Karandeep-Toronto, June 17, 2026 — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has suspended a number of recently approved citizenship certificates and directed recipients to return them for formal review — a move described as unprecedented by immigration lawyers across the country.
The development, first reported by CBC News on June 15, 2026, has sent shockwaves through Canada's citizenship-by-descent community and raised serious questions about documentary standards under the newly enacted Bill C-3.
IRCC emailed formal notices to a number of recipients of Canadian citizenship certificates issued under Bill C-3 — the Lost Canadians legislation that received Royal Assent on November 20, 2025 and came into force on December 15, 2025. The notices, signed by Peggy Sun, Registrar of Canadian Citizenship, cited subsection 26(1) of the Citizenship Regulations as the legal authority for the action.
The key passage in the notice stated that the Registrar had information in possession indicating the recipient may not be entitled to hold a Canadian certificate of citizenship. Recipients were directed to return their paper certificates while their application files undergo re-examination. The notices also confirmed that recipients will be given an opportunity to submit additional documentary evidence in support of their citizenship claim, and that certificates will be returned if the review confirms entitlement.
Why IRCC Took This Action
IRCC issued an official statement confirming the rationale behind the review. The department stated that to protect the value of Canadian citizenship, Bill C-3 was brought in to create fair and modern rules for citizenship by descent, along with a requirement that applicants clearly prove their connection to Canada. The department further stated that individuals seeking proof of citizenship through a Canadian ancestor must establish the chain of parent-child relationships through each generation and provide solid evidence to support their claim, adding that having Canadian ancestry does not automatically mean entitlement to citizenship.
The suspension notices identify two specific documentation failures in the flagged applications. First, the documents submitted did not originate from an original source authority — meaning the government office that created and maintains the relevant record, such as a provincial vital statistics office or a civil registry. Second, where original source documents were genuinely unavailable, applicants had not included a written explanation of why those documents could not be obtained and what efforts were made to locate them.
In practical terms, IRCC flagged applications where proof of ancestral connection relied on printouts or records sourced from genealogy platforms such as Ancestry.ca or FamilySearch, rather than certified copies issued directly by a government records office.
Government Confirms Action in Parliament
Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab confirmed the review action in the House of Commons, stating that Canadian ancestry does not guarantee Canadian citizenship. The Minister stated that applicants must definitively prove their link to Canada at each and every generation, and that genealogy websites alone are not sufficient. The Minister further stated that her responsibility is to safeguard the integrity of Canada's citizenship program.
Background — What is Bill C-3
Bill C-3 fundamentally reshaped Canadian citizenship by descent. The legislation removed the strict first-generation limit that had since 2009 prevented Canadians born abroad from passing citizenship to their own children also born outside Canada. The law responded directly to a 2023 Ontario Superior Court ruling that found the first-generation limit unconstitutional under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The change meant that individuals living in other countries who could trace their lineage to Canadian ancestors became eligible for Canadian citizenship, even if their Canadian ancestor had left the country several generations back.
This Is Not a Revocation — But It Can Lead to One
It is important to note that this review is not an immediate revocation of citizenship. A suspension removes the proof of citizenship status but does not by itself erase it. However, if the re-examination determines that an applicant was not entitled to citizenship, revocation proceedings can follow. Immigration lawyers are strongly advising all affected recipients to seek guidance from a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant or licensed immigration lawyer immediately.
Montreal immigration lawyer Lisa Middlemiss described the situation as very unusual, noting it is rare for IRCC to suspend a citizenship certificate once it has been issued — and even more rare to suspend a number of them simultaneously. She described the development as very unfortunate and very concerning.
The action has drawn attention from opposition parties in Parliament. NDP immigration critic Jenny Kwan stated that many of the affected individuals have already accepted employment, enrolled in educational programs, relocated to Canada, made financial commitments, sold homes or begun plans to reunite with family members — all based on the citizenship status that IRCC formally recognized. Kwan stated the move raises serious questions regarding procedural fairness, administrative competence and public confidence in Canada's citizenship system.
The suspension comes at a challenging time for IRCC's citizenship processing capacity. Processing times for citizenship certificates have risen from five months in May 2025 to 15 months as of June 2026. The number of people waiting for citizenship certificate applications to be processed has grown from 56,000 in April to 70,400 in May and now stands at 82,000 in June 2026.
What Affected Individuals Should Do
Those who have received a suspension notice should take the following steps without delay. They should comply with the request to return their certificate as directed. They should simultaneously gather all original source authority documents supporting their citizenship claim — including certified records from provincial vital statistics offices, civil registries or other authorized government bodies. They should prepare a written explanation for any documents that could not be obtained, detailing what efforts were made to locate them. Most importantly, they should engage a qualified Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant or immigration lawyer at the earliest opportunity.
What This Means for Pending Applicants
This development signals a clear shift in how IRCC is approaching documentary standards for citizenship-by-descent claims under Bill C-3. Pending or future applicants should ensure all supporting documentation originates from verified, original government sources — not genealogy websites or third-party platforms. IRCC has also paused issuing new certificates under Bill C-3 provisions while the review is underway.