There has been a surge in document requests, and work for professional genealogists, following a December 2025 legal expansion that allows people with distant ancestral ties to claim Canadian citizenship under specific circumstances.
Some who have been through the process and received a certificate of Canadian citizenship are now being asked to return it as the grant is under review. The problem appears to be that the evidence provided did not meet the legal standard required.
The NYT has an article, Are Your Ancestors Canadian? Here’s What to Know About Becoming a Citizen, which explains the process applicants must follow, and mentions that some people are being asked to return their certificates.
I am curious about how Canadians feel about bill C-3. What is the purpose of handing out Canadian citizenship in this way? And why? Is there a world shortage of Canadians? And is there any meaning, ie “patriotism to canada”, attached to this new privilege? Or knowledge of canadian history? Understanding of what it means to be a canadian? Is there an obligation to visit canada, and perhaps contribute to the economy on a regular basis? And then i might extrapolate: What DOES it mean to be a canadian? Does this bill change that? Sincere questions on my part.
It stems from this: ““Lost Canadians” is a term that originally referred to individuals who lost or never acquired Canadian citizenship due to outdated provisions (sex, marital status, place of birth, naturalization status), which affected whether that person could derive, acquire, or lose Canadian citizenship.”
Full details here: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/transparency/transition-binders/minister-2025-03/citizenship-by-descent-lost-canadians.html
Speaking as a Canadian, I’m just fine with more people reclaiming their Canadian citizenship. For me, being Canadian means celebrating all those who live here and respecting and celebrating those who’ve been here since time immemorial. I don’t know what it means for other people.