Washington’s Canadian Ties May Grant Citizenship to Tens of Thousands via Bill C-3

Canada broadened citizenship eligibility by ancestry on December 15, 2025, drawing a surge of interest from Washington residents with family links to British Columbia. The change came through Bill C-3, formally titled An Act to Amend the Citizenship Act.

The law retroactively restored or granted citizenship to millions of people with Canadian ancestry, including people beyond the first generation born abroad. Washington has become a focal point because of its historical and geographic ties to British Columbia.

Attorneys in Bellingham, Washington, report being flooded with inquiries. Some practices have shifted almost entirely to ancestry cases.

Early figures show how strongly the change has reached the United States. During the first three months of 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada issued 4,075 citizenship certificates under the new law. Approximately 48% went to residents of the United States.

The program then encountered an internal review. On June 23, 2026, Canadian Immigration Minister Lena Diab said the department had stopped finalizing new applications while it investigated the issue.

"I have instructed the department the second I found out there was something, I wasn't sure what it was, to investigate. So I can clearly tell you that at this point we are not finalizing any new applications and all applications are being reviewed. Those that are deemed to be OK are being told you’re fine."

Diab had promoted the legislation on November 21, 2025, describing it as a response to citizenship rules affecting families with children born or adopted abroad.

"Bill C-3 will fix long-standing issues in our citizenship laws and bring fairness to families with children born or adopted abroad. These changes will strengthen and protect Canadian citizenship."

Earlier births can pass the first-generation limit

Before the change, Canadian citizenship by descent was limited to the first generation born abroad. The new rules remove that limit for anyone born before December 15, 2025.

That provision gives families with older births a route to establish citizenship through earlier Canadian ancestors. Applicants still need records proving the chain of family relationships.

Children born abroad on or after December 15, 2025, face a separate requirement. Their Canadian parent must show a “substantial connection” to Canada by proving 1,095 days (3 years) of physical presence there before the child’s birth.

The date of birth therefore determines which rule applies. Earlier births fall under the removal of the first-generation limit, while later births require documented time in Canada by the Canadian parent.

Official records now carry more weight

IRCC updated document checklist CIT 0014 in June 2026. The checklist requires records from original authorities, including vital stats offices and provincial archives.

Genealogy records alone no longer suffice. Materials from services such as Ancestry.com must be supported by records issued by the original authorities.

Processing has lengthened as demand has grown. As of July 2026, proof-of-citizenship applications carried a processing time of 19 months.

The review also affects new applications. The minister said files considered acceptable would receive notice, but the department would not finalize new cases while the investigation continued.

Canadian citizenship can affect U.S. security and immigration matters

Americans who prove Canadian ancestry gain the right to live and work in Canada and access healthcare there. Using those rights can create additional considerations for some people with U.S. security clearances.

Exercising the benefits of foreign citizenship, including obtaining a Canadian passport, can raise foreign preference concerns for security clearance holders. The concern involves use of the foreign nationality, not simply the existence of an ancestry claim.

Separate U.S. immigration rules also affect noncitizens in the United States. On June 29, 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services codified an Alien Registration Requirement for noncitizens staying in the country for more than 30 days.

The rule followed Executive Order 14159, issued by President Trump on January 20, 2025. That order prioritized enforcement of registration duties.

USCIS also issued policy memorandum PM-602-0199 on May 21, 2026. The memorandum described adjustment of status as a matter of “discretion and administrative grace” and directed officers to favor consular processing over domestic status changes.

Those measures concern U.S. registration and immigration processing rather than eligibility under Canadian citizenship law. They form part of the cross-border issues faced by people managing Canadian and U.S. ties.

A proposed U.S. law could challenge dual-citizenship plans

The Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025, also called the Moreno Bill, remains a proposal in the U.S. Congress. It would seek to eliminate dual citizenship by treating acquisition of a foreign nationality as relinquishment of U.S. status.

The proposal has not changed Canadian eligibility rules. It could become relevant to Americans weighing whether to claim citizenship through Canadian ancestry if Congress advances it.

Washington applicants are therefore confronting both expanded access and slower administration. The new rules reached more generations, nearly half of the first certificates went to U.S. residents, and proof-of-citizenship processing had reached 19 months by July 2026.