New Canadian citizens reportedly face review after approval

Key Points:

• The Canadian government is reviewing some citizenship certificates recently issued under Bill C-3, which expanded citizenship by descent, due to concerns that applicants may not have provided sufficient documentation to prove their lineage.
• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has asked affected individuals to surrender their paper certificates while their cases are re-examined, but electronic certificates do not need to be returned.
• The reviews focus on whether applicants submitted official records from recognized authorities to establish an unbroken parent-child lineage, with some relying on genealogy websites or incomplete documentation.
• Applicants under review are given the opportunity to submit additional evidence or explanations, including proof of efforts to obtain official records, before a final decision is made.
• The government emphasizes this is not a revocation of citizenship but a verification process, and those confirmed eligible will have their certificates returned; the situation has caused uncertainty for some new citizens planning to move to Canada.