Canada Expands Citizenship By Descent, Driving U.S. Interest
A law that took effect Dec. 15 allows anyone with a provable Canadian ancestor to claim citizenship, triggering a surge of applications and interest from U.S. residents.
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ABC NewsMillions of Americans may now also be considered Canadian under new law
Associated PressMillions of Americans may now also be considered Canadian under a new law
Overview
A change to Canada’s Citizenship Act that took effect Dec. 15 opened citizenship by descent to anyone who can prove a direct Canadian ancestor, prompting a surge in applications, immigration lawyers said.
Previously, citizenship by descent could pass only one generation, and those born on or after Dec. 15 must show a Canadian parent lived in Canada for 1,095 days under the new rules.
Nicholas Berning said his practice was "pretty much flooded," and Amandeep Hayer said his Vancouver-area practice rose from about 200 citizenship cases a year to more than 20 consults per day.
Hayer estimated there are millions of American descendants; Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said it confirmed 1,480 citizenships from Dec. 15 to Jan. 31, has about 56,000 people awaiting decisions, and charges 75 Canadian dollars ($55) for a certificate.
Processing times are around 10 months, applicants face added costs for attorneys or genealogists and one applicant estimated about $6,500 in fees, officials and applicants said.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the story as a politically driven rush to reclaim heritage and escape U.S. policies, emphasizing overwhelmed lawyers, multiple Americans citing Trump-era grievances, and practical steps to apply. Editorial emphasis on personal political anecdotes, surge metrics, and procedural details downplays dissenting Canadian perspectives and structural legal context.