Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued 28,940 proof‑of‑citizenship certificates between January 1 and May 31 2026, but 82,020 applications were still awaiting finalization at the end of May. The backlog follows a sharp increase in demand after Bill C‑3 expanded citizenship‑by‑descent eligibility.
Numbers issued and pending
- Certificates issued (Jan – May 2026): 28,940
- Applications still awaiting finalization (as of May 31 2026): 82,020
- This means roughly three applications remain in the queue for every certificate that was processed.
Processing times
- November 2025 (pre‑Bill C‑3): average processing time ≈ 9 months.
- July 2026: average processing time rose to ≈ 19 months, more than double the earlier figure.
- Provincial archives, which store many of the vital records needed for lineage verification, have reported being overwhelmed by the surge in requests, contributing to longer processing times.
Why the surge
- Bill C‑3, which took effect on December 15 2025, removed the first‑generation limit in the Citizenship Act. The change allows anyone who can trace ancestry to a Canadian grandparent, great‑grandparent, or earlier ancestor to claim citizenship, even if neither they nor their parents were born in Canada.
- The amendment opened eligibility to millions of people, particularly U.S. citizens with French‑Canadian ancestry. Between the mid‑19th century and early 20th century, roughly 900,000 French Canadians migrated to New England; many of their descendants are now applying under the new rules.
- U.S. citizens accounted for the largest share of approvals, with nearly 2,500 Americans approved in January 2026 alone.
Proof of citizenship vs. citizenship grants
- Proof of citizenship: For individuals who are already Canadian citizens (by birth, descent, or prior grant) and need an official certificate. This category includes most of the recent applications driven by the expanded descent rules. The certificate is required to obtain a Canadian passport or other official documents.
- Citizenship grants: For permanent residents applying to become citizens for the first time. IRCC finalized 131,420 citizenship‑grant applications in the same January‑May 2026 period, with 326,365 still pending as of May 31.
The data illustrate how legislative changes can rapidly alter demand for immigration services, leading to significant backlogs and longer processing times for applicants.
Source article: www.cicnews.com
