IRCC asks about 100 'lost Canadians' to return citizenship certificates
Reports that Canada has launched a broad "new initiative" requiring new citizens to hand back their citizenship certificates overstate what actually happened. There is no new nationwide policy directing all new citizens to return their certificates.
The real story is narrower. In mid-June 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) sent letters to a small group of people who had obtained citizenship by descent under Bill C-3 — the "lost Canadians" law that came into force on December 15, 2025, removing the first-generation limit on citizenship by descent. IRCC has said the review affected roughly 100 people, who were asked to return their certificates while their files were re-examined.
According to IRCC, a routine review found that some certificates had been issued with "potentially insufficient supporting documentation." Reporting indicates a common thread: affected applicants had often established their lineage using genealogy databases such as Ancestry.ca or FamilySearch, rather than certified records obtained directly from original source authorities.
The department treated the certificates as "issued in error," a mechanism that avoids the Federal Court process normally used to revoke citizenship. That approach drew criticism from immigration lawyers, and some of those affected had already obtained passports and Social Insurance Numbers.
The situation shifted quickly. Within about a week, Ottawa reversed some of the surrender orders, and several recipients received letters confirming their citizenship claims were valid. Officials attributed part of the problem to "unclear" documentation. People who received a letter were generally told they could respond with additional documentary evidence, and that a certificate would be returned if entitlement was confirmed.
If you obtained a citizenship certificate through descent under Bill C-3 and receive a letter from IRCC, do not ignore it. Review exactly what is being requested, gather certified source documents proving your lineage, and keep copies of everything you submit.
This is general information, not legal advice — for your situation, consult an authorized immigration representative.