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Canada immigration backlog: audit, PGP pause, descent rules
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2026-07-29 22:47 UTC → 2026-07-31 22:19 UTC ·
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Canada immigration backlog: audit, PGP pause, docs descent rules
An audit by Immigration Minister Lena Diab of roughly 4,100 citizenship‑by‑descent certificates issued under Bill C‑3 identified 100 potentially problematic certificates; 33 have been reinstated while 67 remain under review. IRCC warned that proof‑of‑citizenship processing could take up to 19 months, reflecting a backlog of nearly 100,000 applications that grew after the first‑generation limit was removed. On 15 July 2026 IRCC announced a suspension of new applications to the Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship (PGP) programme, halting all interest‑to‑sponsor forms for a year. The agency cited an inventory of about 60,500 pending PGP cases—each representing roughly 1.8 family members—and a policy ceiling of about 15,000 approvals annually, roughly 4 % of Canada’s overall immigration target. Demand remains high; a 2023 report noted over 200,000 Canadian citizens and permanent residents expressed interest in a three‑week period in late 2020, and between 2020 and 2022 a total of 50,825 applications covering 92,640 family members were processed. Bill C‑3 also lets U.S. citizens with documented Canadian ancestry obtain proof of citizenship, moving their children to the domestic tuition tier and potentially saving up to $130 000 over a four‑year degree, though the 19‑month delay still applies. In June 2026 IRCC tightened documentation rules for citizenship‑by‑descent: only original birth or baptismal certificates and civil‑registry marriage certificates are accepted, and applicants must provide notarized affidavits. Third‑party copies, such as genealogy website printouts, affidavits; third‑party copies are no longer sufficient, increasing sufficient. A further clarification issued on 31 July 2026 states that citizenship by descent can be transmitted only through a direct parent‑child line. A child born abroad is eligible only if a parent was a Canadian citizen at the need for records directly from issuing authorities. time of birth, and each ancestor in the chain must have held Canadian citizenship when the next generation was born. Relatives such as aunts, uncles, cousins, or parents who acquire citizenship after a child’s birth cannot confer citizenship, and marriage does not automatically grant status. The guidance advises applicants to trace the oldest direct Canadian ancestor to confirm eligibility.
Versions
- 2026-07-31 22:19 UTC Canada immigration backlog: audit, PGP pause, descent rules
- 2026-07-29 22:47 UTC Canada immigration backlog: audit, PGP pause, docs rules
- 2026-07-25 20:54 UTC Canada immigration backlog: audit, pause, docs rules
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