A Flood of New Applications
Canada's citizenship certificate system is buckling under a wave of new demand, and much of it is coming from an unexpected place: the United States. CBC News has learned that applications from around the world have been climbing rapidly, but Americans make up a significant share of the surge, driven by a recent change in the law governing who qualifies for citizenship by descent.
A citizenship certificate is the official document that proves someone is a Canadian citizen — often needed to get a passport, access certain government services, or formally confirm status that was previously assumed but never documented. For years, the process moved at a predictable, if occasionally slow, pace. That's no longer the case.
Why the Surge Is Happening Now
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) points to a legislative change as the main driver. Adjustments to the rules around citizenship by descent have opened the door for more people — including many Americans with a Canadian parent or grandparent — to formally claim citizenship they may not have realized they were entitled to. With political and social uncertainty simmering south of the border in recent years, interest in dual citizenship and a potential Canadian foothold has only grown, and this legal shift gave many people a clear, concrete reason to finally apply.
The result has been a dramatic spike in submissions to IRCC, far outpacing what the department's processing capacity was built to handle.
The Cost of the Backlog
That mismatch between demand and capacity has real consequences. IRCC now says anyone applying today should expect to wait more than two years for a decision — a timeline that can complicate everything from travel plans to job opportunities to family reunification for people who assumed their Canadian status was simply a formality to confirm.
For many applicants, the certificate isn't a nice-to-have; it's the document that unlocks a Canadian passport or allows them to formally establish residency rights. A two-year wait means plans involving a move to Canada, enrolling children in Canadian schools, or accessing health coverage could all be pushed back significantly.
What It Means Going Forward
The backlog highlights a broader challenge facing IRCC as immigration and citizenship demand continues to climb across multiple streams — permanent residency, work permits, and now citizenship documentation. Whether the department will bring in additional resources or streamline processing to catch up on the current volume remains to be seen.
For now, anyone considering applying for a citizenship certificate based on Canadian ancestry should brace for a long wait — and plan accordingly if the certificate is needed for travel, work, or family reasons in the near term.
Source: CBC News
