# IRCC Suspends Bill C-3 Citizenship Certificates: What Happened and What It Means for Applicants IRCC has suspended citizenship certificates issued under Bill C-3 and asked recipients to return them while their files are reviewed. The reason is specific: documents were not sourced from the original issuing authorities IRCC requires. The law itself has not changed, and the lesson for applicants is to apply with properly sourced, certified records. **Last updated: June 2026.** This article explains a developing situation and reflects publicly reported information as of mid-June 2026. It is general information, not legal advice for any individual case. In mid-June 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) began contacting people who had recently received Canadian citizenship certificates under Bill C-3, asking them to return those certificates while their files are reviewed. The notices reached recipients among the roughly 4,075 people who were granted proof of citizenship by descent after the new law took effect, about half of whom were born in the United States. For anyone claiming, or thinking about claiming, Canadian citizenship by descent, the news is unsettling. But the reason behind the suspensions is specific, and it points to a clear lesson about how these applications need to be built. ## What IRCC actually did According to reporting by CBC News, the Registrar of Canadian Citizenship wrote to certificate holders directing them to surrender their certificates pending a review of their files. The letters state that the department has information suggesting the recipient may not have been entitled to the certificate that was issued, and several describe the certificates as having been issued in error. The suspensions affect people who obtained certificates after Bill C-3 came into force. The move has already drawn political scrutiny, with opposition members calling on the minister to explain the decision, and immigration lawyers have signalled that legal challenges are likely. ## Why the certificates were suspended The common thread in the notices is documentation. IRCC's position, as reported, is that some applications were supported by records that did not come from the original source authority: the civil registry, vital-statistics office, or other government body responsible for creating and holding the original record. Copies from online genealogy databases, family trees, or secondary indexes are not the same as a certified record issued directly by the authority that holds it. In other words, the issue is not that these people have no Canadian ancestry. It is that the documentary chain proving that ancestry was not built to the standard IRCC requires. When the proof does not come from authoritative original sources, IRCC can question whether the certificate should have been issued at all. ## Is the Bill C-3 program still valid? Yes. Bill C-3 received Royal Assent on 20 November 2025 and came into force on 15 December 2025. It removed the first-generation limit on citizenship by descent and restored a path to citizenship for many people previously excluded. None of that has changed. What is happening now is an administrative review of how specific applications were documented, not a repeal of the law. You can confirm the current rules directly on the Government of Canada website (https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-citizenship/act-changes/rules-2025.html). The takeaway for applicants is not "don't apply." It is "apply correctly, with properly sourced evidence." ## What this means if you are applying The suspensions are a real-world illustration of why citizenship-by-descent applications are won or lost on documents. A strong file generally needs: - **Original-source records for every generation** in the line of descent: certified birth, marriage, naturalization, and citizenship documents issued by the authority that holds them, not downloaded copies. - **An unbroken documentary chain** connecting you to your Canadian ancestor, with each link evidenced rather than assumed. - **Careful handling of older and foreign-language records**, including archival, parish, and pre-modern civil records that often require specialized retrieval and certified translation. These are exactly the elements that, when skipped or shortcut, can lead to the problems now under review. ## How Mercan approaches a Bill C-3 file Mercan Group is an immigration firm whose Canadian applications are handled by RCIC-regulated consultants (Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants). Our process is built around the documentary standard IRCC expects: - A genealogical reconstruction of your family history to establish the line of descent before any application is filed. - Retrieval of certified records from the original issuing authorities for each generation, rather than relying on online genealogy services. - Preparation and filing of the Proof of Citizenship application (form CIT 0001) with a complete, source-backed documentary record. No representative can promise a particular outcome, and IRCC decides every case on its own facts. What professional, regulated handling does is give your application the strongest, properly sourced evidentiary foundation from the start. ## If you received a suspension or surrender notice If IRCC has contacted you about a certificate issued under Bill C-3: - Keep everything: the full email, any attachments, the envelope, and your certificate number. Note any deadlines stated in the notice. - Do not ignore it, but do not act hastily either. - Speak with a regulated immigration professional before responding, so your file can be reviewed and any gaps in original-source documentation addressed. ## FAQ **Did Canada cancel Bill C-3?** No. The law remains in force. IRCC is reviewing how certain applications were documented; it has not repealed citizenship by descent. **Why were the certificates suspended?** As reported, the central issue is that supporting documents did not come from the original source authorities IRCC requires. The department has said some certificates may have been issued in error. **Should I still apply for citizenship by descent?** Eligibility has not changed. The lesson is to apply with properly sourced, certified records and an unbroken documentary chain, which is where professional, regulated help matters most. **What documents does IRCC require?** Certified records issued directly by the authority that holds them, such as civil registries and vital-statistics offices, for each generation in your line of descent. Copies from online genealogy sites are generally not sufficient on their own. ## Speak with Mercan's regulated Canadian team If you are claiming Canadian citizenship by descent, or you have received a notice from IRCC, Mercan's RCIC-regulated consultants can review your situation and help you build a properly sourced file. Request a free, no-obligation consultation (https://www.mercan.com/canadian-citizenship-by-descent/), or read our complete Bill C-3 guide (https://www.mercan.com/bill-c-3-canadian-citizenship-2026-complete-guide/) and Lost Canadians companion guide (https://www.mercan.com/lost-canadians-citizenship-application-2026-guide/). --- Source: Mercan Group, an RCIC-regulated Canadian immigration firm. Free consultation: https://www.mercan.com/canadian-citizenship-by-descent/ . Full article: https://www.mercan.com/bill-c-3-citizenship-certificates-suspended-2026