Canadian archives see surge in requests after law change, i.e., archives across Canada are seeing a sharp rise in requests after Canada changed its citizenship law and expanded citizenship by descent.

The new law removed the first-generation limit for Canadian citizenship. This means that anyone born before December 15, 2025, who can trace their family line back to a Canadian ancestor may now qualify for Canadian citizenship, no matter how many generations ago the connection existed.

This change has made millions of Americans eligible for Canadian citizenship.

However, before they can apply for a Canadian passport, they first need proof of Canadian citizenship. To receive this proof, applicants must collect official records showing their family connection to Canada.

As a result, archives across several Canadian provinces are now dealing with very high demand.

Quebec Archives See Huge Increase In Requests

One of the biggest increases has been reported by the Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec.

The archive states that requests have increased by 3,000% since the law changed.

Much of this demand comes from descendants of French Canadians who moved to New England between 1840 and 1930. This large migration is often called the “Great Hemorrhage.”

During that period, many French Canadians left Quebec to work in factories and mill towns in the northeastern United States.

Today, many of their descendants are trying to collect documents to prove their Canadian ancestry.

Atlantic Provinces Also Facing Heavy Demand

Archives in eastern Canada are also seeing major increases in requests.

This includes the provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, & Prince Edward Island.

In these provinces, many requests are connected to Acadian ancestry.

The Acadians were a French-speaking group who were removed from eastern Canada by the British beginning in 1755. Many later settled in Louisiana and became ancestors of today’s Cajun population.

Moreover, the Nova Scotia Archives received ten times more requests in January and February 2026 than during the same period the year before.

By March, the archive had received 270 additional requests, pushing the backlog to around 600.

From January to March 2026 alone, the Nova Scotia Archives received 1,354 requests. In comparison, the archive received only 262 requests during all of 2024.

The Provincial Archives of New Brunswick is also facing large delays.

As of now, it has more than 1,000 pending requests, and about 400 new citizenship-related requests continue to arrive every month.

Interestingly, the calls and requests began rising in December and have continued ever since.

The archives now warn that it may take six to eight weeks just to reply to an initial request.

Prince Edward Island’s Public Archives and Records Office has also reported a 143% rise in requests this year.

The office currently sends automatic replies to emails explaining that demand is extremely high and no completion timeline can be provided.

Why So Many Americans Are Applying?

Americans make up the largest group applying for proof of Canadian citizenship.

Applications from Americans are about ten times higher than those from the United Kingdom, which is the second-largest source country.

Many applicants are not planning to move to Canada immediately.

Instead, many see Canadian citizenship as a backup option for the future.

Since both Canada and the United States allow dual citizenship, Americans can hold both passports at the same time.

For many people, there are very few disadvantages.

Unlike the United States, Canada does not tax citizens on worldwide income.

This means Americans do not face extra tax duties simply for becoming Canadian citizens or holding a Canadian passport.

Dual citizens also receive the full rights of both countries.

They can enter, live, and work in Canada freely.

They can also apply for a Canadian passport, which currently ranks higher than the U.S. passport on the Henley Passport Index.

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