OTTAWA — Canada’s immigration department says unclear internal guidance for both officers and applicants on citizenship-by-descent claims may have led to people being granted proof of citizenship without adequate supporting documentation.
The department confirmed Tuesday that 100 people were instructed to surrender their citizenship certificates after a routine review found documents issued under Bill C-3 had potentially insufficient supporting evidence.
Notably, this explanation — along with the first official confirmation of how many people were affected — came a full 17 days after the initial emails demanding surrender of citizenship certificates were sent. An earlier statement on June 16 had only referred vaguely to “a limited number” of affected individuals.
Officials under pressure to explain
When Immigration Minister Lena Diab was asked last week what prompted the surrender orders, she said she launched an investigation as soon as she became aware something was wrong, though she admitted she wasn’t initially sure what the issue was.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said last Thursday that those affected deserved an explanation and that he would follow up on the matter.
Bill C-3, which became law last year, allows anyone born before December 15, 2025 to claim Canadian citizenship provided they can demonstrate a documented link to a Canadian ancestor.
Diab’s office said she was unavailable for an interview Tuesday, and a separate request to speak with another department official was also declined.
According to the department, proof of citizenship has already been restored for 33 people who received surrender emails, while reviews of the remaining 67 cases are expected to wrap up within days.
Families caught in limbo
Shawn Davis Mooney, a U.S. military veteran, said he still hadn’t heard back from the department more than two weeks after receiving his surrender letter. He said he sympathizes with the pressure officials are under, but described the experience as deeply stressful for himself and other applicants.
Mooney and his husband relocated to Victoria from California earlier this year and say returning to the U.S. isn’t a realistic option, given how much they’ve invested in their move. Mooney said he’s trying to stay hopeful the situation resolves quickly so he can get on with his life, and credited having a good lawyer for helping him navigate the uncertainty.
Others received answers far more quickly. Rana Charron said she was notified on June 20 that her citizenship certificate had been revalidated, without ever being asked for additional documentation. She suspects that speaking publicly about her case may have prompted closer attention from the department.
While relieved the matter was resolved, Charron said the experience left her questioning the purpose of the process and criticized the department’s vague communication throughout. She said she encountered inconsistent guidance while preparing her original application, and that others on online forums reported receiving conflicting advice from IRCC representatives.
Legal and procedural concerns
The immigration department says it is working to directly contact all affected individuals, whose citizenship will either be confirmed under C-3 or who will be asked to submit additional documentation to verify eligibility.
Importantly, people under review remain considered citizens throughout the process and retain the right to live and work in Canada. However, some individuals who had already been issued passports had those documents cancelled and were told to surrender them as well.
Ottawa immigration lawyer Cedric Marin said the government’s handling of the situation has been unfair, arguing that individuals should typically be notified before — not after — decisions affecting their rights are made. He noted that affected individuals had already used their citizenship status to purchase property without foreign buyer taxes and obtain Canadian identification, including driver’s licences and passports. Marin also questioned whether voting rights may have been affected during the review period.
He argued that proper procedural fairness would have involved giving applicants a chance to respond before their certificates were suspended or passports invalidated.
B.C.-based immigration lawyer Amandeep Hayer said the department’s approach could expose the government to legal challenges, pointing to Supreme Court of Canada precedent requiring immigration and citizenship decisions to be clear and understandable. He noted inconsistencies in how cases have been handled — including instances where one family member was asked to surrender their certificate while another, using identical supporting evidence, was not.
What’s next
The department says it has now completed a review of roughly 6,500 other citizenship-by-descent certificates issued under Bill C-3. Diab’s office said processing of pending citizenship-by-descent applications is expected to resume within the next few days.
Despite the uncertainty, Mooney said he still identifies as Canadian and planned to celebrate his first Canada Day before returning to work, noting that a piece of paper can’t change who he is.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 30, 2026.
David Baxter, The Canadian Press
News Source: Ctv News
Disclaimer
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and reflects reporting available at the time of publication. Citizenship and immigration policies, including eligibility under Bill C-3, are subject to change and individual case outcomes may vary. Readers with questions about their own citizenship or immigration status should contact IRCC directly or consult a licensed immigration lawyer. This piece does not constitute legal advice.
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