Applications for Canadian citizenship certificates from individuals worldwide have surged in recent months, driven by a significant increase in applications from the United States, as per findings by CBC News. The number of individuals granted certificates following the enactment of the “Lost Canadian” legislation by Parliament late last year has increased by almost 50% from April 1 to May 31, based on fresh data obtained by CBC.
The implementation of Bill C-3 enables individuals to obtain citizenship if they can demonstrate descent from a Canadian ancestor, even if that ancestor emigrated from Canada several generations ago. This legislation was passed after the courts deemed the previous restriction on citizenship to the first generation born outside Canada too limiting.
Since mid-December, when Bill C-3 came into force, until May 31, approximately 6,100 citizenship certificates were issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to eligible applicants, up from the 4,075 certificates granted between mid-December and March 31. Additionally, 17,390 certificates were issued to individuals with a Canadian parent before the adoption of the bill.
While the new certificates allow over 23,000 newly recognized Canadian citizens to apply for passports and reside and work in Canada, they are ineligible to vote in federal elections unless they have resided in Canada at some point in their lives.
Nearly half of the newly recognized citizens between mid-December and the end of May were born in the U.S. Data from IRCC shows that 3,110 Americans have qualified for Canadian citizenship certificates under Bill C-3, and 8,125 Americans have received certificates due to having a Canadian-born parent.
However, the influx of citizenship certificate applications awaiting processing has soared. In April, around 56,000 applications were pending, escalating to 70,400 in May. Presently, the IRCC website indicates that 121,800 individuals are awaiting decisions, which could range from seeking recognition under Bill C-3 to requesting replacement certificates for lost or stolen ones.
Simultaneously, the anticipated wait time for a decision has doubled from 12 months in May to 25 months as of August 10. Estimates on the number of individuals eligible for Canadian citizenship under Bill C-3 vary significantly, with the parliamentary budget officer suggesting that around 115,000 people could be impacted by the legislative change.