Identity Documents
To apply for a permanent resident card renewal or a citizenship, the IRCC asks applicants to provide many identity documents. The requirements for identity documents are different in PR renewal and citizenship cases. Many applicants are confused about the differences between the two, and their cases may get returned because of this. Therefore, it is important to learn about providing identity documents.
According to the IRCC instruction guides for PR renewal and citizenship applications:
Permanent Resident Card Renewal
Other than providing a copy of your current PR card, you should also provide another (one) piece of primary identity document: your valid passport/travel document, or the passport/travel document you had when you become a permanent resident, or the certificate of identity/travel document issued by the Minister of IRCC/foreign country.
If it is not possible for you to provide any of the above (other than the copy of your current PR card), you may provide a copy of any identity document issued outside of Canada before you entered Canada, or certified statutory declaration signed by you attesting to your identity and a statutory declaration also attesting to your identity signed by: a person who knew you before you came to Canada (ex. Family member), or an official of an organization representing people from your country of nationality or past residence.
Citizenship
Other than providing a copy of your valid and expired passport/travel document you had in the past 5 years (if you have them), you are also required to provide two of the following: a copy of the biological page of your passport, driver’s license, health insurance card, senior citizen identification card, age of majority card, foreign identity documents (passport/government issued identification documents).
Please note that passport is not required in citizenship applications. Some people may never had a passport due to many reasons (never planned to travel/never bothered to apply one/lazy lol). Therefore, you can submit other identity documents without providing a passport.
To summarize this contentment:
Primary ID | What else you need to provide | |
PR Renewal | A copy of: Valid passport/travel document Or The passport/travel document you had when you became a PR (also include the entry stamp page if applicable) Or The certificate of identity/travel document issued by the Minister of IRCC or a foreign country | A copy of: Your current PR card |
Citizenship | Two of the following: Your valid passport Driver’s license Health insurance card Senior citizen identification card Foreign identity documents (passport or government issued identification documents) *Note: you cannot use your PR as identification | A copy of (if you have): Valid and expired passports you had in the past 5 years |