Wait times for Canadian citizenship certificates reach one year, i.e., Canada is now seeing much longer wait periods for proof of Canadian citizenship certificates, as thousands of Americans continue applying after changes to the country’s citizenship law.
In the second quarter following the legal change, the estimated wait period for proof of Canadian citizenship certificates has climbed to 12 months.
Just last summer, in July 2025, the estimate stood at five months.
The sharp increase is mainly linked to a large number of applications from Americans who recently became eligible for Canadian citizenship through ancestry.
Proof of Canadian citizenship certificates are required before eligible individuals can apply for Canadian passports.
Demand from the United States rose quickly during February and March of this year. In only one month, more than 14,000 new applicants joined the queue.
Because these wait estimates are based on the size of the current inventory, there is uncertainty about how much longer future timelines may become.
Why Has Demand Increased So Quickly?
On December 15, 2025, Canada officially changed its Citizenship Act.
The amendment removed the first-generation limit for citizenship by descent for people born before that date.
As a result, anyone born before December 15, 2025 who can trace a direct family line to a Canadian ancestor may now qualify as a Canadian citizen.
This applies even if the family has lived outside Canada for several generations.
For many Americans, the law created a completely new opportunity to obtain Canadian citizenship and a Canadian passport.
In many cases, applicants are not planning an immediate move to Canada. Instead, many see Canadian citizenship as an additional option for future travel, work, security, and mobility.
Between December 15 and the end of January alone, Canada received more than 12,000 citizenship-by-descent applications.
Americans represented the largest group of applicants by a wide margin.
According to available government data, applications from U.S. citizens in January 2026 exceeded the combined total from the next nine largest source countries.
Canadian Archives Seeing Heavy Demand
The increase in applications has also placed pressure on archives across Canada.
Many applicants need old family documents to prove their Canadian ancestry.
These records often include:
- Birth certificates
- Marriage records
- Baptismal records
- Death certificates
One of the largest increases has been reported by the Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ).
The Quebec archive has reported a 3,000% increase in requests since the citizenship law changed.
Many Americans applying for Canadian citizenship have family roots in Quebec and other parts of eastern Canada.
This trend is closely connected to the historic migration of French Canadians to New England between 1840 and 1930, when nearly 900,000 French Canadians moved to the northeastern United States.
Today, many of their descendants are discovering they may qualify for Canadian citizenship.
Benefits Of Canadian Citizenship
Americans who become Canadian citizens by descent can enjoy the rights connected to both citizenships.
As Canadian citizens, they can:
- Enter Canada freely
- Live and work anywhere in Canada
- Purchase Canadian residential property
- Access publicly funded healthcare if they become residents
Once they receive proof of Canadian citizenship, applicants can apply for a Canadian passport.
At the time of writing, the Canadian passport ranks above the U.S. passport on the Henley Passport Index and offers visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 182 countries.
For Americans, obtaining Canadian citizenship does not create additional Canadian income tax obligations.
Unlike the United States, Canada does not apply worldwide taxation to its citizens living abroad.
Who Qualifies For Canadian Citizenship?
Under Bill C-3, anyone born before December 15, 2025 who can prove direct descent from a Canadian ancestor may qualify for Canadian citizenship.
It does not matter:
- Where the person was born
- How many generations have passed
- Whether parents or grandparents ever lived in Canada
The law has especially affected Americans with family roots in New England because of the region’s long history of French-Canadian settlement.
Moreover, people unsure about their eligibility are often encouraged to begin by researching their family history and speaking with relatives.
Applicants generally need official documents connecting them to a Canadian ancestor through each generation.
How Wait Estimates Are Calculated?
Applicants submitting citizenship certificate applications today may wait until around May 2027 for a final decision, based on current estimates.
Canada’s immigration department uses a forward-looking system to estimate wait periods.
The estimate is based on:
- The number of applications already in the queue
- The department’s staffing capacity
- The expected number of new applications
These estimates are updated every month.
IRCC has also noted that timelines can change quickly when application numbers rise sharply.
Applicants can check updated timelines using the Canadian government’s online application tool.
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