Canada Restores Some Citizenship Certificates After Review While Examining Thousands More

Cbc reported that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada sent follow-up emails over the weekend of June 20-21, 2026, to some recipients of June 13 letters, stating their citizenship claims are valid again. The department had ordered a few dozen people to surrender certificates issued under the citizenship-by-descent amendment pending further review.

Bridget Burnett, her mother and her son each received the June 20 emails confirming their status.

Burnett said her mother cried on and off for about eight hours after the message arrived. She spoke from her home in Colorado, where the family is preparing to move to Vancouver Island during the week of June 22. Cbc reported that approximately 4,100 people have been confirmed as Canadian citizens under the December 15, 2025, amendment to the law.

Many of those confirmed are Americans. The department is now reviewing all 4,100 claims made under the amendment. Certificates will not be suspended unless the review identifies a problem with an already-issued document, a spokesperson said.

Recipients of the June 13 letters had been given 15 days to return the certificates and were told their passport eligibility could be reassessed if claims were later validated. ca is not sufficient and that applicants must submit verified, authenticated documents.

Burnett had submitted a certified census record showing her great-grandfather was Canadian.

Burnett said she had not applied for a Canadian passport before receiving the surrender letter. She plans to relaunch her psychology practice on Vancouver Island after the move.