Canada now demands two key documents from Nigerians claiming citizenship by descent

Canada has tightened its citizenship by descent rules for Nigerians and other applicants tracing ancestry through a parent, grandparent or earlier relative. The new guidelines, updated by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) in June 2026, require two specific documents or applications risk stalling.

Nigerians applying for Canadian citizenship through descent must now submit birth certificates and marriage certificates as primary evidence. The documents must be issued directly by the original issuing authority, such as a civil registry, vital statistics office or government archive. Records from genealogy websites can help trace family history but are no longer accepted as standalone proof.

Why birth and marriage certificates matter

IRCC said birth certificates confirm the parent-child relationship across generations. If the Canadian ancestor was born in Canada, the birth certificate 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 are equally important, especially where surnames changed after marriage. They can reveal details about both sets of parents, which helps build an unbroken lineage back to the Canadian ancestor.

What happens if documents are missing

IRCC accepts 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 tried 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 be enough.

Longer wait times ahead

IRCC also 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 applicants to ensure 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 start 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.

This change means applicants can no longer rely on genealogy printouts or personal explanations. Only verified official records will speed up the process and avoid the risk of long, costly delays.