Canada issued nearly 29,000 proof of citizenship certificates in five months, with 82,000 still waiting

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued 28,940 citizenship certificates to proof of citizenship applicants between January 1 and May 31, 2026, according to new data the department published on July 21.

A proof of citizenship application is for people who are already Canadian citizens — whether by birth, descent, or a prior grant — and need to get or replace a Canadian citizenship certificate.

Get a Free Consultation on Applying for Proof of Canadian Citizenship

Demand for these certificates has surged since Bill C-3 took effect in December 2025, extending citizenship by descent to millions of people, most of them in the United States.

What the numbers show

The 28,940 certificates issued represent only part of the picture. IRCC's data also shows 82,020 proof of citizenship applications were still awaiting finalization as of May 31 — meaning nearly three applications remained in the queue for every one that was finalized.

This is the first time IRCC has published finalization figures for proof of citizenship specifically, on its newly revamped "Inside IRCC's application processing system” webpage.

As reported by news outlets, the department received more than 12,000 citizenship by descent applications between December 15, 2025 and the end of January, and approved almost 6,300 of them in that window. Only 1,480 of those approvals were made under the expanded citizenship by descent eligibility introduced by Bill C-3.

U.S. citizens accounted for the largest share, with nearly 2,500 Americans approved in January alone.

Processing times are climbing

Since the passing of Bill C-3, processing times for proof of citizenship applications has climbed.

In November 2025, one month prior to the passing of Bill C-3, the processing time was roughly nine months. As of July 2026, that has soared to 19 months – which means it has more than doubled.

Provincial archives, which hold many of the vital records applicants need to document their lineage, have also reported being overwhelmed by requests, adding further delays to an already lengthening process.

Why so many people are applying right now

The surge traces back to a change in the Citizenship Act that took effect on December 15, 2025, removing the first-generation limit for people born before that date. Previously, the first-generation limit blocked someone born outside Canada from claiming citizenship through a Canadian parent if that parent had also been born abroad.

Removing that limit opened citizenship to anyone who can trace their lineage to a Canadian grandparent, great-grandparent, or earlier ancestor — even if neither they nor their parents were ever born in Canada.

A large share of those newly eligible applicants are Americans with French-Canadian ancestry. Between the mid-19th century and the early 20th century, roughly 900,000 French Canadians left Quebec and the Maritimes for New England, drawn by jobs in the region's textile mills. Their descendants, many carrying French surnames, are now among the people discovering they may qualify for Canadian citizenship by descent.

To use that eligibility — for a passport or any other official purpose — these newly recognized citizens still need a proof of citizenship certificate from IRCC.

Proof of citizenship vs. citizenship grants

Two distinct application types fall under Canadian citizenship, and the difference matters for anyone trying to understand their own status.

• Proof of citizenship is for people who are already citizens and need a certificate confirming it. This is the category behind most of the recent wave of applicants relying on the expanded citizenship by descent rules. Those who are successful receive a Canadian citizenship certificate, which can then be used to apply for a Canadian passport.
• Citizenship grants are for permanent residents applying to become citizens for the first time. IRCC finalized 131,420 of these applications between January 1 and May 31, with 326,365 still awaiting a decision as of May 31.

Get a Free Consultation on Applying for Proof of Canadian Citizenship