Confirm your Canadian citizenship status with clear guidance and official documentation support.
Canadian citizenship may be granted to individuals who were born outside Canada to Canadian parents. A person may be eligible to apply for a Proof of Canadian Citizenship if at least one of their parents was either born in Canada or became a Canadian citizen before the individual’s birth.
This process allows eligible individuals to obtain official confirmation of their Canadian citizenship status.
If you believe you qualify for proof of Canadian citizenship, the first step is to visit the IRCC website and obtain the required application package.
Along with the completed application form, you must provide documents showing that your parent was a Canadian citizen at the time of your birth. Acceptable documents may include:
A Canadian birth certificate
A Canadian citizenship card
A Canadian citizenship certificate
You will also be required to submit your own identification and your birth certificate as part of the application.
Once IRCC receives your application, you will receive an Acknowledgement of Receipt. After this, your application will be reviewed for approval.
If your application is accepted, you will be issued a Canadian Citizenship Certificate, which serves as official proof of your citizenship.
The average processing time to obtain a Proof of Canadian Citizenship certificate is approximately 17 months.
Processing times for a first-time citizenship certificate are generally longer than for replacement certificates. A first-time application submitted from within Canada or the United States typically takes about one year to be finalized.
Once we receive your application, we review it to ensure it is complete and accurate. If a case is complex, additional time may be required.
There may also be a delay between when IRCC receives your application and when processing officially begins.
In many cases, a birth certificate issued by a Canadian province or territory is sufficient to establish Canadian citizenship.
A person is likely to be considered a Canadian citizen if at least one parent meets the required citizenship conditions.
Special considerations also apply for:
Adopted children born outside Canada
If you are a Canadian parent who adopted a child born outside Canada, your child may be eligible to obtain proof of Canadian citizenship through the appropriate process.
If you believe you are a Canadian citizen by descent or parentage, our experts can guide you through the process of obtaining official proof of Canadian citizenship with accuracy and care.
