Canada: Proof of Citizenship Processing Time Reaches 33 Months as Queue Passes 136,000

Reviewed by Jane Katkova, Founder & Licensed CICC Consultant· Last updated: October 2026

The estimated processing time published by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for a proof of citizenship application reached 33 months on 3 September 2026, with about 136,000 applications in the queue. When Bill C-3 took effect on 15 December 2025 the estimate was 9 months and the queue stood at 40,400.

Processing time and queue since Bill C-3

The figures are IRCC's published estimates as tracked by Canadian immigration practitioners and CIC News. Between August and September the queue grew by about 12% while the estimated wait grew by about 32%. Processing was paused for part of June 2026 during IRCC's review of certificates issued under Bill C-3, and the documentary standard was raised at the same time.

Who is driving the demand

Bill C-3 removed the first-generation limit on citizenship by descent for people born before 15 December 2025. O'Sullivan Estate Lawyers report that IRCC issued about 6,100 certificates between mid-December 2025 and 31 May 2026, roughly half of them to US citizens. The application fee is CA$75, which has kept the barrier to filing low.

The proof of citizenship queue is separate from the citizenship grant queue for permanent residents, which stood at 12 months and 327,100 applications on the same date.

What this means for applicants

People who qualify under Bill C-3 are already Canadian citizens by operation of law; the certificate is evidence of that status, and it is the document required for a first Canadian passport. A US citizen who wants a Canadian passport as a contingency should therefore count on close to three years from filing at the current estimate, and should file a complete application, since a request for further documents adds to the wait.

The same queue affects Canadian citizens living in the United States whose children are born abroad: the child's certificate is processed in this stream. IRCC considers urgent processing only on documented grounds, such as a job offer with a start date, a family emergency abroad or a medical need to travel. Travel convenience does not qualify.

A child born in Canada does not enter this queue, because a provincial birth certificate is itself proof of citizenship; our guide to childbirth in Canada explains that route. Families who need a second passport on a shorter timeline can compare the Caribbean citizenship programmes. To discuss which route fits your timeline, book a consultation with us.

• Citizenship
• Canada