“We didn’t see this coming”: New Brunswick Archives encourages patience as Americans rush to secure documents needed for Canadian passport

The Canadian province of New Brunswick has seen genealogy-related requests quadruple after Canada passed a bill that made millions of Americans eligible for Canadian citizenship.

Bill C-3, which took effect on December 15, 2025, eliminated Canada's first-generation limit on citizenship by descent. Anyone born before that date can now claim Canadian citizenship, provided they can prove descent from a Canadian ancestor, regardless of how far back that connection goes.

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To apply for a proof of Canadian citizenship certificate, which is a prerequisite for obtaining a Canadian passport, applicants must first obtain official copies of documents proving their Canadian ancestry.

This requirement has spurred a wave of requests to Canadian archives and religious institutions, which hold the vital records needed by American proof of citizenship applicants.

As of the spring of 2026, the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick has been receiving an estimated 400 citizenship-related requests a month, according to provincial archivist Joanna Aiton Kerr. Throughout 2025, the archive saw roughly 100 genealogy-related requests per month.

"We didn't see this coming," said Aiton Kerr. "The surge in requests for vital statistics records in the wake of C-3 is putting pressure on the resources of archives across the country.”

Aiton Kerr noted that the archive began tracking citizenship-related requests as a separate category in February 2026, and that since then, they have seen a “slow but steady increase”.

Most citizenship-related requests are coming from American applicants, who are generally seeking birth records. The archive is also fielding requests for marriage certificates, death records, land records, and school cumulative files, according to Aiton Kerr.

For many Americans, the goal isn't necessarily a new life in Canada, but a backup plan. Many say they are seeking a Canadian passport as a contingency, driven by a desire for security amid political uncertainty at home. Canada's expanded eligibility has arrived at a moment of particularly high demand for second passports globally.

Much of the American interest in New Brunswick records can be traced to the Expulsion of the Acadians.

Beginning in 1755, the British government forcibly displaced thousands of French-speaking settlers from the region of Canada’s present-day Atlantic provinces, including New Brunswick. Many displaced Acadians eventually settled in parts of what is now the United States — Louisiana in particular, in the years before the Louisiana Purchase. As a matter of fact, “Acadian” is the source of the present-day word “Cajun.”

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For those considering an application, the first step is confirming eligibility by gathering the documentation needed to prove descent from a Canadian ancestor.

Archives are asking that requestors be patient while staff work through the backlog.

“Canadian archivists want to be helpful — it is our nature — and we want to connect people with the information they are seeking whenever possible,” said Aiton Kerr. “But it is going to take us longer to do it. Balancing these requests with the needs of all our clients means it will take us longer than usual to respond. Patience is the name of the game."

Some Americans have been turning to immigration lawyers or representatives for help navigating the process. Certain archives, such as the Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ), the national archives of the Canadian province of Quebec, prioritize requests from in-province residents, which has led some American applicants to seek professional assistance.

Proof of citizenship applicants are limited to hiring Canadian lawyers and Canadian licensed immigration consultants for representation, as these are the only professionals authorized by the Canadian government.

Once the necessary documents are in hand, applicants can submit a paper application for a proof of Canadian citizenship certificate, along with the required supporting documents. After receiving that certificate, they can apply for a Canadian passport, which is typically processed within 10 to 20 business days.

Because both Canada and the United States recognize dual citizenship, a U.S.-Canadian dual citizen enjoys the full rights and privileges afforded to citizens of both nations, including the right to live and work freely in both countries.

Unlike the United States, Canada does not apply a worldwide tax on its citizens. A U.S.-Canadian dual citizen will not gain any additional tax obligations upon obtaining a Canadian proof of citizenship certificate and/or Canadian passport.

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