Less than a year after Canadian Parliament permitted individuals with Canadian ancestry to obtain Canadian citizenship, the backlog of citizenship certificate applications has reached a record high. Currently, there are over 136,000 pending applications, with a significant number coming from American applicants. The waiting time for new applications is now estimated at 33 months, marking a 32% increase in processing time and an 11% rise in the number of applications compared to the last update in August.

Christine Beltempo, the chair of the Canadian Bar Association’s immigration section and a lawyer at McCarthy Tétrault, expressed concerns over the substantial increase in processing times for citizenship certificate applications. Beltempo highlighted the predicted surge in application numbers following the introduction of Bill C-3 and emphasized the need for additional resources to address the growing demand.

In response to the backlog, IRCC spokesperson Briannah Dale mentioned that various factors, not solely Bill C-3, have contributed to the increase. IRCC is implementing operational measures to manage the rising demand, including assigning more staff, streamlining intake processes, and enhancing workload management practices to address the complexity of many applications requiring extensive documentation and verification.

Before the enactment of Bill C-3, Canadian citizenship by descent was limited to the first generation born or adopted outside Canada to a Canadian citizen. However, the courts deemed this restriction on citizenship for “lost Canadians” unconstitutional, leading to the introduction of Bill C-3. This bill allows individuals living abroad to qualify for Canadian citizenship if they can trace their lineage back to Canadian ancestors, even if several generations have passed.

Despite initial expectations of modest application volumes, the surge in requests for documents proving Canadian lineage following the implementation of Bill C-3 has overwhelmed Canada’s archives. Data from IRCC indicates that a significant portion of individuals granted Canadian citizenship under Bill C-3 were born in the United States.

The distribution of citizenship certificates granted under various categories, including Bill C-3, demonstrates a relatively equal split between genders. The statistics show that a substantial number of certificates were issued to applicants under the age of 14, potentially reflecting newborns born to Canadians abroad.

While speculation on social media suggested older Americans are seeking Canadian citizenship for benefits like healthcare, data reveals that a small percentage of certificates went to individuals over the age of 55. Immigration lawyer Colin Singer cautioned that the delays in processing the backlog could lead to legal challenges and may infringe on individuals’ rights.

NDP immigration critic Jenny Kwan called on the government to allocate resources to address the escalating crisis, emphasizing the impact on families and individuals waiting for their applications to be processed. Conservative immigration critic Michelle Rempel Garner criticized the government’s handling of the citizenship by descent applications, highlighting the need for effective processes to manage the surge in applications.