Canada has temporarily stopped finalizing some new citizenship-by-descent applications while Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada reviews how some files were approved and later questioned. The pause follows surrender letters sent to some recent citizenship certificate recipients, asking them to return their certificates while their cases are re-examined.
According to reporting by Global News and The Canadian Press, IRCC has begun an internal review to determine how the situation occurred and says it is taking steps to ensure applications are assessed fairly and lawfully. The IRCC statement cited in the reporting has not been made public.
What happens to people who received surrender letters
The reporting gives more detail on the legal position of people who received a citizenship certificate, then received a surrender letter.
Applicants who have already moved to Canada can still work while the review is taking place. However, they cannot use a Canadian passport while their citizenship claim is under review, and IRCC says it is notifying affected people of this restriction.
Under Canadian citizenship law, applicants who have been issued a surrender letter are still considered Canadian citizens while their application is under review.
A citizenship certificate is the document used to prove a person’s citizenship status and to apply for a Canadian passport. Those who received surrender letters will have an opportunity to submit more documentary evidence.
If the review confirms the person’s Canadian lineage, the citizenship certificate is returned.
Why the certificates are being reviewed
Earlier reporting said IRCC had asked some recent recipients to return their citizenship certificates for review.
The surrender letters cited a regulation allowing the Registrar of Canadian Citizenship to request a certificate back when there is reason to question entitlement. The letters also pointed to gaps in the documents submitted by applicants.
The number of people who have received surrender letters remains unclear. The reporting refers to a few dozen people who had already been approved, but it is not clear how many total files may be affected.
The response has been sharp. Some applicants and observers argued that the government approved files and then later questioned the same evidence, effectively shifting the documentary standard after approval.
Others raised a constitutional concern that forced surrender of a citizenship certificate may be unconstitutional because it suspends a document tied to a person’s status before any final finding has been made. Those legal questions remain unresolved.
Background: Bill C-3 and the application surge
Canada’s citizenship law change took effect on December 15. Following the change, people born before that date can claim Canadian citizenship without meeting a residency requirement, provided they can trace and prove a direct line of descent, generation by generation, to a Canadian ancestor.
The change triggered a surge in applications, particularly from Americans.
Provincial archives were overwhelmed by requests for old vital records, many from Americans trying to trace Canadian roots. The proof-of-citizenship queue grew, and the wait time has climbed to roughly 15 months, with more than 82,000 applications pending.
Some applications may face even longer waits because of the temporary pause in finalizing some files.
What changes for new applicants
The law has not changed. Bill C-3 remains in force, and the eligibility rules are the same as before the pause.
What has changed is the level of documentary scrutiny new applicants should expect.
The strongest file is one that proves an unbroken line of descent using records from the offices that issued them. Applicants should not rely only on transcripts or copies from genealogy websites where stronger official records are available.
Immigration Minister Lena Diab cited both transcripts and genealogy website copies as lacking evidence in several statements made during the week.
Where an original record cannot be located, applicants should include a written explanation documenting the search effort.
Practical implications
Applicants seeking proof of Canadian citizenship by descent should expect closer review of documentary evidence, especially where a claim depends on older records across multiple generations.
A stronger application should show:
- A direct line of descent to a Canadian ancestor;
- Records for each generation in the chain;
- Official documents from issuing offices where possible;
- Explanations for missing original records;
- Evidence that addresses any gaps before submission.
The pause does not end citizenship-by-descent eligibility under Bill C-3, but it raises the practical risk of delays, evidence requests, and certificate review for files that are not fully documented from the start.
Source article: www.cicnews.com
