Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued 28,940 proof of citizenship certificates between January 1 and May 31 2026, but 82,020 applications remained pending at the end of May, pushing average processing times to roughly 19 months.
Application volume
- Certificates issued: 28,940 (Jan – May 2026)
- Applications awaiting finalization: 82,020 (as of May 31 2026) – about three pending cases for every certificate issued.
- The data represent the first set of finalization figures IRCC has published specifically for proof‑of‑citizenship requests.
Processing times
- November 2025: average processing time ≈ 9 months (pre‑Bill C‑3).
- July 2026: average processing time ≈ 19 months, more than double the earlier figure.
- Provincial archives that store vital records needed for lineage verification report being overwhelmed by the surge in requests, contributing to the delay.
Why applications have spiked
The increase follows the amendment to the Citizenship Act that took effect on December 15 2025 (Bill C‑3). The amendment removed the first‑generation limit, allowing 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 change opened eligibility to millions, especially U.S. citizens with French‑Canadian ancestry.
- Between December 15 2025 and end January 2026, more than 12,000 citizenship‑by‑descent applications were received, with almost 6,300 approvals; only 1,480 of those approvals fell under the expanded eligibility.
- In January 2026 alone, nearly 2,500 American applicants were approved.
Proof of citizenship vs. citizenship grants
| Category | Who applies | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Proof of citizenship | Individuals already Canadian citizens (by birth, descent, or prior grant) who need an official certificate. | Issuance of a citizenship certificate, which can be used for passports or other official purposes. |
| Citizenship grants | Permanent residents applying for citizenship for the first time. | IRCC finalized 131,420 grants (Jan – May 2026) with 326,365 still pending as of May 31 2026. |
Applicants seeking a passport or other official documentation must first obtain a proof‑of‑citizenship certificate under the expanded descent rules.
Source article: www.cicnews.com
