An officer checks your claim one family link at a time, from you back. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) wants an official record for each parent and child. That is how IRCC assesses citizenship by descent in guide CIT 0001, updated September 23, 2026.
This guide is for readers in the United States. Your Canadian ancestor may have left long ago. Your papers will come from a US state and a Canadian province.
How IRCC assesses citizenship by descent: which law applies to you?
The first check is whether your claim fits the law at all. Section 3(1)(b) of the Citizenship Act covers people born abroad to a Canadian parent after February 14, 1977. Births abroad on or after December 15, 2025, to a parent who was also born or adopted abroad, face one more test. That parent needs 1,095 days in Canada before the child’s birth.
The date of each birth in your chain matters. The Citizenship Act on Justice Laws is current to September 30, 2026. It was last amended on December 15, 2025.
- Born before December 15, 2025. Most people in this group are now Canadian from birth, even past the first generation. The 1,095 day test does not apply to you. Appendix A of CIT 0001 explains the 2025 changes.
- Born abroad before February 15, 1977. Section 3(1)(g) covers births abroad before that date to a parent who was a citizen at the time of the birth. For births before 1947, sections 3(1)(o) and (q) can apply instead for some people.
- Born abroad on or after December 15, 2025, to a parent also born abroad. That parent needs 1,095 days of physical presence in Canada before the birth. See how to prove the 1,095 days.
- A parent or grandparent who died before the change. Section 3(1.5) covers people who missed out only for that reason.
The fee is $75 per person. IRCC’s posted processing time for proof of citizenship was about 34 months, as of October 9, 2026.
Am I a Canadian citizen by descent?
Trace your family line one generation at a time. Each link is tested against the law in force when that person was born, so you see exactly where your chain holds and where it breaks. About three minutes, and no account needed.
Check my family lineWhich documents prove each link in your family tree?
Each person in the chain needs at least one official record. It must come from the office that first issued it, such as a province. Each record must show the birth and clearly name the parents of that one person.
CIT 0001 lists these records for each person.
- Provincial or territorial birth certificate. For an ancestor born in Canada.
- Foreign birth certificate. It must show who the parents are. For you, this is often a US state record.
- Canadian citizenship or naturalization certificate. For an ancestor who became Canadian.
- Certificate of Registration of Birth Abroad or Certificate of Retention. For an ancestor born outside Canada.
- British naturalization certificate. Issued in Canada or in Newfoundland and Labrador.
- Proof of British subject or landed immigrant status. Before January 1, 1947, or April 1, 1949, in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Not sure which office holds your ancestor’s record? Our guide to vital records offices in every province lists them.
What weakens a family tree in a descent claim?
A family tree is weak when even one link rests on poor proof. The guide says every record must be authentic, reliable and verifiable, for every generation. Third party records alone, like printouts from genealogy websites, are not enough for IRCC.
- Third party records only. The guide does not accept them alone. Read why Ancestry printouts no longer work for descent claims.
- Poor copies. IRCC wants clear colour copies. Poor ones can get your file sent back.
- A late baptism. IRCC accepts a baptism record only if the baptism took place within a reasonable time after the birth.
- Changed or replaced certificates. These need a letter of explanation.
- Family translations. IRCC does not accept translations by you or your family.
What happens when a name or date does not match?
You explain the gap in a letter and send it with your file. The checklist asks for a letter for any record that is missing or unclear. For a missing record, you must also show proof that you tried to get it.
A name spelled two ways is a common gap. So is a birth year that shifts by one. Say which records belong to the same person, and why.
You cannot easily change a name once IRCC starts work on your file. IRCC allows it only for a legal name change or an IRCC error.
Is a birth record gone for good? Read our guide to alternatives when an ancestor’s birth record is missing.
Can IRCC ask for more proof after you apply?
Yes, IRCC can ask you for more proof after you apply. The guide says IRCC may ask you for more information or other evidence. In a quality assurance review, IRCC can ask for more papers, up to and including DNA.
A request like this adds time to a file. A clear chain of records gives the officer fewer questions to ask.
How do you build a strong citizenship by descent file?
Start with yourself, then work back one generation at a time, in order. Pair each person’s birth record with proof that their parent was Canadian. Then add a short letter for every gap, so the officer never has to guess.
- Order a US record that names your parents. The guide wants a foreign certificate that shows the parent and child link. Check the copy lists both parents.
- Get the Canadian record from the province. Order it from the office where your ancestor was born.
- Prove Canadian status, not just a birth. An ancestor born abroad may need a citizenship record.
- Scan in colour and translate. A record not in English or French needs a translation and a translator’s affidavit, unless a certified translator in Canada did the translation.
- Write one letter that walks through the chain. Name each person, their records and any gap.
See how we handle these files on our citizenship by descent service page. If one link in your chain will not hold, Book Your Strategy Consultation.
Frequently asked questions
The short answers below cover four common questions about family documents. Each answer comes straight from IRCC’s guide CIT 0001, as updated on September 23, 2026. For your own family line, try the family line tool above, or book a file review with us.
Can I prove Canadian descent with genealogy website records alone?
No, a claim cannot rest only on third party records. IRCC’s guide CIT 0001 says each generation needs authentic, reliable and verifiable documents of its own. For each person, use records from the office that first issued them, like a provincial birth certificate.
Do I need documents for my grandparent as well as my parent?
Yes, you do, if your claim runs through your grandparent. The guide asks for proof of parentage and citizenship for each Canadian ancestor in your line. Every person between you and that Canadian ancestor needs at least one official record.
Can a family member translate my documents?
No, a family member cannot translate your documents for IRCC. IRCC says applicants and their family members must not do the translations for the file. Send each English or French translation with the translator’s affidavit, unless they are certified in Canada.
Does IRCC accept black and white photocopies?
No, IRCC asks for clear colour copies unless the guide says otherwise. Poor quality copies can lead IRCC to return your whole application to you. Scan each record in colour, and check every name, date and seal before you send it.
Does the 1,095 day rule apply to people born before December 15, 2025?
No. The 1,095 day test applies only to births on or after December 15, 2025. Most people born before that date are Canadian from birth, even past the first generation.
