Canada has increased the processing time for new proof of citizenship certificate applications to 33 months, leaving applicants facing a wait of almost three years for a decision.
According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the latest processing estimate is eight months longer than in August, when the waiting time stood at 25 months. This means people submitting applications now may not receive a decision until around mid-2029.
The delay has increased sharply in recent months. Processing time stood at 10 months in January before rising to 12 months in May, 15 months in June, 19 months in July, and 25 months in August. The latest increase to 33 months is the largest monthly jump recorded during this period.
The growing delay comes as IRCC faces a backlog of 136,000 citizenship certificate applications awaiting decisions. Around 14,200 applications were added to the queue in less than a month.
The surge in applications follows Canada’s removal of the first-generation limit on citizenship by descent on December 15, 2025. The change expanded eligibility to people born outside Canada who can establish an unbroken line of descent to a Canadian ancestor.
IRCC bases its processing-time estimates on several factors, including the number of applications already in the queue, available staffing, and the number of new applications it expects to receive.
Applicants may face even longer waits if IRCC requires additional documents or clarification. This can particularly affect cases where names or records differ across generations.
Urgent Processing Available in Some Cases
Applicants who meet certain conditions can request urgent processing of their citizenship certificate applications.
IRCC may consider such requests when proof of citizenship is required for education, employment, certain travel emergencies, statelessness, moving a minor child to Canada, accessing social benefits, or other specific circumstances.
Students can also request urgent processing when they need proof of Canadian citizenship to secure admission to a school, college, or university.
However, applicants must meet IRCC’s requirements for urgent processing, and having a request processed urgently does not guarantee that their citizenship claim will be approved.
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