By Canadian Press

Ottawa too slow to process First Nations status applications: AG report

Jun 10, 2025 | 7:10 AM

OTTAWA — Canada’s auditor general says Indigenous Services Canada has not been processing applications for registration under the Indian Act within the required six-month timeline.

The failure means many First Nations people are unable to access on-reserve housing, financial aid for post-secondary education and health benefits.

Karen Hogan reports in an audit released today that more than eight out of 10 applications processed by the department between 2019 and 2024 exceeded that six-month window.

Some of those were priority applications for people who are older or have health issues.

Hogan says there is a backlog of about 12,000 applications, including nearly 1,500 applications that went unprocessed for more than two years.

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Hogan also says Indigenous Services couldn’t show that most officials making final decisions on applications had the proper training and certifications.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 10, 2025.

Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press