U.S. Citizens Flood Canadian Citizenship System After Bill C-3

In the first five months of 2026, Americans accounted for nearly half of all new Canadian citizenship certificates. More than 3,100 U.S. nationals received certificates directly under Bill C-3, and an additional 8,125 were granted citizenship because a parent was Canadian. The influx has driven a sharp rise in requests for genealogical research from U.S. applicants, according to the Association of Canadian Archivists (ACA).

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Bill C-3, passed by the Canadian Parliament after courts struck down a prior restriction limiting eligibility to those whose parents were born in Canada, allows foreign nationals to prove descent from a Canadian ancestor using official genealogical records. The law was enacted months before the period April 1 – May 31, during which CBC reported a nearly 50 % increase in citizenship certificates issued.

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Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) reported that the backlog of citizenship-certificate applications grew to 121,800 by August 10, up from 70,400 in May and 56,000 the month before. Wait times lengthened from an estimated 12 months in May to 25 months as of August 10. An immigration attorney and policy analyst, Richard Kurland, said the “Trump bump” dramatically increased processing volumes, turning a previously few-month procedure into one that now exceeds a year.

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Commentators link the surge to dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump’s policies, including a mass deportation campaign in which federal immigration agents have fatally shot at least 11 people, three of whom were U.S. citizens. Mab Coates-Davies, ACA executive director, noted that teachers’ unions and climate advocates have also faced heightened surveillance under the administration’s National Security Presidential Memorandum 7, contributing to a climate in which many Americans are exploring relocation options. The combined effect of political, legal, and social pressures appears to be fueling the unprecedented demand for Canadian citizenship among U.S. residents.

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