the first-generation limit blocked someone born outside Canada from claiming citizenship through a Canadian parent if that parent had also been born abroad. Removing this limit opened citizenship to anyone who can trace their lineage to a Canadian grandparent, great-grandparent, or earlier ancestor. This change has particularly affected individuals with French-Canadian ancestry, as roughly 900,000 French Canadians left Quebec and the Maritimes for New England between the mid-19th century and the early 20th century.
The 28,940 certificates issued represent only part of the picture, as IRCC's data also shows 82,020 proof of citizenship applications were still awaiting finalization as of May 31. This means nearly three applications remained in the queue for every one that was finalized. The department received more than 12,000 citizenship by descent applications between December 15, 2025, and the end of January, and approved almost 6,300 of them in that window. Only 1,480 of those approvals were made under the expanded citizenship by descent eligibility introduced by Bill C-3. U.S. citizens accounted for the largest share, with nearly 2,500 Americans approved in January alone.
According to the data, "nearly three applications remained in the queue for every one that was finalized" as of May 31. This backlog is likely due to the increased demand for proof of citizenship certificates, which has put a strain on the processing system. Provincial archives, which hold many of the vital records applicants need to document their lineage, have also reported being overwhelmed by requests, adding further delays to an already lengthening process.
The surge in applications has primarily affected individuals who are already Canadian citizens and need to obtain a proof of citizenship certificate, including those with French-Canadian ancestry and U.S. citizens. These individuals are now eligible for Canadian citizenship by descent and are applying for proof of citizenship certificates to confirm their status. The increased demand has also affected provincial archives, which are struggling to keep up with the volume of requests for vital records.
For those affected by the changes, the next step is to check the status of their application through the IRCC website or to submit a new application if they have not already done so. It is also important to note that processing times for proof of citizenship applications have climbed significantly, from roughly nine months in November 2025 to 19 months as of July 2026. Applicants can visit the IRCC website for more information on the application process and to track the status of their application.