IRCC Says Citizenship Certificate Review Affects Only 1%

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada says only a small share of citizenship by descent applicants have been affected by its review of certificates issued under Bill C-3.

In its first detailed public statement on the matter, IRCC said it initially found 100 citizenship certificates that may have had eligibility or documentation concerns. The department said those cases represented about one per cent of all certificates issued so far under the expanded citizenship by descent rules.

33 Certificates Reinstated

Of the 100 certificates flagged for review, IRCC has already reinstated 33. The department said those certificates were restored automatically after officers confirmed the applicants had met the legal requirements.

The remaining 67 cases are still being reviewed. IRCC said those applicants should receive an update in “a matter of days.” Their certificates may be reinstated, or the department may contact them directly for more information.

IRCC also said its wider review of about 6,500 applications received under the broader citizenship by descent rules is now complete.

Review Began in Early June

According to IRCC, the issue came to light during a routine review in early June. Officers identified 100 certificates issued under Bill C-3 where the supporting documents may not have been strong enough.

In some files, the department said the evidence included documents from “open sources.” IRCC then started a closer review to decide whether the documents proved the applicants were entitled to citizenship by descent.

While that review was underway, the department temporarily suspended the affected certificates.

Guidance Was Unclear

IRCC said its own instructions helped create the problem. The department found that guidance for both officers and applicants about acceptable documents was unclear.

This may have led to some certificates being issued without enough evidence.

IRCC said it has now strengthened its guidance for officers and has given applicants clearer instructions about the documents they need to provide.

Applicants Asked to Surrender Certificates

The statement follows weeks of concern among recent certificate holders. IRCC had asked some people to surrender their citizenship certificates while it reviewed their files.

The department later paused some application processing and froze new approvals while it reviewed certificates already granted.

As the review continued, IRCC began returning some surrendered certificates. The situation also drew criticism from immigration lawyers. Some argued that IRCC changed the document standard after approval. Others raised concerns about whether forcing people to surrender citizenship certificates could be unconstitutional.

New Standard for Future Applicants

IRCC’s updated instructions will now apply to new applicants seeking proof of citizenship by descent.

The department says applicants must provide certified documents proving Canadian lineage from verified source authorities. If a required document is unavailable, applicants must explain what efforts they made to find it.

The review may also allow IRCC to restart final approval of citizenship certificates. Immigration Minister Lena Diab said on June 23 that the department had paused finalizations while it reviewed “all applications.”

However, IRCC has not officially confirmed when processing will resume.