Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has tightened its citizenship by descent rules, effective June 2026, introducing a stricter document regime that directly affects Nigerians tracing their Canadian lineage through a parent, grandparent, or earlier ancestor. According to the updated guidelines, applicants must now provide two specific documents—birth certificates and marriage certificates—issued directly by the original issuing authority, such as a civil registry, vital statistics office, or government archive.
IRCC has made it clear that genealogy website records, while useful for tracing family history, are no longer accepted as standalone primary evidence. The move is expected to affect many citizenship applications from Nigeria, where interest in Canadian citizenship through ancestry has grown in recent years.
Two Documents That Can Determine Your Claim
Birth certificates are described by IRCC as the most critical record for establishing eligibility. A birth certificate confirms the parent-child relationship across generations, and in cases where the Canadian ancestor was born in Canada, that certificate can itself serve as proof of citizenship. Long-form birth certificates carry extra weight because they typically list the parents' names and the place of birth, helping applicants trace the family line across multiple generations.
Marriage certificates are equally important, particularly in situations where surnames changed after marriage. They also reveal details about both sets of parents, enabling applicants to build an unbroken lineage back to their Canadian ancestor. Without these two documents, an application is at high risk of stalling or being rejected entirely, IRCC warned.
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, making the process significantly more demanding for those with incomplete records.
Processing Times Nearly Double
Beyond the new 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.
This near doubling of processing times means that even prepared applicants will need to plan well ahead. For those who are just starting the process, the wait could stretch well beyond a year and a half, making it essential to gather every required document accurately from the outset.
Practical Advice for Nigerian Applicants
For Nigerians with Canadian ancestry, the practical advice from IRCC is to begin gathering official birth and marriage records as early as possible. Each document contains details that help identify the next generation in the family chain, so the sooner the process starts, the better.
Applicants in Nigeria may need to contact the National Population Commission or the appropriate state civil registry to obtain long-form birth certificates, while marriage records are typically held by state marriage registries or the religious institution where the ceremony took place. Ensuring that these records are certified and issued directly by the original authority is key to meeting the new requirements.
Related: Canada Also Tightens Work Permit Exemptions
In a separate update on July 29, 2026, IRCC revised 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). Under the revised guidance, foreign workers who had not yet started their job with an overseas employer before relocating can no longer qualify for the exemption.
This change, published on the IRCC website, is part of a broader tightening of Canadian immigration rules that will affect many Nigerians planning to work or settle in Canada. For those with dual goals of citizenship and employment, staying up-to-date with these evolving policies is crucial.
