Hundreds of people who thought they had finally resolved their nationality status under last year’s “Lost Canadian” reforms woke up this week to find that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is now demanding their proof-of-citizenship documents back. Letters sent over the weekend of 14–15 June instruct recipients to mail their citizenship certificates to the Case Review Unit in Sydney, N.S., while officials re-examine whether the evidence they supplied truly met the new legal standard. The move stems from Bill C-3, which restored citizenship by descent to people born abroad before 15 December 2025 once they could show a Canadian parent or grand-parent. Lawyers say the department initially accepted alternative records such as baptismal registers or census extracts when vital-statistics documents were missing, but the review letters now insist that “original source” material be produced or thoroughly explained. Applicants have 30 days to respond or risk having IRCC mark their digital file “citizenship in dispute.” For individuals, the stakes are high: a suspended certificate can affect everything from renewing a passport to accepting an overseas work assignment. Employers that relocate staff under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program or the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) worry that employees caught in limbo may be unable to prove their right to return to Canada after business travel. IRCC has not published statistics, but immigration lawyer Amandeep Hayer told CityNews he has already fielded calls from at least 40 concerned families and estimates “a couple of hundred” people are affected. Practitioners are urging anyone who receives the letter to file an Access to Information request to obtain the officer’s notes, gather missing documents quickly, and request an extension if needed.
![IRCC tells some ‘Lost Canadian’ citizens to surrender recently issued certificates]()
For applicants scrambling to collect certified records or arrange travel while their status is under review, a service like VisaHQ can be a valuable ally. The company’s Canada portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) offers step-by-step guidance on ordering vital documents, securing apostilles, and obtaining visas and passports, all through an easy online interface. Their specialists can clarify IRCC evidentiary requirements and help ensure you have the correct paperwork in hand before you mail anything—or board a plane—reducing the risk of further delays during this stressful process.
They also advise avoiding international trips until the review is resolved, because a traveller whose certificate is flagged could face secondary inspection when re-entering Canada. The episode highlights the operational strain the citizenship program is under as it implements multiple legislative changes and digital-processing initiatives at once. IRCC has yet to issue a public explanation, but advocacy groups are pressing the department to clarify whether the withdrawal letters were sent in error or signal a stricter evidentiary policy going forward.
For applicants scrambling to collect certified records or arrange travel while their status is under review, a service like VisaHQ can be a valuable ally. The company’s Canada portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) offers step-by-step guidance on ordering vital documents, securing apostilles, and obtaining visas and passports, all through an easy online interface. Their specialists can clarify IRCC evidentiary requirements and help ensure you have the correct paperwork in hand before you mail anything—or board a plane—reducing the risk of further delays during this stressful process.
They also advise avoiding international trips until the review is resolved, because a traveller whose certificate is flagged could face secondary inspection when re-entering Canada. The episode highlights the operational strain the citizenship program is under as it implements multiple legislative changes and digital-processing initiatives at once. IRCC has yet to issue a public explanation, but advocacy groups are pressing the department to clarify whether the withdrawal letters were sent in error or signal a stricter evidentiary policy going forward.
