Posted by Chinenye on Thu 09th Jul, 2026 - tori.ng
Canada has announced a major increase in the waiting period for applicants seeking proof of citizenship, affecting both new and existing applications.
(Canada Flag. Photo Credit; Wikipedia)
The Canadian government has announced that the processing time for its proof of citizenship has increased to 19 months, according to a report by IRCC.com.
The development was disclosed on the country's Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website on Thursday.
According to IRCC, the change took effect immediately and applies to all new and existing applications.
The platform, though not affiliated with the Canadian government but known for consistently reporting on Canada's affairs, was quoted as stating: "This development matters because it represents a significant increase from the previous processing times, which had been steadily rising over the past year.
Historically, the processing time for proof of citizenship had been much shorter, typically ranging from a few months to a year.
The current backlog, which is nearing 100,000 applications, is a major factor contributing to the prolonged processing times.
This surge in applications can be attributed to the growing demand for Canadian citizenship, driven by the country's reputation as a welcoming and inclusive society.
The specific mechanics of the proof of citizenship application process remain unchanged, with applicants still required to submit their applications through the official government website or by mail."
The report also stated that eligibility criteria, document requirements and application fees remain unchanged.
However, the longer processing time means applicants will now have to wait longer to receive their proof of citizenship, which could affect their ability to access certain benefits and services.
Although Canadian immigration authorities did not provide a direct quote on the matter, a check by our correspondent on the country's official website (Canada.ca) confirmed the new processing timeline and encouraged applicants to monitor their application status online.
The website further warned: "Foreign nationals living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan and Uganda are temporarily not permitted to travel to Canada.
We aren't finalizing applications from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda or South Sudan at this time.
Because of this, your processing time may be longer than the times shown below if the last country of residence on your application was one of these countries."
The increase in processing time comes amid a sharp rise in applications for proof of Canadian citizenship following changes to Canada's citizenship-by-descent law, which took effect in December 2025.
The amendments broadened eligibility to include more people born abroad with Canadian ancestry, triggering a surge in demand for citizenship certificates required to obtain Canadian passports.
Data published by Canadian immigration news outlet CIC News, citing IRCC statistics, showed that the United States recorded the highest number of proof of citizenship applications following the introduction of the new rules.
In January 2026 alone, nearly 2,500 applications were submitted by Americans about 10 times the number received from the United Kingdom, the second-largest source country.
The US total also exceeded the combined applications from the next nine leading countries.
There are, however, no official figures indicating how many Nigerians applied for proof of Canadian citizenship in either 2025 or 2026.
While Nigeria remains one of Canada's leading source countries for permanent residents and international students, it has not featured among the countries recording the highest volume of proof of citizenship applications, according to figures published by Canadian authorities.