There has been a surge in Americans seeking Canadian citizenship, i.e., interest among Americans in getting a second citizenship is rising fast, and Canada is becoming a top choice.
In 2025, many U.S. citizens applied for Irish citizenship through ancestry. The number of applications increased by 63%, reaching a record high. However, only a small number of Americans can qualify under Irish rules.
At the same time, Canada made a major change to its citizenship law in December 2025. This change has made millions of Americans eligible for Canadian citizenship. Since then, many have started applying for proof of citizenship.
What Changed In 2025?
Data from Ireland’s Foreign Birth Register shows a sharp rise in applications from Americans.
The number of applications grew from 11,601 in 2024 to 18,910 in 2025. This is the highest number recorded since digital tracking began in 2013.
There are several reasons behind this increase. These include political tensions in the United States, higher living costs, and the growing ease of working remotely and moving between countries.
In fact, in 2025, more Americans moved to Ireland than Irish citizens moved to the United States for the first time.
While interest in Irish citizenship was growing, Canada made a major update to its own law.
In December 2025, Canada passed Bill C-3. This removed the first-generation limit for citizenship by descent. Now, anyone born before December 15, 2025 can claim Canadian citizenship if they can show a family link to a Canadian ancestor, even if it goes back many generations.
Because of this change, millions of Americans became eligible for Canadian citizenship almost overnight. Many are descendants of about 900,000 French Canadians who moved to the northeastern United States between 1840 and 1930.
In comparison, Irish citizenship rules are stricter. Most applicants must have a parent or grandparent born in Ireland. Those with more distant ancestry usually do not qualify.
Due to these differences, interest in Canadian citizenship has become much higher. Google Trends shows that searches for “Canadian citizenship by descent” were more than three times higher than searches for “Irish citizenship by descent” between January and late April 2026.
How Americans Can Apply For Canadian Citizenship?
For many Americans, this new rule means they can skip long immigration processes.
The first step is to check family history. This can be done by talking to relatives, studying family trees, and looking at old records.
To apply for proof of Canadian citizenship, applicants must show documents that prove their connection to a Canadian ancestor. These documents can include birth certificates, marriage records, baptism records, or death certificates.
Finding these records can be difficult. This is one of the biggest challenges for many applicants.
Some Americans choose to work with professionals in Canada. This is because some archives, like the Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, give priority to local requests over those from outside the country.
Once all documents are ready, applicants must send a paper application to Canada’s citizenship department. At present, the processing time is about 10 months.
After approval, applicants receive a citizenship certificate. This gives them full rights as Canadian citizens.
They can enter Canada freely, live and work anywhere in the country, and buy property. If they move to Canada, they may also get access to public healthcare.
They can also apply for a Canadian passport. This passport allows visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 182 countries and currently ranks higher than the U.S. passport.
Even though Irish citizenship remains popular, fewer Americans qualify for it. In contrast, millions of Americans now have a chance to become Canadian citizens due to their family history.
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