Since December 15, 2025, a Canadian ancestor, any number of generations back, can make you a Canadian citizen by descent if you were born before that date. To confirm it, you apply for proof of Canadian citizenship and show a documented and direct unbroken lineage from your Canadian ancestor to you. FamilySearch and Ancestry get […]
The post Hit a wall in your records search for Canadian citizenship by descent? These 5 tools can help you trace your ancestors first appeared on CIC News.
Whether you are considering a proof of Canadian citizenship application or have already started one, one question comes up often: how long will the process take? Your timeline depends on how complex your file is, how long you take to gather documents, and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) processing times when you apply. This […]
The post How long proof of Canadian citizenship really takes, and other common timeline questions answered first appeared on CIC News.
Canada’s freeze on work permits has crept over Halifax, Fredericton, Kingston, St. Catharines-Niagara, Regina, and Lethbridge, while remaining in place for 24 previously affected regions. The freeze has been lifted from Kamloops and Chilliwack. Schedule a Free Work Permit Consultation From Oct. 9, 2026 to Jan. 7, 2027, employers cannot initiate hiring or renewal of […]
The post Work permit freeze expands to six more labour markets across the Maritimes, Ontario, and the Prairies first appeared on CIC News.
On Monday, October 12, Canadians will sit down to turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie. Most Americans will do the same six weeks later, on November 26. In most US households, the Canadian holiday passes without a second thought. For some Americans, it may be as much theirs as the November one. This is the first […]
The post American with Canadian ancestry? You may have a second Thanksgiving to celebrate first appeared on CIC News.
Canada’s citizenship department had about 136,000 proof-of-citizenship applications awaiting a decision in September 2026. Among the source countries, the U.S. was by far the largest, with Americans filing more applications than the next nine source countries combined. Under Canadian law, Americans who can trace a direct, unbroken line of descent to a Canadian ancestor are […]
The post Does your ancestry make you an American-Canadian dual citizen today? A new free tool checks your family line and lists the records you’d need first appeared on CIC News.
Canada’s federal government has committed funds to advance 200 internationally trained physicians (ITPs) along a fast track to Ontario licensing. On October 7, 2026, Health Canada announced $20 million in funding to support expansion of Practice Ready Ontario (PRO), which allows ITPs to become licensed to practise family medicine through completing a 12-week clinical field […]
The post Canada expands fast track to Ontario licensing for internationally trained physicians first appeared on CIC News.
The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) has boosted scores for candidates earning at least $80,000 per year, giving them a higher chance of being selected for provincial nomination for Canadian permanent residence. On Oct. 7, 2026, Ontario announced that top earning candidates are now being awarded 10 points toward their score under the Ontario Workforce […]
The post Ontario boosts points for higher earners under new permanent residence pathway first appeared on CIC News.
Ask Americans to name the most Canadian corner of the US, and most will point to parts of New England. Yet just north of St. Paul, in Ramsey County, Minnesota, sits a city literally called Little Canada. The city wears its roots openly. Its water tower spells out “Little Canada,” and its flag carries a […]
The post Generations of Minnesotans are now Canadian citizens through their ancestry and don’t know it yet first appeared on CIC News.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced a cutover to a new online process for asylum claims, effective Nov. 3, 2026. The impact on claimants will vary depending on their stage in the process at the time immediately before the cutover, which is 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on Nov. 2, 2026. Schedule a […]
The post Canada to launch new asylum claim process on November 3 first appeared on CIC News.
How many records about your anchor ancestor* do you need to prove your claim to Canadian citizenship by descent? The answer depends on the records that exist for that ancestor and on whether you can get them from the original authority that created or keeps them. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) asks for one […]
The post Do you need two documents to prove your ancestor was Canadian in a citizenship by descent claim? Not necessarily first appeared on CIC News.
Haitians facing displacement from the United States can consider settling in Canada, which prioritizes French speakers for a six-month pathway to permanent residence (PR). Canada admits over 100,000 permanent residents each year through Express Entry, a selection system that rolls out a red carpet for French speakers. Check Your Eligibility for Canadian Permanent Residence Express […]
The post Haitians affected by termination of U.S. protected status eye six-month route to Canadian permanent residence first appeared on CIC News.
If your grandparent was born in Canada and later became an American, you may be a Canadian citizen by descent. You may have been one since the day you were born. Canada’s immigration department used a family like yours to train its own officers on these cases. In December 2025, according to internal IRCC training […]
The post Did your Canadian-born ancestor become American? The government’s own training example says you may have a claim to Canadian citizenship by descent first appeared on CIC News.
Legendary guitarist Eric Clapton once released the song, “My Father’s Eyes,” about the parent he never met, which went on to win him a Grammy. That father was a former Canadian soldier born in Montreal. Under Canada’s citizenship laws, that connection likely made Clapton a Canadian citizen. And now, thanks to Bill C-3, which came […]
The post Is legendary guitarist Eric Clapton a Canadian citizen? How Canada’s new citizenship bill impacts his lineage first appeared on CIC News.
Québec has invited 519 workers to apply for permanent selection. Invitations were issued on Sept. 24, under all four streams of the Skilled Worker Selection Program (PSTQ), with the majority going to workers with intermediate and manual skills (stream 2). Schedule a Free Work Permit Consultation Selected candidates may proceed with a complete application for […]
The post Quebec invites 519 workers to apply for permanent selection through PSTQ first appeared on CIC News.
Applicants for work permit extensions and for post-graduation work permits (PGWPs) can now look up processing time estimates based on when they applied. These personalized processing estimates are available following an update to the immigration department’s processing times web page in late September 2026. Schedule a Free Work Permit Consultation Visitors to the government web […]
The post Canada launches personalized processing times for work permit extensions and PGWPs first appeared on CIC News.
In a kitchen drawer in Seattle sits a document Dana hasn’t looked at in years. It’s a Canadian citizenship certificate, issued when she was a baby. As far as she knew, this document was no longer valid. Her parents applied for it in 1979. Her grandfather was born in Brandon, Manitoba, and moved to the […]
The post Born outside Canada between 1977 and 1981? You may have lost Canadian citizenship at 28, and got it back without knowing first appeared on CIC News.
The Canadian federal government has given a second chance to nationals and former residents of Israel and Palestine, who would otherwise have faced deportation from Canada. On September 29, 2026, Canada granted affected individuals the opportunity to obtain permanent immigration status in Canada as protected persons, even if they had previously been refused. Schedule a […]
The post Canada gives second chance to asylum seekers from Israel and Palestine first appeared on CIC News.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has invited 3,500 tradespeople to apply for permanent residence through Express Entry. To be considered in this draw, candidates needed to meet the minimum work experience for the Trades category, and have A minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 476; and Created an Express Entry candidate profile before […]
The post Canada invites 3,500 tradespeople to apply for permanent residence first appeared on CIC News.
Starting a career in Canada may involve more than completing a degree or diploma. Employers may also look for practical skills and experience related to the job. A co-op program may give students an opportunity to begin developing both while they study. Book an Appointment at a TD Branch Now For international students, a co-op […]
The post From Classroom to Canadian Workplace: A Guide for Newcomer Students first appeared on CIC News.
Canadian citizenship by descent claims can be complicated, and a refusal letter from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) can leave applicants unsure of where to go next. While potentially discouraging, a refusal by itself does not need to entail the end of your citizenship journey. IRCC may refuse applications for many reasons. The documents […]
The post My Canadian citizenship by descent application was refused. What are my next steps? first appeared on CIC News.
Canada’s immigration department has barred officers from summarily refusing work permit applications relying on dubious job offers. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) published updated instructions on its website on Sept. 17, 2026, which require officers to give applicants the opportunity to address any concerns about the genuineness of a job offer. Schedule a Free […]
The post Canada curbs summary refusal of employer-specific work permits first appeared on CIC News.
Since Bill C-3 came into force on December 15, 2025, more than ten thousand Americans with Canadian ancestry have been applying for Canadian citizenship certificates every month. Many misconceptions about the new law remain. One question comes up often: can a past criminal record hurt a citizenship by descent application? Get a Free Consultation on […]
The post Can a criminal record affect a Canadian citizenship by descent claim? first appeared on CIC News.
Canada has extended measures banning entry of foreign nationals living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Uganda, and South Sudan. The extended measures also prohibit entry of foreign nationals with past-21-day travel to the DRC. Schedule a Free Work Permit Consultation The suite of Ebola-related restrictions is set to remain in effect until […]
The post Canada extends Ebola-related immigration and travel bans first appeared on CIC News.
Genealogy company Ancestry has added an index of 570,090 Quebec obituaries from the Drouin Institute to its website. The records come from obituaries published in Quebec newspapers between 1902 and 2025. For Americans with French-Canadian roots, this could matter. In December 2025, Bill C-3 changed Canada’s citizenship law. It scrapped the first-generation limit, which had […]
The post Tracing Canadian citizenship by descent? Ancestry just added 570,000 Quebec obituaries, one of which could unlock your claim first appeared on CIC News.
Canada’s federal government has announced plans to expand collection of biometrics in Labrador, starting operations in January of 2027. When the new site is operational, individuals seeking immigration services in Labrador will be able to have their biometrics collected in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. Schedule a Free Work Permit Consultation As of the time of writing, […]
The post Canada sets opening of Labrador biometrics site for January 2027 first appeared on CIC News.