Ottawa reverses order to surrender some ‘lost Canadian’ citizenship certificates

Canada’s citizenship by descent law changed on Dec. 15, 2025, allowing people born before that date to claim Canadian citizenship if they can prove direct lineage to a Canadian ancestor generation-by-generation.

A spokesperson for the minister’s office said last week that about 4,100 people have been confirmed as Canadian citizens under this amendment to the law since it took effect.

Many of those making citizenship claims under this new rule are Americans.

Burnett received a new email from the Immigration Department on Saturday morning which said her citizenship had been reconfirmed after a “thorough review” of her case.

The email also says the order to surrender Burnett’s citizenship certificate on June 13 was made after the department reviewed the documents she submitted as part of her application.

Burnett said an IRCC agent she spoke to on Friday was unable to shed any light on why her file and those of her family members were placed under review.

“They never asked me for additional documentation or clarification. I did call them again on Friday and spoke to another worker on the phone, and he was so compassionate again, and really tried to help get some sort of answers for me or clarification, but was really in the dark and not able provide any guidance,” she said.

“Even though it wasn’t fruitful, it was nice to talk to a person at IRCC and have them be responsive and supportive, but also hard that he seemed just as confused.”

Immigration Minister Lena Diab and her department have not said exactly what led to the citizenship reviews in the first place. The minister has said that evidence pulled from websites like Ancestry.ca is not sufficient to prove citizenship by descent and applicants must submit “verified, authenticated documents.”

Burnett shared a copy of a certified census record that showed her great-grandfather was Canadian as part of her citizenship claim.

The immigration department has been notifying individuals whose citizenship is under review that their Canadian passports are no longer valid and must be returned.

Recipients of these letters are being told they have 15 days to return their passports. They’re also being told that their eligibility for a Canadian passport can be reassessed if their citizenship claim is validated.

Burnett had not yet applied for a Canadian passport when she received the initial citizenship surrender letter.

Now, she and her family are feeling more at ease as they prepare to move from Colorado to Vancouver Island this week, where she plans to relaunch her psychology practice.

She told The Canadian Press the U.S. health care system is “going through a lot of changes,” especially regarding care for women, and Canada feels more stable.

Burnett said even as she gets ready to start a new life in British Columbia, she worries about her citizenship being placed under review again.

“I’m very excited and I feel very welcomed by the community I’m moving to on Vancouver Island, but there’s still going to be this part of me I think that will always wonder if this is real or if they’re going to revoke again or suspend again,” she said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 22, 2026.

David Baxter, The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

Ottawa reverses order to surrender some ‘lost Canadian’ citizenship certificates

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