Maple News reports that a growing number of Canadian citizenship certificates issued to individuals by descent are being questioned, with recipients asked to surrender their certificates after being told they breached rules they were not informed about. On June 13, 2026, letters from the Registrar of Citizenship went out under Citizenship Regulations 26(1) to an unknown number of holders, stating that their claims to citizenship may no longer be valid and requiring surrender of the certificates.
The letters explain the reason: the application’s supporting documents were not from the original source authorities responsible for creating or maintaining historical records, such as civil registries, vital statistics agencies, or other authorized government bodies. Yet the Citizenship Department’s own documentation for completing applications does not spell out this requirement.
Ala Bujac, a lawyer with Cohen Immigration Law, said this appears to be the first time the government has insisted that documents must come from the original source authorities, noting there was no prior mention in relevant regulatory frameworks. Recipients will have the opportunity to submit additional documents as their files are reviewed, but concerns remain about whether the letter provides a proper justification for the action taken.
The official CIT 0014 document checklist states that birth certificates must be issued by the original government authority in the country of birth, but it does not require that documents come from original source authorities. The checklist also accepts a broad range of evidence, including documents proving a parent’s Canadian citizenship, pre-birth orders, hospital records, surrogacy agreements, and other proofs of citizenship or immigration status in Canada or another country.
Under Canadian immigration law, decisions are typically expected to follow the standards established at the outset. The government’s surrender power is authorized by Citizenship Regulations 26(1), which allows the Registrar to require surrender if there is reason to believe a person may not be entitled to the certificate. Some experts question whether this provision could raise constitutional concerns under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Context matters: the letters have gone to applicants who obtained proof of citizenship through a descent pathway after the Citizenship Act was amended in December 2025 to extend eligibility to people born around the world, including millions of Americans with Canadian ancestry. Thousands of applicants have been pursuing proof of citizenship in the ensuing months, with many families long settled in the United States. Applicants who surrendered must respond with additional documentation; successful claims will see their certificates returned, while unsuccessful claims will result in cancellation.
Maple News will continue monitoring this development as it unfolds, particularly for families tracing long genealogies and potential legal challenges to the new surrender power. Readers planning to apply or respond to such letters should gather comprehensive documentation and seek informed guidance.