Canada IRCC suspends some Bill C-3 descent citizenship certificates, orders return for document review

What is happening

Between 15 December 2025 and 31 March 2026, IRCC issued 4,075 citizenship-by-descent certificates under Bill C-3 (about 1,955 to US-born applicants). It has now begun sending surrender notices asking an undisclosed number of recipients to return their certificates while their files are re-examined.

Why certificates were flagged

The notices, from the Registrar of Canadian Citizenship, cite documentation that was not from an original source authority (for example, ancestral chains built on unofficial genealogy-platform records) and missing written explanations where original documents were unavailable. This is NOT a citizenship revocation and does not change who qualifies under Bill C-3 - recipients may submit additional evidence and IRCC will return the certificate if entitlement is confirmed.

Source

Reported by IMI Daily (18 June 2026). Applicants should also consult official IRCC guidance.