Canada has paused all new citizenship-by-descent approvals and is reviewing certificates already granted under its updated citizenship law, according to Immigration Minister Lena Diab.
On Tuesday, June 23, Diab confirmed that Canada had stopped new approvals while reviewing files of people who had already received Canadian citizenship certificates.
People who have already been granted Canadian citizenship under the new citizenship-by-descent law will continue to have their status while the review is underway. The minister said they can also work during the review.
Diab said people whose files are “deemed to be okay” are being told they are fine.
Surrender letters and review
On June 13, Canada’s citizenship department sent surrender letters to people who had received Canadian citizenship under the updated citizenship-by-descent rules.
The letters told recipients that their citizenship claim was “under review” even though it had already been approved.
At a press conference, Diab was asked whether the review was caused by an error involving AI, advanced analytics tools, or an individual officer. She did not answer direct questions about what triggered the demand for approved citizens to return their certificates.
She said she instructed the department to investigate “the second” she became aware something was wrong.
New documentation standard
Following the review, Canada’s citizenship department issued new guidance on what it expects as proof of Canadian lineage in citizenship-by-descent applications.
The changes raise the accepted supporting-documentation standard for these applications.
Documents proving a person’s line of descent must now come from the original source authority.
Certificates already being returned
Canada has already begun returning some citizenship certificates.
Revalidation letters sent by the department state that the review of the documents is complete, that there is sufficient evidence to support the citizenship claim, and that the person is entitled to hold a certificate.
Some Canadians who received revalidation letters report that they did not submit any additional evidence after receiving surrender letters. This suggests the government reviewed their files using information already submitted.
Background
Changes to Canada’s Citizenship Act took effect on December 15, 2025.
The changes allowed people born before that date to claim Canadian citizenship without meeting a residency requirement, provided they could prove lineage from a Canadian citizen.
In February and March 2026, immigration lawyers and citizenship consultants across Canada saw a major increase in demand for proof of Canadian citizenship certificates, especially from Americans.
As of June, there were 82,000 applications in the queue. The expected processing time for incoming applications had increased to 15 months.
Source article: www.cicnews.com
