Prince Edward Island Archives logs four years worth of document requests in four months, as Americans rush for Canadian passports

The Public Archives and Records Office of the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island has seen a drastic surge in document requests from Americans seeking Canadian ancestry records, after Canada changed its citizenship laws in December 2025.

Bill C-3, which took effect on December 15, 2025, eliminated Canada's first-generation limit on citizenship by descent, opening citizenship up to those who can prove descent from a Canadian ancestor — regardless of how many generations back that connection goes.

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To apply for a proof of Canadian citizenship certificate, a prerequisite for obtaining a Canadian passport, applicants must first gather official copies of documents establishing their Canadian ancestry. That requirement has sent a wave of requests into provincial archives and records offices across Canada, Prince Edward Island’s among them.

Four years of requests in four months

According to a spokesperson for PEI’s Public Archives and Records Office, the number of monthly requests for ancestry records has increased by 150%.

Based on figures provided by the PEI archives, this increase seems even greater. Throughout all of 2025, the office received 585 requests. In contrast, from January 1 to the end of April 2026 alone, the office received 1,776 requests — and May has already added another 732 on top of that.

“We currently have received four years' worth of requests in four months,” the spokesperson stated.

Staff noticed an uptick in requests beginning in October 2025, when the Canadian government introduced interim measures allowing those with Canadian ancestry to apply for a discretionary grant of Canadian citizenship.

The spike in requests only grew into the new year.

"Coming back from Christmas holidays, we came back to a large amount of requests," the office said. "It was instant, and requests are only increasing as time goes on."

The Public Archives and Records Office reports that 99.9% of requests have come from American applicants, with a small number arriving from other countries, including Ireland, Australia, and France.

Beyond birth records, the office reports that applicants are primarily seeking a range of vital statistics documents, including baptismal records, marriage certificates, death records, and census records — all commonly needed to build the paper trail required to prove a line of Canadian ancestry.

Wait times have increased from weeks to months

The backlog is having a direct impact on processing times. Where the office would previously have responded to requests within a week at most, applicants are now being advised to expect a wait of approximately three months.

"This is not an accurate estimate," the office cautioned, "as our numbers are still surging, so these numbers are likely to increase."

PEI is not alone. Archives across the country have been contending with similar pressures. Quebec's Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ) has reported a 3,000% increase in requests. The Provincial Archives of New Brunswick has seen genealogy-related requests quadruple in 2026, when compared to 2025. Many provincial archives have reported an increase in wait times for a response, sometimes six weeks or longer, as of time of writing.

The Public Archives and Records Office of PEI is also asking applicants to be patient.

"We have several online resources available to help people locate and order these type of records. We do not offer any expedition of the process nor can we provide any timeline updates. We ask that individuals not resubmit requests or reach out to us in regards to wait times."

At the federal level, processing times for proof of Canadian citizenship certificates have extended to a year, as Canada's citizenship department works through a surging caseload. That means that processing for applications submitted today may only be completed by May 2027.

Thinking of applying?

For Americans considering an application for proof of Canadian citizenship, the first step is confirming eligibility and identifying which documents will be needed to establish descent from a Canadian ancestor.

Applicants can request copies of documents such as birth certificates from regional vital statistics offices. Those looking for baptismal records or marriage records will have to look at local churches. Since regional vital statistics offices only keep records for the past 100 or 120 years, those tracing their genealogy beyond that need to contact regional archives to obtain records.

For many, locating required documentation and obtaining official records may be the most time-consuming portion of the application.

After collecting the documentation, the next step is completing a paper application package, with the required documentation and photographs, and paying the fee.

Those who successfully receive their Canadian citizenship certificate can use it to apply for a Canadian passport, which is typically processed within 10 to 20 business days.

Given the complexity of gathering documents and the significant processing times involved, many Americans are choosing to work with an experienced immigration lawyer. A lawyer can help ensure an application is thoroughly prepared and correctly submitted, reducing the risk of delays or rejection that could add even more time to an already lengthy wait.

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