The Canadian passport has become Americans’ backup of choice
This spring, thousands of Americans have found what they believe might be the perfect backup plan: a Canadian passport.
Last December, Canada eliminated the generational limit to inheriting Canadian citizenship for people born before December 15, 2025, making millions of Americans eligible for dual citizenship overnight.
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Since then, the processing time for proof of Canadian citizenship certificates has doubled in under a year, from five months in July 2025 to 10 months today.
Canadian provincial archives, from which Americans must request official copies of documents proving their ancestry, are being overwhelmed.
Quebec's national archives has seen a 3,000% increase in document requests. Nova Scotia received more requests in the first three months of 2026 than it did in all of 2024. And New Brunswick's requests have quadrupled, yielding a backlog of over 1,000 requests, with 400 new ones arriving every month.
The vast majority of these requests are from Americans, many of whom have no immediate intention of moving to Canada, but have become increasingly uneasy in today’s era of ICE raids, executive orders against birthright citizenship, and the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
As U.S.-Canadian dual citizens, Americans with Canadian ancestry hold the full rights and privileges of both countries, including the unconditional right to enter, live, and work in Canada permanently. Their Canadian citizenship comes with no additional tax obligations. Unlike the United States, Canada imposes no worldwide tax on its citizens.
How to apply
If you have even one Canadian ancestor, no matter how many generations removed, you’re eligible for Canadian citizenship.
To apply, you’ll need to submit a complete application form to Canada’s citizenship department and include official copies of the necessary documents proving your Canadian ancestry, such as birth certificates and marriage licenses.
Once you receive the certificate, you can apply for a Canadian passport, which currently takes 10 to 20 business days.
You can check whether you may be eligible using CanadaVisa's citizenship by descent calculator.
- Do you need Canadian immigration assistance? Contact the Contact Cohen Immigration Law firm by completing our form
- Send us your feedback or your non-legal assistance questions by emailing us at media@canadavisa.com
