Americans drive surge in Canadian citizenship applications
Americans are driving a surge in applications for Canadian citizenship by descent, as expanded eligibility rules and political uncertainty in the United States encourage more people to secure a second passport, reports a Qazinform News Agency correspondent.
The rise comes during U.S. President Donald Trump’s second term, which has been marked by tighter immigration policies and renewed efforts to restrict birthright citizenship. Some Americans are seeking Canadian citizenship as an alternative or a safeguard amid concerns over the direction of U.S. policy.
Trump has made immigration a central part of his second-term agenda. His administration has pursued stricter immigration enforcement and sought to limit birthright citizenship. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected an earlier Trump executive order restricting birthright citizenship. Trump signed two narrower executive orders on the issue in August.
Meanwhile, Canada has seen strong American interest since Bill C-3 took effect on December 15, 2025, expanding citizenship by descent.
According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada data reported by CBC, approvals for citizenship by descent increased by more than 1,000 per month after the new law took effect, with Americans accounting for about 48% of approvals.
The new Canadian rules removed the previous first-generation limit in certain cases, making more people born abroad to Canadian families eligible for citizenship.
The trend also reflects broader interest among Americans in opportunities outside the US, with some applicants viewing Canadian citizenship as a long-term option for themselves and their families.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose additional tariffs on Canada, accusing Ottawa of failing to properly manage its forests as smoke from hundreds of Canadian wildfires spread across large parts of the United States.