Millions of Americans are now eligible for Canadian citizenship due to a recent change in law, and it’s leading to a surge in applications.
Until recently, only one generation could inherit Canadian citizenship by descent—from a parent to their child. That changed on December 15. Now, people born before December 15 who have a Canadian grandparent, great-grandparent, or more distant ancestor may now apply for citizenship under the new law. Anyone born on or after December 15 has to prove that their parent lived in Canada for 1,095 days.
According to The Associated Press, immigration lawyers in the United States and Canada say they have been overwhelmed by clients seeking help with Canadian citizenship applications since the new law was enacted.
One attorney in Bellingham, Washington, says Americans have “flooded” his law firm with requests. Another in Vancouver, British Columbia, said their firm went from about 200 citizenship cases a year to more than 20 consultations per day.
The cost to apply for Canadian citizenship is just 75 Canadian dollars (around $55). However, applicants will need to provide records such as birth, death and marriage certificates to establish lineage to a Canadian ancestor. For some, that could cost more than the application.
There is also a pretty lengthy waiting period due to the influx of applications. According to the website of the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada office, which handles applications, more than 56,000 people are awaiting a decision, and the processing time for a certificate is approximately ten months. By comparison, last year, 24,500 Americans gained dual citizenship.