Canada suspends citizenship certificates issued under expanded 'Lost Canadians' law, affecting thousands worldwide

Jun 16, 2026

Canada's government has suspended an unknown number of citizenship certificates issued under the new "Lost Canadians" law, affecting thousands worldwide. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is reviewing applications for sufficient proof of lineage, ordering recipients to return their documents. The move has shocked new citizens, disrupting life plans, while immigration lawyers call the mass suspension highly unusual and concerning.

Mass citizenship certificate suspension

▪The IRCC stated the reviews are not citizenship revocations and certificates will be returned if eligibility is confirmed.
▪The letters, signed by Registrar of Canadian Citizenship Peggy Sun, state that recipients "may not be entitled" to their certificates.
▪Notices sent around June 13, 2026, ordered recipients to return their paper certificates while their files are under review.
▪Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has suspended an unknown number of citizenship certificates issued under a new law.

Bill C-3 'Lost Canadians' law

▪The law introduced a "substantial connection" requirement, meaning a parent typically had to spend at least three years in Canada before their child's birth.
▪Since the law took effect, an estimated 4,075 people have received proof-of-citizenship certificates, with about half residing in the U.S.
▪The suspensions affect people who obtained citizenship under Bill C-3, a law enacted in December 2025 to address the "Lost Canadians" issue.
▪Bill C-3 expanded citizenship-by-descent eligibility beyond the first-generation limit, allowing people with more distant Canadian ancestors to qualify.

Documentation review requirements

▪Another reason for review is the failure to provide a written explanation for why official source documents could not be obtained.
▪The IRCC is reviewing if certificates were properly issued, citing documentation not from official authorities like vital statistics agencies.

Impact on certificate holders

▪Valerie Campbell of Maine put her home up for sale, and Shawn Davis Mooney relocated from California, before their certificates were suspended.
▪Recipients of the notices, some of whom had already made plans to move to Canada, expressed shock, confusion, and devastation.

Processing backlog growth

▪The application backlog for citizenship certificates has grown to 82,000, with processing times increasing from five to 15 months.
▪IRCC received more than 12,000 proof-of-citizenship applications in the weeks following the implementation of Bill C-3.

Legal concerns from immigration lawyers

▪Immigration lawyers described the mass suspension of already-issued certificates as highly unusual and concerning.
▪Lawyer Amandeep Hayer said recipients already in Canada are scared because their status to work, study, and access services is now uncertain.
▪Lawyer Lisa Middlemiss stated that documentation concerns should have been addressed before, not after, citizenship was granted.