Canadians applying for proof of citizenship are facing a longer wait. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada's latest update shows processing times for proof-of-citizenship applications reaching 34 months in October 2026, up from 33 months in September and 19 months in July.
The queue itself is slowly shrinking: about 130,700 people are waiting for a decision, down from roughly 136,000. The delays follow changes to Canada's citizenship-by-descent rules, which opened eligibility to more people with a Canadian parent, grandparent or earlier ancestor and prompted a surge of applications.
The wider immigration picture remains competitive. As of October 12, there were 229,456 active candidates in the Express Entry pool, with the 501-to-600 CRS score band growing by 568 candidates to 21,638.
For applicants, the practical message is unchanged: file early, expect the proof-of-citizenship timeline to be measured in years rather than months, and watch IRCC's monthly updates for movement in either direction.
