Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) released an updated proof‑of‑citizenship application package on 25 August 2026. The changes affect the forms used to demonstrate that a Canadian parent met the 1,095‑day physical‑presence requirement for children born abroad after 15 December 2025.
Who is affected
- The physical‑presence rule applies only to children born outside Canada on or after 15 December 2025 to a Canadian parent who was also born outside Canada.
- The parent must prove 1,095 cumulative days of physical presence in Canada before the child’s birth.
- Children born before 15 December 2025 are not subject to the rule; Bill C‑3 removed the first‑generation limit for that cohort.
- The current cohort is small—the oldest child covered by the rule is about eight months old—but it expands each month.
Key changes to the forms
| Form | Change |
|---|---|
| CIT 0001 (Application) | Section 13 now explicitly refers to the new physical‑presence form CIT 0555. |
| CIT 0555 (Physical presence) | Adds two verification warnings and requires contact details for people or organisations that can confirm the declared days. |
| CIT 0014 (Document checklist) | Updated to reflect the new evidence categories and document standards. |
| Instruction guide | No longer defines “cumulative” or the counting method; the definitions remain only in the example on CIT 0555. |
Document standards – All supporting evidence must be a clear, easy‑to‑read colour copy of an authentic document.
Evidence categories – The previous vague list has been replaced with six specific categories:
- Employment and educational records (e.g., T‑4 slips, school transcripts)
- Travel records (e.g., passports, entry‑exit records)
- Residential records (e.g., rental agreements, mortgage statements, insurance policies)
- Canadian government records (federal, provincial, territorial or municipal)
- Affidavits by organisations (religious institutions, unions, volunteer programs, etc.)
- Affidavits of third parties with knowledge of the parent’s time in Canada
Affidavits must be sworn before a commissioner of oaths (notary public, commissioner of oaths, or equivalent). Each affidavit must include the affiant’s name, mailing address, and email or phone number. Family members (parents, siblings, spouses, grandparents, children, aunts/uncles, nieces/nephews, first cousins) cannot act as affiants, even if they are lawyers or notaries.
How IRCC counts a day
- Both the arrival day and the departure day count as full days.
- Partial days are treated as full days.
- “Cumulative” still means the total across all trips, not necessarily consecutive days.
- The method is illustrated in the example on CIT 0555 (June 21 – June 28 1985 = 8 days).
Although the instruction guide removed the explicit definitions, the counting method has not changed.
If you have already applied
- Submit missing documents through IRCC’s web form, providing your Unique Client Identifier (UCI) and application number.
- The declaration in Section 16 of CIT 0001 obliges you to inform IRCC of any changes before processing is complete.
- Incomplete applications are returned, not refused. You must correct the gaps and resend; the processing clock restarts.
- IRCC may request additional information at any stage under the Citizenship Act and Regulations.
- Keep your contact information up to date via the “Change your address” tool and monitor the application status tool.
- If a required record does not exist, provide a written explanation and evidence of your attempts to obtain it (e.g., emails to the issuing authority).
- Arrange affidavits in advance, ensuring the affiants can provide the required contact details and are sworn before an authorized commissioner.
- Be prepared for a possible random quality‑assurance review, which may include an interview or DNA testing to confirm parentage.
Alternatives to meeting the physical‑presence requirement
- Birth in Canada – A child born on Canadian soil automatically acquires citizenship; the physical‑presence test does not apply.
- Crown‑servant exemption – If the Canadian parent was a Crown servant (e.g., Canadian Armed Forces, federal public administration, or provincial/territorial public service) at the time of the child’s birth or adoption, the requirement is waived.
- Direct compliance – The parent can simply accumulate the 1,095 days in Canada before the child’s birth; the days need not be consecutive.
- Permanent‑residence pathway – The child may first obtain permanent residence and later apply for citizenship under section 5 of the Citizenship Act.
- Stateless‑child grant – Subsection 5(5) provides a grant route for children who would otherwise be stateless.
- Discretionary consideration – Applications under subsections 5(1) and 5(2) can include a request for discretionary consideration in exceptional cases.
When the rule does not apply
If you were born before 15 December 2025 and can trace an unbroken line to a Canadian ancestor, you are already a citizen and only need to obtain a citizenship certificate. The physical‑presence test does not affect your claim.
Source article: www.cicnews.com
