Americans wanting to prove that they are in fact CANADIAN are inundating genetic scientists on both sides of the border with constant requests

A growing number of Americans are turning to genealogy companies in an effort to obtain Canadian citizenship.

DNA experts on both sides of the border have been inundated with questions from American citizens hoping to prove they have a direct ancestor born in Canada.

However far back, Americans with a genetic link to Canada can claim dual citizenship thanks to a change in Canadian law that came into effect on December 15.

The new law has led to a wave of “politically driven” attempts to flee across the northern border by aspiring Canadians during Donald Trump’s second presidency.

“(The law) opens up a large potential pool of Canadians, and by virtue of the law and the way it is stated, those people are already considered Canadian,” Patrick Lacroix, director of the University of Maine at Fort Kent’s Acadian Archives, told the Bangor Daily News.

“But of course they may not have the papers to prove it.”

Acadian Archives documents and preserves information about the Upper St. John Valley, a 70-mile stretch of the St. John River that runs between the U.S. and Canada.

Their documents can help people trace and prove their Canadian heritage.

A growing number of Americans are turning to genealogy companies in an effort to gain Canadian citizenship. Zack Loud of Farmington, Minnesota, said he heard Canada already considered him and his siblings citizens because their grandmother is Canadian

DNA experts on both sides of the border have been inundated with questions from American citizens hoping to prove they have a direct ancestor born in Canada. (Image: Donald Trump with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney during their meeting in the Oval Office on October 7, 2025)

Lacroix said he has filed double the number of requests so far this year than he did in the same period in 2025.

“Many of them are very explicit about their purpose,” he told the Bangor Daily News. “There’s no question that some of it is politically driven.”

U.S. citizens can use the archive to track down documents that prove ties to Canadian ancestors, such as a set of birth certificates for each generation.

Marriage certificates and death certificates can also be used to connect the dots.

Zack Loud of Farmington, Minnesota, said that thanks to the new law, he learned that Canada already considers him and his siblings as citizens because their grandmother is Canadian.

“My wife and I had already talked about possibly looking at jobs outside the country, but citizenship pushed Canada high on our list,” he said.

Since the new law took effect on December 15, immigration lawyers in the United States and Canada have also been overwhelmed by clients seeking help submitting proof of citizenship applications.

Nicholas Berning, an immigration attorney at Boundary Bay Law in Bellingham, Washington, said his practice is “pretty much swamped by this.”

“We’ve moved a lot of other work to get these things through,” he said.

Immigration lawyer Amandeep Hayer said his practice in Vancouver, British Columbia, went from handling about 200 citizenship cases a year to more than 20 consultations a day.

“(The new law) opens up a large potential pool of Canadians, and by virtue of the law and the way it is stated, those people are already considered Canadian,” said Patrick Lacroix (pictured), director of the University of Maine at Fort Kent’s Acadian Archives.

Zack Loud of Farmington, Minnesota, said that thanks to the new law, he learned that Canada already considers him and his siblings citizens because their grandmother is Canadian.

“My wife and I had talked about possibly looking at jobs outside the country, but citizenship has put Canada high on our list,” Loud said.

Canada has been changing its citizenship laws for decades, whether to update historical interpretations of the law or to address discrimination issues.

Previously, Canadian citizenship could only be passed down to one generation by descent, from parent to child.

But the new law opened citizenship to anyone born before that date who could prove direct Canadian ancestor; a grandparent, great-grandparent or even more distant ancestor.

Those born on or after December 15, 2026 must prove that their Canadian parent has lived in Canada for 1,095 days.

Under the new law, descendants of Canadians are already considered citizens, but must provide proof to obtain a certificate of citizenship. Hayer estimated that there are millions of Americans of Canadian descent.

“You are Canadian, and you are considered a Canadian all your life,” said Hayer, who advocated for the new law in Parliament.

‘That is actually what you are asking for, the recognition of a right that you already have.

“The best way I can say it is, if a baby is born in Canada tomorrow, the baby will be Canadian, even if they don’t have a birth certificate.”

However far back, Americans with a genetic link to Canada can claim dual citizenship thanks to a change in Canadian law that came into effect in December

American applicants have varying motivations, but many say President Donald Trump’s immigration policies and other issues led them to apply for dual citizenship.

Michelle Cunha of Bedford, Massachusetts, said she decided to move to Canada after reflecting on decades of political activism and deciding she had “nothing left to give.”

‘I have done my utmost for thirty years. “I have done everything I can to make the United States what it promises the world: a place of freedom, a place of equality,” Cunha said.

“But it’s clear we’re not there yet and we won’t get there anytime soon.”