Michigan and Canada have shared a close connection for hundreds of years. Because of this long history, many people living in Michigan today may already be Canadian citizens without knowing it.
The state shares a border with Ontario & has strong historical, cultural, and family ties with Canada. Over the years, thousands of families moved between the two countries, often settling on either side of the border.
In fact, Detroit, Michigan’s largest city, was once a French settlement connected to the fur trade and governed from Quebec. Many well-known family names that still appear on Detroit’s streets today date back to that early period.
A latest update to Canada’s citizenship law has made these historical ties even more important. Under the new rules, many people with Canadian ancestors may now qualify for Canadian citizenship by descent. As a result, tens of thousands of people in Michigan could already be Canadian citizens, even if they have never lived in or visited Canada.
What Recent Figures Reveal?
According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey, around 32,000 people in Michigan reported Canadian ancestry. Another 114,000 identified themselves as having French-Canadian ancestry. These are counted as separate ancestry groups in the survey.
Since these numbers are based on self-reported information, the actual number of people with Canadian family roots could be much higher. Many families may not know the full details of their ancestry or may not have reported it.
The reason family history has become more important is because of Bill C-3, which came into effect on December 15, 2025. The new law removed the previous first-generation limit on Canadian citizenship by descent for many people born before that date.
Under the earlier rules, citizenship usually could not pass beyond the first generation born outside Canada. The updated law has changed that for many cases. A person born outside Canada before December 15, 2025, may now qualify for Canadian citizenship if there is an unbroken family line connecting them to a Canadian ancestor, whether that ancestor is a grandparent, great-grandparent, or from an even earlier generation.
Why So Many Michiganders May Qualify?
Michigan has been one of the main destinations for Canadians moving to the United States for well over a century.
By the year 1900, Michigan ranked among the top five U.S. states receiving Canadian immigrants. The other states were Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, and Illinois.
Several reasons explain why so many Canadians settled in Michigan. The short distance between the two regions made travel easy. At the same time, growing industries created many new job opportunities.
During much of the 1800s, the Canada-U.S. border was not closely monitored. People could often travel between Ontario and Michigan without formal checks or official records.
Government records for people entering the United States from Canada generally began in 1895. Because of this, many earlier crossings were never officially recorded. Families often moved across the border for work, farming, or to join relatives already living in Michigan.
The growth of Michigan’s automobile industry also attracted many workers. Henry Ford established the Ford Motor Company in Detroit in 1903. A few years later, General Motors was founded in Flint in 1908.
As car manufacturing expanded, factories needed more workers. Thousands of immigrants arrived from Canada & Europe to fill these jobs. Many decided to remain in Michigan permanently and became part of local communities.
Moreover, the Detroit-Windsor crossing has remained one of the busiest land border crossings between Canada and the United States for generations. Other Michigan border locations, including Port Huron, Bay City, and Sault Ste. Marie, also welcomed a steady flow of travellers and new residents over many years.
Michigan’s French-Canadian history goes back even further. Detroit was founded as a French settlement in 1701 by Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, who led an expedition from Montreal.
Although British forces took control of the city in 1760, many French families stayed in the area. Their descendants continue to live in Michigan today and remain an important part of the state’s history.
The state continues to recognize these historical ties. In 2016, Michigan officially declared one week in late September as French-Canadian Heritage Week. The celebration honours the cultural, social, and economic contributions made by French-Canadians across the state.
What Does This Mean For Eligible Michiganders?
People in Michigan who can prove they have a qualifying Canadian ancestor may now be able to apply for a proof of Canadian citizenship certificate.
This certificate officially confirms Canadian citizenship. It also allows eligible individuals to apply for a Canadian passport.
People who hold both Canadian & U.S. citizenship can enjoy several important rights. They can enter Canada freely, live & work in the country, vote in Canadian elections, & even run for political office in Canada if they meet the legal requirements.
Canadian citizenship can also provide access to Canada’s youth mobility programs. These programs allow eligible young adults, generally those under the age of 30 and sometimes up to 35, to live and work in more than 35 countries, many of them in Europe.
Holding a Canadian citizenship certificate by itself does not automatically create Canadian tax responsibilities. Canada’s tax rules are generally based on where a person lives and where income is earned, rather than citizenship alone.
Because of this, many Americans who qualify for Canadian citizenship may find there are very few disadvantages to claiming it.
How Eligible Applicants Can Begin?
The first step is learning more about the family’s history. Speaking with relatives can help identify a Canadian parent, grandparent, great-grandparent, or another qualifying ancestor.
Local genealogy groups in Michigan & historical archives in Detroit may also help with family research. However, the Canadian government requires official records issued or maintained by the original government authority.
The St. Albans Lists can also be an important source of information. These records began in 1895 and include U.S. immigration entries from across the Canadian border through 1954.
The records cover several Michigan border crossings, including Detroit, Port Huron, and Sault Ste. Marie.
For someone researching Canadian family history, these records may confirm a relative’s birthplace, age, and year of entry into the United States. This information can make it easier to request official birth, marriage, or other family records needed to support a citizenship application.
After gathering all the required documents, the final step is submitting an application for a proof of Canadian citizenship certificate.
Applicants may complete the application on their own or choose an authorized representative, such as a Canadian immigration lawyer, to prepare and submit it for them.
As of July, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) estimated that proof of citizenship applications take about 19 months to be completed. However, this estimate may change over time, and the length of each case depends on individual circumstances.
MakeHomeCanada, a Canadian immigration leader, promises excellence and tailored pathways for your Canadian journey. Get in touch with us at [email protected].
