Applications for Canadian citizenship certificates have surged globally in recent months, with a notable increase in submissions coming from the United States, as per insights from CBC News. The implementation of the “Lost Canadian” legislation by Parliament late last year led to a nearly 50% rise in the number of individuals receiving certificates between April and May, according to recent CBC-acquired data.
The enactment of Bill C-3 enables individuals to attain citizenship by proving descent from a Canadian ancestor, even if that lineage extends back several generations. Following the legislation’s implementation in mid-December, approximately 6,100 citizenship certificates were granted by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) until May 31, up from 4,075 certificates issued between mid-December and March 31.
Additionally, around 17,390 individuals have obtained certificates due to having a Canadian parent, a requirement that was mandatory before the bill’s approval. Notably, individuals holding these 23,490 new citizenship certificates can now apply for Canadian passports and reside and work in the country, although they are ineligible to vote in federal elections unless they have resided in Canada at some point.
Among the individuals recognized, a significant portion hails from the United States, with 3,110 Americans qualifying for Canadian citizenship certificates under Bill C-3 and an additional 8,125 Americans granted certificates because of a Canadian-born parent. However, these figures represent merely a fraction of the total applications awaiting processing.
The number of pending citizenship certificate applications has surged, with approximately 121,800 individuals currently awaiting a decision, a substantial increase from previous months. The waiting time for a decision has also doubled to 25 months as of August 10.
While estimates vary, the parliamentary budget officer suggests that around 115,000 people could be impacted by the legislative change. The considerable increase in demand for genealogical records required to verify lineage for citizenship certificate applications has placed a strain on Canadian archivists, with requests rising by 100 to 300%, particularly from the U.S.
The Association of Canadian Archivists is advocating for additional funding to cope with the escalating demand for records necessitated by Bill C-3. The suspension of a significant number of previously issued certificates by IRCC due to document discrepancies has further compounded the challenges faced by both applicants and archivists, raising concerns of a potential new wave of requests for genealogical records.
