Canada is Asking Some to Return Citizenship Certificates – Here’s What We Know

The letters say IRCC has reason to believe the applicant may not have been entitled to the certificate. The letters also say that IRCC’s systems now show the applicant’s Canadian citizenship status as “under review.”

Here is what we know so far.

What Happened?

Some applicants who received Canadian citizenship certificates under Canada’s citizenship-by-descent rules have received letters from IRCC asking them to surrender their certificates.

The letters refer to subsection 26(1) of the Citizenship Regulations. This rule allows the government to ask for a citizenship certificate to be returned if there are reasonable grounds to believe the holder may not be entitled to it.

The letter issued by IRCC does not say the applicant’s citizenship has been cancelled. It says the citizenship application is under review.

If the applicant has a paper certificate, they are asked to return it to IRCC. If IRCC later decides the applicant is entitled to the certificate, the letter says the certificate will be returned.

The letters also say affected applicants will have a chance to respond with more documents before a final decision is made.

At this time, it is not clear how many applicants have received these letters. It is also not clear exactly what triggered the review.

Why Are These Files Being Reviewed?

According to the letter shared in a Reddit thread on the topic, IRCC says the documents submitted with the proof of citizenship application for the affected applicants did not come from the original source authorities.

A source authority means the official body that created or keeps the record. This could be a civil registry, vital statistics office, provincial archive, court, church authority, or other government body.

The letter also says that when source documents are not available, applicants should provide two things:

• a written explanation of why the documents cannot be obtained; and
• proof that they tried to obtain them. That proof could include emails or letters from registries, archives, or other issuing authorities.

What Kind of Documents May Be The Problem?

This part is still not fully clear but the letter suggests that documents that are used to support a citizenship claim must come from the original source, like official archives etc.

Some applicants may have used genealogy websites, family history platforms, or third-party databases to find records. These tools can be very useful. They can help applicants locate old birth, marriage, baptism, census, or death records. But IRCC may not accept a genealogy website printout as the strongest form of proof.

For example, a record found on Ancestry.com may help an applicant find the right document. But IRCC may still want the official version from the registry, archive, church, court, or government office that holds the original record.

How Did We Get Here?

In December 2025, Canada expanded citizenship by descent through Bill C-3. For years, the “first-generation limit” prevented many Canadians born outside Canada from passing citizenship to children who were also born outside Canada.

The change opened the door for more Lost Canadians and their descendants to be recognized as Canadian citizens by descent.

It also created major interest. Many applicants began researching family history, collecting records, and applying for proof of citizenship. Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab told a House of Commons immigration committee that the government did not expect the level of interest it received. The Parliamentary Budget Officer estimated that about 115,000 people could be affected over five years, but demand appears to have grown quickly.

Why This is So Concerning

There is a big difference between asking for more documents before approving an application and issuing a citizenship certificate and asking for the certificate back after it has already been issued following the assessment and approval of an application.

Once IRCC issues a citizenship certificate, applicants rely on it. They may apply for a passport. They may plan a move. They may tell employers, schools, banks, or family members that they are Canadian. They may make decisions based on the approval. That is why this situation feels so unfair.

Their applications were assessed. Their applications were approved. Their certificates were issued. If IRCC had concerns about the documents, those concerns should have been raised before the certificate was granted.

If the documentation was assessed and deemed sufficient, applicants should not be left to bear the consequences if IRCC later decides that a different or stricter standard should have been applied.

This is another example of IRCC forgetting that it is dealing with actual people with actual lives that their decisions impact.

What Should You Do If You Received One of These Letters?

If you received a letter asking you to return your citizenship certificate, do not ignore it as action is required from you, although the letter posted to the Reddit thread does not give a deadline for returning your certificate.

You can then expect an additional request for supporting documents before a decision is made on your file.

If your application is once again approved following the review, your certificate will be returned to you.

Until the review is resolved, you should not use your certificate to apply for more Canadian documents like a Canadian passport or Social Insurance Number (SIN). If IRCC’s systems show your status as under review, using the certificate as if there is no issue could cause further problems.

What If You Think You May Receive a Letter?

If you already applied for proof of citizenship by descent, or if you recently received your certificate, but are concerned that the documents you submitted are not from an official source, there is no need to panic. Based on the letter issued, it seems like IRCC is giving applicants an opportunity to provide additional documents. At this point, it may be worth trying to secure proof of descent from official sources. With this, you can respond to requests received from IRCC.

What We Do Not Know

There are still several important questions that we do not have answers to.

First, we do not know when affected applicants will receive a request for additional documents. We also do not know how much time they will be given to respond.

For that reason, applicants who are concerned should not wait. If you think your application may be affected, it is a good idea to start gathering stronger documents now. This may include official records from civil registries, vital statistics offices, archives, churches, courts, or other source authorities.

Second, we do not know whether this is only a document-source issue, or whether it points to a larger shift in how IRCC is applying citizenship-by-descent rules.

So far, the letters appear to focus on whether applicants submitted documents from original source authorities. But there may also be a broader issue. IRCC may be applying the law more strictly now than it did in earlier applications.

This matters because the government estimated that about 115,000 people could be affected by the citizenship-by-descent changes. However, some stakeholders believe the number of people with potential claims could be much higher. If IRCC is applying a stricter interpretation of the law, or applying a stricter standard of accepted documents, many more current and future applicants could be impacted.

Third, we do not know what legal options applicants may have if IRCC cancels a certificate.

The letter says applicants will have a chance to respond before a final decision is made. But if IRCC decides to cancel a certificate, affected applicants may want to speak with a Canadian immigration lawyer about whether there are grounds to challenge that decision.

This area may develop quickly, so applicants should look out for updates on this.

What Can We Learn From This For Future Applications?

If you are preparing a citizenship-by-descent application, the safest approach is to build your file carefully from the start. Your goal is to prove every link between you and the Canadian citizen you are relying on.

For each generation, you should be able to show who the person was, who their parent was, and how the line continues to you, and be demonstrated by official documents whenever possible.

A genealogy website can help you find a record, but it should not be your only proof if an official version is available. Once you find a record online, try to get the same record from the source authority.

For example, instead of only submitting a screenshot from a genealogy website, try to obtain a certified birth, marriage, or death record from the official registry, archive, church, or government office.

If you cannot get an official document, explain why. Include proof of your efforts. This could include emails to archives, letters from vital statistics offices, search results from official authorities, or written confirmation that no record exists.

The irony that Canada’s expanded citizenship-by-descent rules were meant to fix an old unfairness is not lost here.

For many Lost Canadians and their descendants, the changes offered long-awaited recognition. But this situation has now created new uncertainty for applicants who were assessed, approved, and issued citizenship certificates, and for those with an application in process.

Equally important, applicants deserve a fair process, clear instructions, and a real chance to respond before any final decision is made. Where there are no fraud concerns, once an application has been assessed and approved, applicants should be able to trust the status IRCC has granted them.

This is an evolving story, and Moving2Canada will continue to watch it closely. Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date on citizenship-by-descent changes, IRCC updates, and what this may mean for affected applicants.