Ottawa reverses orders to surrender some ‘lost Canadian’ citizenship certificates

Just one week after some “lost Canadians” were told to surrender their new citizenship certificates, a few received letters over the weekend confirming their citizenship claims are valid once again.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada spokesperson said Monday the department is now reviewing the roughly 4,100 citizenship by descent claims made under an amendment to the law that offers a path to citizenship for those with Canadian ancestors.

Citizenship certificates will not be suspended unless the review turns up a problem with a document already issued, the spokesperson said.

A statement the department issued last week said it is temporarily pausing the finalization of citizenship certificates related to the citizenship by descent amendment passed as Bill C-3.

That amendment allows people born before Dec. 15, 2025 to claim Canadian citizenship if they can prove a direct line to a Canadian ancestor generation-by-generation.

Many of those making citizenship claims under this new rule are Americans.

The department has said it sent letters earlier this month to “a few dozen” people who received citizenship under the citizenship by descent law demanding they surrender their proof of citizenship pending further review.

Bridget Burnett received one of those letters, along with her mother and son. She said all three received emails from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada on Saturday saying their citizenship is valid again.

“It was just so much joy and relief. My mom literally cried off and on for like eight hours. She was just so overcome with relief and joy again, the same as when she received her certificate initially,” Burnett said from her current home in Colorado.

Burnett received an email from the department on Saturday morning saying her citizenship had been reconfirmed after a “thorough review” of her case.

The email also says the order to surrender Burnett’s citizenship certificate on June 13 was made after the department reviewed the documents she submitted as part of her application.

Burnett said an IRCC agent she spoke to on Friday was unable to shed any light on why her file and those of her family members were placed under review.

“They never asked me for additional documentation or clarification. I did call them again on Friday and spoke to another worker on the phone, and he was so compassionate again and really tried to help get some sort of answers for me or clarification, but was really in the dark and not able provide any guidance,” she said.

“Even though it wasn’t fruitful, it was nice to talk to a person at IRCC and have them be responsive and supportive, but also hard that he seemed just as confused.”

Immigration Minister Lena Diab and her department have not said exactly what led to the citizenship reviews in the first place. The minister has said that evidence pulled from websites like Ancestry.ca is not sufficient to prove citizenship by descent and applicants must submit “verified, authenticated documents.”

A statement issued by the immigration department Wednesday evening said it was “reviewing” how the recall of citizenship documents came about. A department spokesperson said Monday this review is still underway.

Burnett shared a copy of a certified census record showing her great-grandfather was Canadian as part of her citizenship claim.

The immigration department has been notifying individuals whose citizenship is under review that their Canadian passports are no longer valid and must be returned.

Recipients of these letters have been told they have 15 days to return their passports. They’re also being told their eligibility for a Canadian passport can be reassessed if their citizenship claim is validated.

Burnett had not yet applied for a Canadian passport when she received the initial citizenship surrender letter.

Now, she and her family are feeling more at ease as they prepare to move from Colorado to Vancouver Island this week, where she plans to relaunch her psychology practice. 

She told The Canadian Press the U.S. health care system is “going through a lot of changes,” especially regarding care for women, and Canada feels more stable.

Burnett said even as she gets ready to start a new life in British Columbia, she worries about her citizenship being placed under review again.

“I’m very excited and I feel very welcomed by the community I’m moving to on Vancouver Island, but there’s still going to be this part of me, I think, that will always wonder if this is real or if they’re going to revoke again or suspend again,” she said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 22, 2026.

By David Baxter | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.