Update: IRCC Has Completed Its Bill C-3 Review. The Cause of the Surrender Letters is Confirmed - Open Source Supporting Documents.
Update: IRCC Has Completed Its Bill C-3 Review. Here's The Latest.
IRCC has finally released an official statement on Facebook explaining what happened with the recent citizenship certificate review process.
For the first time, the department has acknowledged that its own guidance to both officers and applicants was unclear, and that this may have contributed to citizenship certificates being issued without sufficient supporting evidence.
The Key Takeaways
- IRCC initially identified 100 citizenship certificates issued under Bill C-3 where there were concerns about the supporting documentation.
- The department then expanded its review to approximately 6,500 Bill C-3 citizenship-by-descent applications "out of an abundance of caution."
- That broader review is now complete.
- Of the original 100 cases:
- 33 citizenship certificates have already been reinstated automatically.
- 67 cases remain under review.
IRCC says those remaining applicants will either:
- receive confirmation that they are entitled to citizenship, or
- be asked to provide additional information to establish their eligibility.
The department expects that process to be completed within days.
A Major Revelation
IRCC stated:
Over the past two weeks there has been a great deal of speculation about what caused the review. IRCC has now confirmed that unclear guidance was at least part of the problem.
That doesn't necessarily mean applicants did anything wrong, nor does it mean officers made mistakes in every case. It does, however, explain why the department updated its documentary requirements earlier this month and reinforces the importance of submitting official records issued by the original authority wherever possible.
What does this mean for future applicants?
In my view, this announcement should reassure people who have already been granted Canadian citizenship under Bill C-3, are awaiting decisions, and who have not yet applied.
Bill C-3 remains in force.
Citizenship by descent is still available to eligible applicants.
What has changed is that IRCC has clarified the evidentiary standard it expects and has reinforced that applications should be supported by authentic, reliable, and verifiable documents issued by the original authority whenever those records are available.
We've updated our analysis
If you're just catching up on this issue, these earlier articles provide the full background and timeline:
IRCC Is Demanding That Some Lost Canadians Return Citizenship Certificates
https://dfimmigration.ca/ircc-is-demanding-that-some-lost-canadians-return-citizenship-certificates/
Minister Confirms IRCC Is Not Finalizing New Bill C-3 Citizenship Applications While Review Continues
https://dfimmigration.ca/minister-confirms-ircc-is-not-finalizing-new-bill-c-3-citizenship-applications-while-review-continues/
As always, I'll continue posting updates here as more information becomes available. Thanks to everyone who has shared information and experiences over the past two weeks—it has helped paint a much clearer picture of what was happening while IRCC's review was underway.
Cassandra Fultz, RCIC-IRB
Posted Jun 30, 2026, 7:21 PM UTC