Canadian Citizenship Proof Processing Hits 33 Months

Processing times for Canadian citizenship proof applications have grown significantly, now standing at a 33-month wait. Separately, the U.S. government is appealing a second federal court injunction that prevents it from collecting a substantial new fee on certain H-1B visa petitions.

Proof of Citizenship Processing

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) currently estimates a 33-month processing time for a complete proof of citizenship application received today. The department calculates this estimate based on current application volumes, staffing levels, and expected future intake. The processing clock starts only when IRCC receives a complete application package.

A major factor behind the growing queue is the legislative change brought by Bill C-3, which removed the first-generation limit on citizenship by descent on December 15, 2025. This has led to a surge in applications from individuals seeking confirmation of a status they may already hold. Between August and September 2026 alone, the queue grew by approximately 14,000 people, causing the estimated wait time to increase by eight months. IRCC processes applications on a first-in, first-out basis, so an application submitted in spring 2026 remains ahead of those submitted later. Complex files may face additional delays as they are routed to more senior decision-makers.

Applicants cannot pay to expedite their application, but they may qualify for urgent processing under specific circumstances. These include needing the certificate to avoid harm or hardship, to move a child to Canada, to resolve statelessness, for family emergency travel, to renounce another citizenship by a deadline, or for work, school, or social benefits access. Dual citizens from visa-exempt countries may also qualify if they can show proof of travel to Canada within six months. Any urgent processing request requires a detailed explanation letter and supporting documentation, though IRCC does not guarantee a timely result even if the request qualifies.

H-1B Fee Litigation Continues

The Trump administration filed an appeal on October 9, 2026, asking the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to overturn a California ruling that blocked a $100,000 H-1B fee. The fee remains uncollectable due to this and an earlier injunction from a Massachusetts federal court. The appeal does not immediately reinstate the fee.

The California injunction, issued by Judge Haywood Gilliam Jr. on September 30, 2026, halted agency memos and payment guidance that implemented the fee under a 2025 proclamation and its 2026 extension. The judge found the challengers-a coalition of employers, a nurse staffing company, unions, a professors’ association, and a church-were likely to succeed in their claim that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) skipped required notice-and-comment rulemaking and acted arbitrarily. Government lawyers have also requested a stay of this order, arguing that related challenges are pending in other circuits and the dispute will likely reach the Supreme Court.

This marks the second major court loss for the fee policy. In June 2026, a Massachusetts federal judge vacated the policy in a suit brought by 20 states, a decision the First Circuit Court of Appeals declined to pause in July. The legal timeline is complex, with rulings fluctuating since the fee's inception via proclamation in September 2025. A separate DHS proposal for a permanent $103,265 fee on cap-subject petitions is not currently in effect.