Individuals applying for Canada’s proof of citizenship are facing a massive roadblock as official processing times have abruptly skyrocketed to 19 months.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) updated its performance tracking metrics, revealing a steep incline from the 15-month wait time reported in June, and nearly doubling the 9-month timelines seen at the start of the year.
With the total central registry backlog fast approaching 100,000 applications, applicants are urged to adjust their cross-border timelines.
It was gathered that the development on the processing time for Canada’s proof of citizenship is due to a combination of policy changes and recent administrative pauses.
Recall that Bill C-3 enacted in December 2025, effectively removed the first-generation limit on citizenship by descent.
By opening eligibility across infinite generations to anyone who can prove an unbroken line to a Canadian-born ancestor, IRCC was hit with an exponential wave of global applications—particularly from the United States.
In just a matter of months, the active application inventory jumped from 70,400 in May to nearly 99,500 by early July, adding over 17,500 new applicants in a single month.
Adding fuel to the fire, IRCC temporarily paused finalizing new citizenship-by-descent applications in June. The department launched a targeted compliance audit on roughly 6,500 previously issued certificates to ensure their supporting documentation met stringent standards. While IRCC confirmed that the review concluded on June 30, the multi-week operational bottleneck pushed July’s wait times significantly higher.
This was disclosed on the country’s immigration, refugees and citizenship website on Thursday.
According to IRCC, the change takes effect immediately, affecting all new and existing applications.
The statement reads: “This development matters because it represents a significant increase from the previous processing times, which had been steadily rising over the past year.
“Historically, the processing time for proof of citizenship had been much shorter, typically ranging from a few months to a year. The current backlog, which is nearing 100,000 applications, is a major factor contributing to the prolonged processing times. This surge in applications can be attributed to the growing demand for Canadian citizenship, driven by the country’s reputation as a welcoming and inclusive society.
“The specific mechanics of the proof of citizenship application process remain unchanged, with applicants still required to submit their applications through the official government website or by mail.”
The report also maintained that the eligibility criteria, document requirements, and fees associated with the application remain the same.
However, the increased processing time means that applicants will have to wait longer to receive their proof of citizenship, which can impact their ability to access certain benefits and services.
Although the country’s immigration has not provided a direct quote on this matter, a check by our correspondent on the country’s website (Canada.ca) simply confirmed the new processing time and encouraged applicants to check their application status online.
It further warned, “Foreign nationals living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan and Uganda are temporarily not permitted to travel to Canada.
“We aren’t finalizing applications from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda or South Sudan at this time. Because of this, your processing time may be longer than the times shown below if the last country of residence on your application was one of these countries.”
