Maple News reports a dramatic surge in requests at Prince Edward Island’s Public Archives and Records Office, driven by Americans seeking documents to prove Canadian ancestry after Bill C-3 removed the first-generation limit on citizenship by descent. The change, which took effect on December 15, 2025, opens eligibility to descendants of Canadian ancestors no matter how many generations separate them from Canada.
The spike in demand has overwhelmed archives across the country, with PEI noting a 150% jump in monthly requests. In 2025, the office logged 585 requests; by the end of April 2026, it had recorded 1,776 requests, with 732 more in May alone. As one PEI official put it, “We currently have received four years’ worth of requests in four months.”
Americans account for the vast majority of inquiries—about 99.9%—with smaller numbers coming from Ireland, Australia, and France. Beyond birth records, applicants are chasing a wide range of vital statistics, including baptismal records, marriage certificates, death records, and census data, all common elements in establishing a Canadian lineage.
These volumes have stretched processing times. Where responses typically came within a week, applicants are now facing waits of roughly three months, a figure that the office cautions is likely to grow as demand remains high. Nationally, wait times for proofs of Canadian citizenship certificates have lengthened to about a year, pushing some applicants toward mid-2027 for completion.
For Americans considering an application, the first step is to confirm eligibility and identify which documents are needed to prove descent. Records are available through regional vital statistics offices and local archives—vital statistics offices often hold records for the last 100–120 years, while older documents typically require outreach to regional archives.
After assembling the necessary documentation, applicants file a paper package with photographs and fees. Once a citizenship certificate is issued, applicants can apply for a Canadian passport, which is generally processed within 10–20 business days. Given the complexity and volume, many seek the guidance of an experienced immigration attorney to help ensure a complete, correctly submitted application and to mitigate potential delays.
This surge at PEI mirrors a broader national trend as Canadian archives report similar strains on staff and timelines, underscoring the broader impact of Canada’s expanded citizenship rules on citizenship-by-descent applications.