Nigerians, Americans and other foreigners are leveraging ancestral ties to apply for Canadian citizenship after a recent law granted citizenship to anyone who can prove they are descendants of grandparents or great-grandparents born in Canada, or of a naturalised ancestor.

Desperate applicants have gone so far as to request historical records from the Nova Scotia Archives to prove their ancestral relationships.

The Nova Scotia Archives, which received only 260 requests in 2024, logged over 1,500 requests for historical records in the first quarter of 2026 alone, according to manager John Macleod.

In December 2025, the Canadian authorities expanded the first-generation immigration pathway that allowed children of Canadian-born parents or naturalised immigrants to citizenship by descent.

The immigration ministry stated that it received 6,230 applications between December 15, 2025 (when citizenship by descent was announced) and January 31.

Citizenship by descent grants Canadian citizenship to anyone who can prove that their ancestors were born in Canada or were naturalised citizens.

Applicants seeking to immigrate through this route must have been born outside Canada before December 15, 2025. Parents seeking to pass citizenship to children born after that date must have lived in Canada for a minimum of three years. 

The burden of proof rests solely on the applicant, and thousands of Americans are already racing to take advantage of the pathway. Documents required include birth certificates, Citizenship certificates, naturalisation certificates or documents that show family relationships.

The immigration ministry, however, declined to accept genetic information.