Canada's broader citizenship rules draw strong American interest, data shows

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 rose 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 took effect.

The data also shows about 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 this year and expects a response in nine months to a year. His great-grandfather was a homesteader in Saskatchewan before World War I 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 likely will 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 deepened in the U.S., where polls show growing dissatisfaction with the Trump administration.

Ties between the U.S. and Canada also grew 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 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 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 never lived in Canada cannot pass citizenship on indefinitely to children born abroad.