# Canadian immigration and citizenship processing challenges

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/canadian-immigration-and-citizenship-processing-challenges
> Updated: 2026-09-10T08:00:00.000Z. Sources: 4. Developments: 2.

Canada is experiencing significant administrative pressure within its immigration systems, specifically regarding work permits and citizenship applications.

To assist the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, the federal government extended the grace period for in-Canada work permit applicants to 90 days to provide proof of a Labour Market Impact Assessment. This measure was intended to prevent workers from losing authorization during processing delays.

Concurrently, a massive surge in citizenship applications has created a substantial backlog. Initially, pending applications for proof of citizenship reached approximately 121,800, doubling processing times to 25 months. This spike is largely attributed to Bill C-3, the ‘Lost Canadians’ law, which allows individuals to claim citizenship through Canadian ancestors.

By September, the backlog of citizenship certificate applications grew to over 136,000, with estimated processing times increasing further to approximately 33 months. While many applicants originate from the United States, data shows the largest group consists of 16,435 children under the age of 14. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has noted that the complexity of applications contributes to the delay and is implementing triaging and additional staff training to manage the volume.

## Timeline

### 2026-09-10: Canada citizenship certificate backlog exceeds 136,000

Canadian citizenship certificate applications have reached a backlog of over 136,000, with wait times jumping to 33 months following the implementation of Bill C-3.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/canada-citizenship-certificate-backlog-exceeds-136000

### 2026-08-24: Canada manages immigration shifts in work permits and citizenship

Canada is managing immigration shifts as it extends work permit grace periods for foreign workers and faces a massive surge in citizenship applications following the implementation of Bill C-3.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/canada-manages-immigration-shifts-in-work-permits-and-citizenship

---
Cite as: Canadian immigration and citizenship processing challenges. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/canadian-immigration-and-citizenship-processing-challenges