Immigration department says unclear guidance led to recall of some citizenship certificates

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada says unclear departmental guidance on applications for citizenship by descent may have resulted in some people receiving proof of Canadian citizenship without sufficient supporting evidence.

The department said 100 people were asked to surrender their citizenship certificates after a routine review identified cases issued under Bill C-3 that had "potentially insufficient supporting documentation." The explanation and the number of affected cases were released 17 days after the initial notices were sent to certificate holders.

Federal officials said proof of citizenship has since been restored for 33 people who received the notices. Reviews of the remaining 67 cases are expected to be completed within days.

The department also said it has completed a review of approximately 6,500 other citizenship-by-descent certificates issued under Bill C-3 and did not indicate that additional recalls were required.

Bill C-3, which came into force last year, allows people born before Dec. 15, 2025, to claim Canadian citizenship if they can demonstrate a verifiable link to a Canadian ancestor.