When Pascal Sud and Meisha Smith were anticipating the birth of their first child in January, the decision appeared straightforward. Smith planned to give birth in Jamaica, her home country, where she had family support. They intended to return to Montreal together after three months. Initially, the processing time for their daughter Sofianne’s citizenship certificate was estimated to be between four to six weeks. However, more than eight months have passed, and they are still waiting.
Sud has resumed work in Montreal, while Smith and Sofianne remain in Jamaica. Sud expressed his frustration, stating that although he was present for the initial three months, being apart from them since then has been challenging. Many others are facing similar predicaments.
Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) are grappling with a surge in citizenship applications, partly due to a recent change in federal law allowing individuals with a Canadian ancestor to apply. This backlog is hindering Canadians born abroad, like Sofianne, from returning to Canada.
As of the latest update on September 3, there are 136,000 pending applications, with a processing wait time of 33 months for citizenship certificates. Given this pace, Sofianne might not be able to enter Canada until she is over three years old.
In response to the delay, Sud applied for a visitor’s visa for Sofianne to travel to Canada on her Jamaican passport, which IRCC rejected, insisting she must enter Canada with a Canadian passport.
The surge in applications is partly attributed to Bill C-3, resulting in 6,810 people, predominantly Americans, obtaining Canadian citizenship certificates between December 15 and July 31. Canadian citizenship certificates enable holders to apply for a Canadian passport and reside and work in Canada.
Christine Beltempo, an immigration lawyer, expressed concerns about the substantial increase in processing times following the enactment of Bill C-3. IRCC acknowledged the processing delays and emphasized their efforts to enhance efficiency while maintaining the integrity of the citizenship program.
Conservative immigration critic Michelle Rempel Garner criticized the government for disregarding warnings regarding the repercussions of Bill C-3, leading to the current backlog, which is impacting many, including those in Alberta. NDP immigration critic Jenny Kwan urged the government to allocate additional resources to address the processing delays.
Families, like Robert Woodrich’s, are also experiencing delays in obtaining citizenship certificates for their children. Woodrich’s daughter Michelle, born in Switzerland, is awaiting her Canadian citizenship certificate to visit family in Canada.
Woodrich emphasized the urgency of receiving the certificates to facilitate obtaining passports for his children, who are Canadian citizens. Despite the delays, efforts are being made by officials and lawmakers to address the backlog and streamline the application process for affected families.
