A lot of Americans are applying for Canadian citizenship
An immigration consultant told CNN that she’s seen a tenfold increase in her caseload
According to an immigration consultant interviewed by CNN, the number of Americans seeking Canadian citizenship has significantly increased since an amendment to Canada’s Citizenship Act.
In 2025, the federal government opted to “extend citizenship by descent beyond the first generation in a way that is more inclusive,” which removed the restriction of citizenship by descent that previously only applied to the first generation born abroad.
Ottawa-based immigration consultant Cassandra Fultz told CNN, “There’s been a very steady increase in interest in moving to Canada since November 2024, which is unprecedented. I’ve never seen this in my 17 years in the industry.”
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Fultz said that before Bill C-3 passed, her caseload consisted of about 10 applications per month. It has now ballooned to around 100, as applicants are now eligible for Canadian citizenship if they can prove any lineage, even if it dates back generations. The amendment opens the door for potentially millions of people who have a familial connection to Canada.
Every election cycle prompts a wave of applications, Fultz said, regardless of who wins, but she is currently fielding an exceptionally high volume. “Usually people just get over it. But it’s already nearing the mid-terms and people are very interested.”
She noted that some American applicants aren’t looking to make an immediate move, but want to get their paperwork started “just in case.”
Citing Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, CNN said about 50,900 people are currently waiting on a decision as to their application status.
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Carly Lewis is a journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Times and the New York Times Magazine, Vanity Fair, Wired, Interview Magazine, Pitchfork, Elle, and Maclean’s, where she is a contributing editor. Her work has been recognized by the National Magazine Awards and the Digital Publishing Awards. She reports on city life, culture—including what people do online—politics, art and crime. She received the Dave Greber Freelance Writers Award for “The Murder of Ashley Wadsworth,” an investigative feature about a Canadian teenager who was killed by a man she met on social media, published by Maclean’s.
