New IRCC forms provide clearer rules on proving a Canadian parent’s physical presence before passing citizenship to a child born abroad
Canada has revised its citizenship-by-descent application package, introducing more detailed requirements for applicants seeking to prove that a Canadian parent spent enough time in the country before a child’s birth.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) updated four documents on August 25: the citizenship certificate application form CIT 0001, document checklist CIT 0014, physical presence form CIT 0555 and the accompanying instruction guide.
The changes are particularly relevant to Indian families with Canadian citizenship ties who live outside Canada or may have children born abroad.
Under the revised rules, children born outside Canada on or after December 15, 2025, to a Canadian parent who was also born abroad are generally covered by a new physical-presence requirement. The Canadian parent must show at least 1,095 cumulative days of physical presence in Canada before the child’s birth to pass on citizenship by descent.
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IRCC has also clarified what evidence can be used to establish that presence
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Applicants may need employment or education records, travel documents, residential records and Canadian government documents
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Examples include T4 slips, school records, passports, entry and exit information, rental agreements, mortgage records and insurance documents.
The updated physical-presence form allows IRCC to verify the information provided and asks applicants for contacts who can confirm the parent’s time in Canada. Affidavits must be sworn before an authorised official and include the affiant’s contact details. Family members cannot provide the required third-party affidavit for this purpose.
Applicants with cases already being processed may be able to submit missing documents through IRCC’s web form using their application number and Unique Client Identifier. Incomplete applications are generally returned, allowing applicants to correct the missing information and resubmit them.
For Indian families affected by the rules, maintaining detailed records of time spent in Canada could be crucial when preparing future citizenship applications.
