Americans rush to become Canadian citizens
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Relations between the USA and Canada have been quite bitter during Donald Trump's second term as President of the United States. However, recent data from the country's immigration authority shows that many Americans are seeking the opportunity to become Canadian citizens.
According to new rules from Canada's immigration authority, descendants of the country's early settlers can now claim citizenship. Canada formulated this new Citizenship Act following a court ruling in 2023.
The ruling stated that those who have lived outside Canada for generations, if they can prove their lineage, can now be considered citizens. As a result, applications seeking approval for ancestral citizenship this year have increased by more than a thousand per month. In February alone, 48% of total applications came from US citizens.
In contrast, only 275 applications were approved in December 2025, right after the new law came into effect.
Immigration lawyers say this high rate of American applications demonstrates the historically close relationship between the two neighboring countries. It also indicates that many Americans view Canada as an attractive place to live or study, especially due to recent political uncertainties.
William Hanwell, 41, who applied earlier this year, said the biggest thing is that it gives his family options. William Hanwell, currently living in Seattle, had a great-grandfather who was a settler in Saskatchewan before World War I, and his grandfather was born in Canada.
US-based immigration lawyer Nick Barning believes that most newly approved citizens will likely remain abroad, but many want to keep an alternative path open for themselves.
In his opinion, the current interest in Canadian citizenship is definitely due to US politics. They want to stay in the US, but they want an escape route if the situation becomes unbearable.
Political divisions in the US have deepened further during Trump's second term, with opinion polls showing growing dissatisfaction with the Republican administration.
