Canadian immigration authorities have asked some recently approved citizens to return their citizenship certificates while their applications undergo further r...
Canadian immigration authorities have asked some recently approved citizens to return their citizenship certificates while their applications undergo further review, raising concerns among applicants who had already received official confirmation of their status.
The affected individuals are among those who applied under Canada’s expanded citizenship-by-descent provisions introduced through recent amendments to the Citizenship Act. Some recipients had already obtained Canadian passports and Social Insurance Numbers in preparation for relocating to Canada.
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On June 13, Canada’s immigration department sent emails to several certificate holders in the United States informing them that their citizenship claims were now under review despite having previously been approved.
According to the letters, the review is being conducted under subsection 26(1) of the Citizenship Regulations. The provision allows the Registrar of Canadian Citizenship to request the return of a citizenship certificate when there are concerns that the holder may not be entitled to the document.
Authorities clarified that the process does not amount to an automatic revocation of citizenship. Instead, applicants are being asked to surrender their certificates temporarily while their files are reassessed. They are also allowed to submit additional documents supporting their claims.
If officials confirm entitlement to citizenship after the review, the certificate will be returned to the applicant.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) cited two main reasons for the reviews. The department said some applicants submitted records that were not obtained directly from original source authorities such as civil registries, provincial vital statistics offices or official archives. In other cases, applicants failed to provide explanations and evidence showing attempts to obtain missing documents.
Many of the cases involve applicants trying to establish an unbroken line of descent from a Canadian ancestor. According to information shared on citizenship forums, some applicants relied on records from genealogy websites such as Ancestry or FamilySearch instead of official authorities, while others had gaps in historical records that were not fully explained in their applications.
Applicants who receive review letters are informed of the specific concerns raised by immigration officers and are given an opportunity to provide additional evidence. Authorities indicated that addressing missing explanations and obtaining documents from recognised source authorities could strengthen affected applications.
Experts advise applicants to secure certified records directly from the offices that originally created and maintain them. Birth certificates are considered the strongest documents for establishing family links, while marriage certificates help explain surname changes between generations.
Where records do not exist, IRCC’s application guidelines allow applicants to submit written explanations and alternative evidence. A “letter of no record” issued by a vital records office can be used to confirm that a search was conducted and no official record was found.
The department has not provided a timeline for completing the reviews, and applicants have been advised to keep copies of all documents submitted during the process. Many affected individuals are also seeking legal assistance from immigration lawyers familiar with citizenship-by-descent applications.
