New Canadian Media: Proof-of-citizenship wait jumps to 19 months as queue nears 100,000

People applying for proof of Canadian citizenship are now facing a projected wait of about 19 months, as Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s public processing-time tool shows about 99,500 people waiting for a decision.

The July 7 update marks a sharp increase for citizenship certificate applications, also known as proof of citizenship. In April, the wait for the same category was listed at 10 months, with 56,300 applications in line, according to a CIC News report tracking IRCC’s processing-time. By May 12, the wait had risen to 12 months and the queue to about 70,400, according to Moving2Canada. The same platform said the queue stood at 40,400 on Dec. 10, 2025, five days before changes to Canada’s Citizenship Act took effect.

A citizenship certificate is not the same as a citizenship grant. A grant is for permanent residents applying to become citizens. A certificate is proof that someone is already Canadian under the law, including people born outside Canada to Canadian parents, people replacing older proof-of-citizenship documents, and people whose citizenship may have been restored or recognized because of recent legal changes.

The certificate can matter for practical reasons. IRCC says people who believe they may have become citizens under Bill C-3 — the law that changed Canada’s citizenship-by-descent rules — must apply for a citizenship certificate to confirm their status. The document can also be used to apply for a Canadian passport.

Bill C-3 changed Canada’s first-generation limit on citizenship by descent and came into force on Dec. 15, 2025. Under the new rules, some individuals whose connection to a Canadian citizen extends beyond one generation are eligible to apply for citizenship by descent. 

NDP immigration critic Jenny Kwan said IRCC should publish more detailed information, including how many proof-of-citizenship applications are waiting, what counts as non-routine and how many files have been designated that way.

“Publishing a single processing time creates false expectations and leaves applicants unable to plan their lives,” Kwan said in a written response. “It doesn’t work as public policy and it doesn’t work for the people applying.”

She said delays have real consequences.

“People can’t obtain passports, travel, access opportunities, or fully exercise their rights as Canadians,” she said. “Effectively their lives are in limbo.”

*Click image or link to read the news story - https://newcanadianmedia.ca/proof-of-citizenship-wait-jumps-to-19-months-as-queue-nears-100000/

MEDIA RELEASE: Open Letter to Immigration Minister on C-3 Citizenship Reviews

Weeks ago, IRCC promised that the citizenship reviews for individuals under Bill C-3 would be resolved "within a matter of days". Yet, my office continues to hear from distraught families who have been left completely in the dark—facing suspended citizenship certificates and revoked passports with zero explanation, timelines, or communication from the government.  

This is an unacceptable failure of procedural fairness. We are seeing shocking inconsistency, where one family member has their passport seized while others based on the same lineage do not. To make matters worse, my office has received a report of a serious privacy breach where sensitive personal data was mailed to the wrong applicant.  

These individuals followed the rules, provided extensive documentation, and had their Canadian citizenship officially recognized. They should not be subjected to prolonged trauma and institutional finger-pointing.  I have written an open letter to Immigration Minister Lena Diab demanding immediate accountability.

Parliament passed Bill C-3 to correct historical wrongs for Lost Canadians, not to create a new era of fear and uncertainty where the government can strip your status without explanation. Minister Diab must act now.  

*Click [ Read more ] to read the full letter.

Toronto Star: Not our job to ensure border patrol helicopter could fly in Canada, RCMP says

The RCMP says it wasn’t its job to ensure its newest border patrol helicopter was allowed to fly in Canada, even as it defends paying for the Black Hawk it can’t use after it was grounded because of concerns from Transport Canada. 

The Mounties also won’t reveal the cost of the daily fees they are paying towards the $7.5-million contract for the idle chopper, as critics demand answers from Ottawa over how the RCMP chose a helicopter that’s not eligible to fly in Canada over other options.

“The Carney government must provide a full accounting of how this contract was awarded, who approved it, what due diligence was undertaken, and what steps will be taken to protect public funds going forward, especially given the massive increases in military spending that are forecast over the coming years,” NDP public safety critic Jenny Kwan said in a statement to the Star.

*Click image or link to read the news story - https://www.thestar.com/politics/federal/not-our-job-to-ensure-border-patrol-helicopter-could-fly-in-canada-rcmp-says/article_aa75841e-c421-43ca-960b-47ef24197c0b.html

MEDIA RELEASE: NDP Housing Critic Jenny Kwan Statement on Government Spin on the “Condo Conversion” Program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NDP Housing Critic Jenny Kwan Statement on Government Spin on the “Condo Conversion” Program
 
The federal and BC governments continue to speak about creating pathways to homeownership, yet their decision to purchase existing distressed condominium units raises important questions about whether public policy is addressing the root causes of housing unaffordability. The condo purchase plan comes after the Community Housing Fund was indefinitely suspended in BC when housing organizations had shovel ready projects they had already invested in.  No amount of double speak will hide the fact that the Federal government failed to set affordability targets for the creation of Build Canada Homes and the bill that authorized the expenditure of $1.713 billion of public funds contained no meaningful safeguards, no measurable affordability requirements and no clear accountability mechanisms. 
  
This approach is not a plan to support homeownership for first time buyers, rather, it’s an investment banker’s plan.  At the heart of Condo Conversion program are the interests of investors and financial institutions.  That is also why Carney has eliminated the Underused Housing Tax in their last budget and has not extended the foreign buyer ban when it expires at the end of the year.  

There are alternative approaches that deserve greater attention. For years, the NDP has called for the Federal government to end special tax treatment for housing profiteers such as Real Estate Investment Trusts and to change tax policies that currently favour large institutional ownership of residential real estate.  In addition, the NDP has advocated for measures to discourage speculative accumulation of multiple investment properties, and consider measures such as progressively higher down payment requirements for the purchase of additional residential properties as is done in other countries including Singapore. These types of reforms prioritizes the treatment of housing as a primary home and discourage housing profiteering and create a level playing field for first time home buyers. 

Canadians deserve a housing strategy that addresses the causes of unaffordability, not just the symptoms and they deserve answers.  

Why are governments using public funds to purchase existing condominium units rather than focusing those resources on increasing overall affordable housing supply?

What analysis has been conducted on the impact of these purchases on local housing markets and first-time buyers?

How many units could be created through new construction or partnerships with non-profit housing providers for the same level of public investment?

Why has the government chosen this approach over policies aimed at reducing speculative demand and excessive investor activity?

Why is the government not extending the foreign buyer ban? 

Why were there no affordability and accountability requirements in Bill C-26?

Will the Parliamentary Budget Office have the opportunity to conduct an independent analysis of this proposal?

Canadians deserve a housing strategy that addresses the root causes of unaffordability, not just the symptoms. Directing public funding to the private market to purchase unabsorbed condos to bailout developers because, as the Prime Minister says they “are stuck” and “they do not want to sell at a loss, but they also can’t afford to hold the empty units indefinitely” reflects the wrong approach and priorities to deliver affordable homes to Canadians. Pretending that this is turning unsold condo-units into affordable housing is a slap in the face of the dedicated work of non-profit and co-op housing providers who are experts at this work.  The government should reconsider this decision and bring back something more tailored to the conditions on the ground.

 

OPEN LETTER: to the Immigration Minister on suspension and subsequent reinstatement of citizenship certificates

MEDIA RELEASE: Statement on Lost Canadians Suspension of Citizenship Certificates

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Statement by Jenny Kwan on Lost Canadians Suspension of Citizenship Certificates

The federal government's sudden reversal on the suspension of citizenship certificates issued under the new citizenship-by-descent provisions raises more questions on how IRCC is carrying out its mandate under the current Minister.

Just days after some newly recognized Canadians were suddenly, without warning, ordered to surrender their citizenship certificates and informed that their status was under review, IRCC has now begun notifying many of those same individuals that their citizenship claims are valid after all.

According to those affected, no new evidence was requested and no additional documentation was provided between the decision to revoke their certificates and the decision to reinstate them.

Canadians deserve to know: what happened?

For families who had finally received recognition of their Canadian citizenship after years of waiting, these letters caused enormous distress. Some were told that their citizenship certificates were no longer valid. Others were warned that any passport issued on the basis of those certificates could be invalidated. Families were left wondering whether they could trust the very documents the government had issued to them.

The Minister has acknowledged that an internal review is underway. That review must be accompanied by a full public explanation.

I am calling on the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship to answer the following questions:

• Why were these citizenship certificates suspended in the first place?
• What changed between the original surrender notices and the subsequent revalidation letters?
• How many people were affected by these actions?
• Why were applicants not given an opportunity to provide clarification or additional evidence before being ordered to surrender their citizenship certificates?
• What measures are being put in place to ensure this does not happen again?

The fact that some files were apparently reinstated without any new evidence raises serious concerns about the consistency of the department's decision-making process.

This issue extends beyond the individuals who received surrender letters. More than 4,000 people have obtained citizenship under the amended citizenship-by-descent provisions, and many are now wondering whether their own status could be called into question without warning.

Citizenship is a fundamental legal status that shapes a person's future, family plans, mobility, and sense of belonging. Canadians should be able to have confidence that when the government grants citizenship, that decision has been properly reviewed, verified and can be relied upon.

The Minister owes affected families a clear explanation of what went wrong and what safeguards will be put in place to prevent this from happening again.