Canadian citizenship by descent: A running timeline of Bill C-3 updates
Canada's proof of citizenship process changed more in the first half of 2026 than in any prior year.
As a new law extended citizenship eligibility to millions of people with Canadian ancestry, application volumes rose, processing times lengthened, and IRCC introduced new scrutiny of supporting documents.
This page tracks the major developments in Canada’s citizenship by descent law, as it happens.
Table of contents
December 15, 2025: Bill C-3 takes effect
Bill C-3 took effect on December 15, 2025, removing the first-generation limit on citizenship by descent for those born before that date.
People born abroad with Canadian ancestry can now be recognized as citizens, regardless of how many generations have passed and with no physical presence requirement.
A separate rule applies going forward: for children born or adopted abroad on or after December 15, 2025, a Canadian parent who was also born abroad must show 1,095 days of physical presence in Canada before the birth.
January: Demand starts to increase
In the months that followed the passing of the bill, those with Canadian ancestry started applying for a Canadian citizenship certificate.
IRCC data released in April showed that Americans accounted for the majority of citizenship by descent applications filed under the new rules. Nearly 2,500 applications were submitted by Americans in January alone.
Some states in the US saw more applicants than others, due to historical migration patterns between the two countries. For example roughly one in four residents of New England states qualify for Canadian citizenship under the new law.
Not all applicants chose to relocate either. Reporting in April found that many Americans who qualify are applying to obtain the passport as an option, without planning to move to Canada.
April onwards: Processing times start to increase
As application volumes rose, so did processing times. Processing times for proof of citizenship was 10 months in April. By May it had reached 12 months. By June this was 15 months.
As of July, processing times have increased to 19 months, with approximately 99,500 applicants waiting for their proof of Canadian citizenship application to be processed by Canada’s citizenship department.
May: Provincial Archives in Canada report surge in demand
The increase in applications also affected provincial and municipal record-keeping bodies.
Archives across the country reported an increase in requests for historical vital records, as applicants worked to document each generation in their family line.
This was true in the case of most Canadian provinces, including Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Ontario.
Expedited processing by the Canadian government reported for some minority groups.
In May, reporting found that IRCC had been fast-tracking citizenship certificates for transgender American applicants.
A separate report the same month found that LGBTQ applicants more broadly were also receiving expedited processing of their citizenship by descent claims.
June: IRCC reviews approved certificates and updates document requirements
IRCC notifies applicants their certificates are under review
On June 13, IRCC emailed some recent recipients of citizenship certificates telling them their citizenship claim was "under review."
- The letters that were made public cited one of two reasons for the review: that the submitted documents had not come from what IRCC considered the original source authority; or
- that an applicant who could not obtain a required document had not included a written explanation along with evidence of having tried to obtain it.
IRCC updates guidance on supporting documentation
By June 19, IRCC issued updated guidance on supporting documentation.
Among other things, the department changed its checklist language to request documents issued by the "original" authority, instead of the "appropriate" authority.
IRCC also added a new section specifying that a citizenship claim must be supported by authentic, reliable, and verifiable documents for every generation connecting the applicant to their Canadian ancestor, not only documents belonging to the ancestor.
Some certificates reinstated
By June 20, some applicants who had previously received letters telling them their claim was under review had their certificates reinstated.
Many of these applicants reported not submitting additional documentation, indicating that IRCC had reviewed the files using information already on record.
IRCC freezes new approvals pending review
On June 23, Immigration Minister Lena Diab said IRCC was not finalizing new applications while all applications were under review, and that applicants whose files were found to be in order were being notified accordingly.
IRCC declares certificate review complete
On June 30, IRCC issued a detailed public statement, saying that the review of citizenship certificates issued under Bill C-3 was complete.
It also offered details on the review, saying a routine quality check in early June had flagged 100 certificates issued under Bill C-3 as having potentially insufficient supporting documentation.Of the 100, IRCC said 33 were automatically reinstated once the department confirmed they met legal requirements, while the remaining 67 cases are being worked through.
The department said those applicants would either have their certificates reinstated or be contacted directly for more information within days.
In summary
Six months after Bill C-3 took effect, citizenship by descent has become one of the most active — and most contested — areas of Canadian immigration in 2026.
Close to 100,000 applications are awaiting processing as of July, and that number is likely to keep climbing as more people with Canadian ancestry discover their eligibility. Processing times have moved in step, nearly doubling since April.
For now, applicants are left navigating a process that increases their options but is tightening scrutiny of supporting documentation at the same time.
This page will continue to be updated as new developments emerge" or something along those lines.
Contact Cohen Immigration Law for Canadian Citizenship Assistance
The Cohen Immigration Law Firm has over 50 years of experience in Canadian immigration and citizenship, with a dedicated team that helps applicants assemble and submit complete proof of citizenship applications.
You can also confirm your eligibility first using CanadaVisa's citizenship by descent eligibility checker, or read more about applying for proof of Canadian citizenship.
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