Canada's broader citizenship rules draw strong American interest

Under the new rules, which allow more descendants of Canadians to claim citizenship compared with just first-generation descendants previously, approvals for proof of citizenship by descent have risen ​by more than 1,000 per month so far this year, data from Canada's immigration agency shows.

That compares ​with just 275 additional approvals in December 2025, when the new law went into effect.

The ⁠data also shows that roughly 48% of the additional approvals through February originated from the U.S.

Immigration lawyers say the ​high percentage of Americans reflects the historically close ties between the two neighboring countries, while signaling that many Americans ​see Canada as an attractive place to live or study, especially given recent U.S. political uncertainty.

"The biggest thing is it gives our family options," said William Hunnewell, a 41-year-old based in Seattle who applied earlier this year and expects a response in nine months to ​a year. His great-grandfather was a homesteader in Saskatchewan before World War One and his grandfather was born in ​Canada.

"If my kid wants to study or live in Canada, she can just go — there's no visa, no deadlines," he said.

Most ‌new citizens ⁠approved under the law will likely remain abroad but many want to keep their options open, said Nick Berning, a U.S.-based immigration lawyer.

"Current interest in Canadian citizenship is definitely influenced by U.S. politics," Berning said. "They want to stay in the U.S., but if things become untenable, they want a way out."

Political divisions have deepened in the U.S., where ​polls show growing dissatisfaction with the ​Trump administration.

Ties between the ⁠U.S. and Canada have also grown tense since Trump imposed stiff tariffs on Canadian goods and talked of annexing Canada as the 51st state.

Canadian approvals this year under the ​newly established category for proof of citizenship totaled 1,140 in January, 1,255 in February ​and 1,405 ⁠in March, according to data that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) provided to Reuters.

Canada's new citizenship law responded to a 2023 court ruling that found limiting citizenship to the first generation born abroad was unconstitutional.

People who have lived outside Canada for ⁠generations can ​now be considered citizens if they can prove descent. That is ​in sharp contrast with Canadian government efforts in recent years to lower immigration targets.

Berning noted, however, that new citizens who have never lived in ​Canada cannot pass citizenship on indefinitely to children born abroad.