IRCC Updates Citizenship by Descent Proof

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) updated its citizenship certificate application rules on August 25, 2026. The changes detail how a Canadian parent born abroad must prove 1,095 days of physical presence in Canada before a child's birth, according to the department's revised instruction guide.

The update clarifies the evidentiary standard for a requirement established by Bill C-3, which took effect on December 15, 2025. The new guidance specifies acceptable documents, restricts the use of affidavits from family members, and outlines how IRCC will verify claims.

Updated Application Package

Several components of the application package now carry an August 2026 revision date. The substantive changes are in the instruction guide, not in new forms.

Appendix F of the instruction guide now explicitly states what documents IRCC will accept and the quality required.

Who Must Meet the Requirement

The physical presence test applies under two specific conditions. A child must have been born outside Canada on or after December 15, 2025. Furthermore, the child's Canadian parent must also have been born outside Canada. The guide states the Canadian parent must have accumulated 1,095 days in Canada prior to the child's birth.

The requirement also applies if the Canadian parent was granted citizenship as an adopted person under section 5.1 of the Citizenship Act before the applicant's birth. People born or adopted before December 15, 2025 are not subject to this test.

Acceptable Proof of Presence

Appendix F lists categories of "authentic, reliable and verifiable documents" that must show entry/exit dates or a period of continuous residence. Documents must be clear, color copies.

Acceptable proof includes travel records like passport stamps, employment and education records such as T-4 slips or transcripts, residential records like leases, and financial statements showing a Canadian address. Canadian government records at any level are also acceptable.

Where official records are unavailable, affidavits from organizations or individuals with direct knowledge are permitted. However, the guide requires applicants to document attempts to obtain missing records, such as through correspondence with a registry or a refusal letter.

Stricter Rules for Affidavits

The updated guidance significantly narrows who may provide a supporting affidavit. Family members are expressly excluded. The prohibition covers a wide range of relatives: parents, siblings, spouses, grandparents, children, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and first cousins. A relative's professional status does not override this rule.

Affidavits must be sworn before an authorized official like a notary public. They must include the affiant's full contact details, which IRCC may use for verification. This restriction means families must identify eligible non-relatives, such as long-standing friends, neighbors, or employers, who are willing to swear an affidavit and provide their contact information.

A similar rule applies to document translations. Translations cannot be done by the applicant or any member of their family.

Verification and Next Steps

IRCC states that physical presence declarations are not taken at face value. Processing officers may request additional documents at any time. Applications are also subject to random quality assurance reviews, which can include verification interviews.

The department's updated package emphasizes that all provided information is subject to verification. Applicants with files already in progress should consult the new guide, as the evidentiary standards now apply to all applications under the post-December 2025 rules.