Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations

Marginal note:Identity documents

• 178 (1) An applicant who does not hold a document described in any of paragraphs 50(1)(a) to (h) may submit with their application

  • (a) any identity document issued outside Canada before the person’s entry into Canada; or

  • (b) if there is a reasonable and objectively verifiable explanation related to circumstances in the applicant’s country of nationality or former habitual residence for the applicant’s inability to obtain any identity documents, a statutory declaration made by the applicant attesting to their identity, accompanied by

    • (i) a statutory declaration attesting to the applicant’s identity made by a person who knew the applicant, a family member of the applicant, or the applicant’s father, mother, brother, sister, grandfather or grandmother prior to the applicant’s entry into Canada, or

    • (ii) the statutory declaration of an official of an organization representing nationals of the applicant’s country of nationality or former habitual residence attesting to the applicant’s identity.

• Marginal note:Alternative documents

  (2) A document submitted under subsection (1) shall be accepted in lieu of a document described in any of paragraphs 50(1)(a) to (h) if

  • (a) in the case of an identity document, the identity document

    • (i) is genuine,

    • (ii) identifies the applicant, and

    • (iii) constitutes credible evidence of the applicant’s identity; and

  • (b) in the case of a statutory declaration, the declaration

    • (i) is consistent with any information previously provided by the applicant to the Department or the Board, and

    • (ii) constitutes credible evidence of the applicant’s identity.