Americans’ growing frustration with domestic politics is coinciding with a sharp rise in applications for Canadian citizenship by descent, a trend analysts are calling the “Mark Carney effect.”
Discontent with U.S. leadership
- An Associated Press‑NORC poll of 1,165 adults (late July) found 72 % of Americans think the country is on the wrong track.
- 48 % have “hardly any confidence” in the executive branch, and 53 % feel the same about Congress.
- Only one‑third approve of the president’s performance.
A Gallup survey reported that about 20 % of Americans would like to leave the United States permanently if they could, with political attitudes now a primary driver—a shift that began after the 2016 election.
Trade tensions have added to the mood: a POLITICO/Public First poll showed 56 % of Americans view the recent U.S. tariffs on Canada as “wrong,” and roughly a third support Canada’s retaliatory measures.
The “Mark Carney effect”
Prime Minister Mark Carney enjoys high domestic approval. A Spark Insights survey of 6,535 Canadians recorded 70 % overall approval of the Carney government, the highest level in the firm’s tracking, and 74 % said he is handling U.S. relations well.
The goodwill toward Carney’s leadership appears to be influencing citizenship claims. Debra Majer, a religious archivist in London, Ontario, noted a flood of record‑request letters from Americans praising Canada’s universal health care and expressing a wish that Carney were their leader—a phenomenon she dubbed the “Mark Carney effect.”
Bill C‑3 opens a new pathway
Effective 15 December 2025, Bill C‑3 amended the Canadian Citizenship Act by removing the first‑generation limit. The change allows individuals born abroad to claim citizenship through an unbroken line of descent from any Canadian ancestor—grandparent, great‑grandparent, or further back—provided they can document the lineage.
Key points of the amendment:
- No longer limited to the first generation born outside Canada.
- Applies to Americans born before the bill’s effective date who can prove continuous descent.
- For children born abroad on or after 15 December 2025, a Canadian parent who was also born abroad must have spent at least 1,095 days (≈ 3 years) in Canada before the child’s birth.
Surge in applications and processing delays
- In January 2026, the number of proof‑of‑citizenship applications from U.S. citizens exceeded the combined total from the next nine source countries.
- The waiting list grew from 70,400 cases in May 2026 to 136,000 in September 2026—almost a doubling in four months.
- Processing time for a proof‑of‑citizenship application reached 33 months as of September 2026 and is updated monthly.
Given the lengthy processing period, applicants are increasingly seeking assistance from qualified immigration lawyers to ensure their submissions are complete and accurate.
Benefits of a Canadian citizenship certificate
A citizenship certificate confirms a status that many Americans already hold under the law and confers the full suite of rights enjoyed by Canadian citizens:
- Right to live, work, and study anywhere in Canada without a visa or permit.
- Dual citizenship is permitted; U.S. citizenship is not forfeited.
- Eligibility for a Canadian passport, which currently ranks higher than the U.S. passport in global mobility indexes.
- Access for younger citizens (under 30, or under 35 in some programs) to International Experience Canada (IEC) youth‑mobility agreements, allowing temporary work and residence in partner countries, including many EU members.
- Ability to settle in Canada and receive public health care and social services.
- No additional Canadian tax obligations for those who remain U.S. residents, as Canada taxes based on residency, not citizenship.
- The certificate can be passed to the next generation under the same lineage rules, providing a long‑term “backup” passport or retirement option.
These factors, combined with political dissatisfaction at home, are driving a notable increase in Americans pursuing Canadian citizenship by descent.
Source article: www.cicnews.com
