Canada Confirms 2 Documents To Claim Citizenship Despite Being Born in Nigeria
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada updated its citizenship by descent rules in June 2026, tightening what applicants must provide
- Nigerians tracing Canadian ancestry through a parent, grandparent or earlier relative now face stricter document requirements
- IRCC warned that processing times for proof of citizenship applications have nearly doubled compared to late 2025
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Nigerians seeking Canadian citizenship through a parent, grandparent or earlier ancestor must now submit two specific documents or risk having their applications stall under rules updated by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) in June 2026.
The revised guidelines require applicants to provide records issued directly by the original issuing authority, such as a civil registry, vital statistics office or government archive.
Source: Getty Images
Documents sourced from genealogy websites may assist with tracing family history but are no longer accepted as standalone primary evidence.
Two Documents That Can Determine Your Claim
IRCC said birth certificates and marriage certificates are the most critical records for establishing eligibility.
A birth certificate confirms the parent-child relationship across generations and, where the Canadian ancestor was born in Canada, can itself serve as proof of citizenship.
Long-form birth certificates carry extra weight because they typically list parents' names and place of birth, helping applicants trace the family line across multiple generations.
Marriage certificates matter equally, particularly in cases where surnames changed after marriage. They can also reveal details about both sets of parents, which helps applicants build an unbroken lineage back to their Canadian ancestor.
What Happens When Official Records Are Unavailable
IRCC acknowledges that some applicants may not be able to obtain an official birth certificate, particularly where Canadian ancestors emigrated decades ago.
In such cases, the authority may consider alternative records, including certified baptismal documents, hospital records, physician or midwife records, census records and boat manifests, provided they were issued by the original authority.
Critically, applicants who cannot produce a required document must now show evidence that they genuinely attempted to locate it.
Acceptable proof includes written correspondence with government archives or an official "no-record" letter from the relevant body. A personal written explanation alone will no longer satisfy this requirement.
Source: Getty Images
Processing Times Now Nearly Double
Beyond document requirements, IRCC cautioned that proof of citizenship applications are currently taking about 19 months to process, up from roughly nine months in late 2025.
The authority advised all applicants to ensure their submissions are complete before filing, as missing records are likely to cause further delays.
For Nigerians with Canadian ancestry, the practical advice from IRCC is to begin gathering official birth and marriage records as early as possible, since each document contains details that help identify the next generation in the family chain.
Canada announces new requirements for work permits
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Canada has changed the rules for a key work permit exemption, blocking foreign workers from qualifying if they had not yet started their job with an overseas employer before relocating.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) published updated guidance on July 29, 2026, revising the eligibility criteria for the C20 reciprocal employment exemption, which allows certain foreign nationals to work in Canada without first undergoing a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).
Source: Legit.ng
