Canada received 12,430 applications between 15 December 2025 and 31 January 2026 under a new law that lets people prove an ancestral tie to claim Canadian citizenship, officials said. By the end of January, 6,280 applications had been processed and 1,480 granted. [1]
The law, which came into force in December 2025, goes beyond the children of Canadians and allows anyone who can prove the link to apply. The application process requires proof of Canadian citizenship because descendants are already considered Canadian under the new rules. [1]
Applicants must gather historic records to document their family line, including census reports, baptismal records and birth certificates. The official fee is C$75, but the full cost can run into thousands of dollars once genealogists, records searches and lawyers are added. [1]
Demand has also risen for specialist help. Montreal genealogist Ryan Légère said the new law has driven a surge in business. "What was kind of like a side business has turned into full time. It's completely taken over my life," he said. [1]
The law has drawn interest from people with long-settled family ties in North America. Joe Boucher said, "It's nice to know that the connectivity to the home country, as it were, is there." French speakers in the U.S. state of Maine historically faced discrimination and legal barriers to passing on citizenship. [1]
Canadian officials were still processing the early wave of claims by the end of January, with 6,280 applications reviewed and 1,480 approved. [1]
