Millions of Americans Could Now Become Canadian Citizens

(KNOX) – Potentially millions of Americans suddenly have a much easier path to Canadian citizenship. A change in the country’s laws has prompted a rush of Americans to explore their ancestry and file paperwork seeking dual citizenship. Since the new law took effect Dec. 15, immigration lawyers in the United States and Canada say they have been overwhelmed by clients seeking help submitting citizenship applications. For people like Zack Loud of Farmington, Minnesota, it was a surprise to learn that under a new law, Canada already considered him and his siblings citizens because their grandmother is Canadian.

For those with documentation ready at hand, the proof of citizenship application fee is a relatively inexpensive 75 Canadian dollars ($55).

But costs will climb for those seeking help from an attorney or genealogist.

The website for the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada office, which processes applications, says processing times for a certificate is around 10 months, with more 56,000 people awaiting a decision.