Thousands of people around the world have received Canadian citizenship certificates as a result of a change late last year to federal law.

Half of them Americans, CBC News has learned. 

In the first three months since the change, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued proof of citizenship certificates to 4,075 people under citizenship by descent provisions in Bill C-3.

The law allows people living in other countries who can trace their lineage from Canadian ancestors to qualify for Canadian citizenship even if their Canadian ancestor left Canada several generations back.