Maple News reports that New Hampshire has emerged as a leading U.S. state for residents eligible to pursue Canadian citizenship by descent, boosted by Canada’s 2025 amendments to the Citizenship Act. The state also shows the highest self-reported Canadian ancestry in the country, at about 8.06% according to U.S. Census Bureau data.
Under Canada’s amended Citizenship Act, passed and enacted on December 15, 2025, anyone born before that date who can trace at least one Canadian ancestor is legally recognized as a Canadian citizen by descent. This removes the previous generational limit and broadens eligibility for many Americans with Canadian roots.
New England’s historical connections run deep. Between 1840 and 1930, roughly 900,000 French Canadians left Quebec to work in the region, with a sizable share settling in New Hampshire. Manchester, in particular, hosted about 23,000 French-Canadians by 1910, comprising around 38% of the city’s population. Over time, French-Canadian heritage expanded in the state, and some estimates suggest Canadian ancestry in New Hampshire could now approach 30%.
For today’s eligible residents, the path to citizenship begins with obtaining a proof of Canadian citizenship certificate, which, once granted, unlocks eligibility for a Canadian passport. Applicants must demonstrate a continuous line of descent from a Canadian ancestor, using documents such as birth, baptismal, and marriage records. Catholic church registers are frequently highlighted as valuable sources for tracing French-Canadian genealogies. The Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec holds many older records, but a backlog has slowed requests since the new law took effect. Some Americans pursue help from Quebec-based immigration professionals to navigate the process.
Most applications are filed on paper, and processing times for proofs of citizenship are typically around 10 months. After receiving the certificate, applicants can apply for a Canadian passport, which is usually processed in about 10–20 business days, with a 30-day money-back guarantee on processing estimates. Eligible New Hampshire residents may pursue a DIY approach or hire a Canadian immigration lawyer or licensed consultant to manage the case.
Maple News notes that assembling a complete and verifiable documentation trail remains the biggest hurdle in citizenship-by-descent cases, but the new law significantly expands the pool of Americans who can claim Canadian citizenship and, with it, the opportunity to hold dual nationality.