Canada has increased the estimated processing time for proof of citizenship applications to 25 months.
How much has the time for proof of citizenship increased?
The wait has more than doubled in just three months. In May, the estimated processing time was 12 months. It increased to 19 months in July and reached 25 months in August.
The longer wait comes as Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) deals with a growing number of applications.
As of August 10, about 121,800 applications were waiting for a decision. This was around 22,300 more than the number recorded in July.
Applications face longer delays
IRCC data also shows that fewer applications were completed in June. The department processed only 3,040 proof of citizenship applications during that month.
Between January 1 and June 30, IRCC completed 31,980 applications. By the end of May, it had already completed 28,940 applications.
The number of pending cases also increased quickly. There were 82,020 applications waiting at the end of May. This number rose to 99,520 by June 30.
Citizenship proof vs citizenship application
Proof of citizenship applications are for people who are already Canadian citizens. They use the process to get an official certificate confirming their citizenship.
Citizenship grant applications are different. They are used by permanent residents who want to become Canadian citizens for the first time.
More people now eligible for citizenship
The number of citizenship certificate applications has also increased after Canada changed its citizenship-by-descent rules.
The change took effect on December 15, 2025. It removed the previous first-generation limit for certain people born before that date.
Under the old rules, a person born outside Canada generally could not claim citizenship through a Canadian parent if that parent had also been born outside Canada.
The new rules have expanded eligibility for people with a family connection to a Canadian grandparent, great-grandparent or an earlier Canadian ancestor.