If you’ve applied, or are about to apply, for a proof of Canadian citizenship certificate, the timeline has shifted dramatically in a very short window. As of August 10, 2026, IRCC’s own processing time estimate stands at 25 months, up from 19 months in July and just 12 months back in May. That’s more than double in a single quarter.

The number of people waiting has grown just as sharply. IRCC reports 121,800 applications in the queue as of August 10, an increase of roughly 22,300 files, or 22%, compared to July alone. It’s the first time this backlog has ever crossed the 100,000 mark.

What’s Behind the Surge

The driving force is a policy change that took effect December 15, 2025, removing the first-generation limit on Canadian citizenship by descent for anyone born before that date. Previously, citizenship by descent generally stopped after one generation born outside Canada. Under the updated rule, anyone with an unbroken ancestral line to a Canadian citizen, regardless of how many generations separate them, is considered a Canadian citizen and can apply for formal proof.

This has opened eligibility to a much larger pool of applicants than before, particularly in parts of the United States such as New England, where large numbers of French-Canadian families settled between 1840 and 1930. Descendants of those families are now applying for proof of citizenship in significant numbers.

A Certificate Review Added to the Backlog

A second factor compounded the delay. In June 2026, IRCC contacted a group of recent citizenship certificate recipients across the US to inform them their approved claims were under review. For roughly a month, the department paused finalizing new citizenship-by-descent applications while verifying documentation behind certificates already issued.

Source: Canadian Citizenship Proof Processing Times Update

That review concluded on June 30, and processing has since resumed. But the pause landed on top of an already-growing caseload, which likely contributed to the sharper jump in wait times that followed.

What This Means If You’re Planning to Apply

The practical reality is that delaying an application rarely helps. IRCC’s processing estimate is based on how many applications are already ahead of a given file at the time of submission, combined with staffing and expected future volume. Applicants who wait longer to apply are generally stepping into an even longer queue, not a shorter one.

If you were born before December 15, 2025 and can trace an unbroken line to a Canadian grandparent, great-grandparent, or more distant ancestor, you may already hold Canadian citizenship, regardless of your own birthplace or whether earlier generations ever lived in Canada or held Canadian passports. A citizenship certificate is simply the formal proof of that status, and it’s what unlocks access to citizenship benefits, including a Canadian passport.

Processing delays like this one make careful preparation more important, not less. A complete, well-documented application won’t skip the queue, but it avoids the kind of back-and-forth that can add months onto an already long wait. If you think you may be eligible for citizenship by descent, it’s worth getting a clear read on your situation before you file.

Frequently Asked Questions

Wondering how these delays affect your own citizenship by descent application? Book a consultation with ImmigCanada and let’s map out your timeline and options.