Section 178 — Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations: Identity documents

An applicant who does not hold a document described in any of paragraphs 50(1)(a) to (h) may submit with their application any identity document issued outside Canada before the person’s entry into Canada; or 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 a statutory declaration attesting to the applicant’s identity made by a person who, before the applicant’s entry into Canada, knew the applicant, a family member of the applicant or the applicant’s father, mother, brother, sister, grandfather or grandmother, or a statutory declaration attesting to the applicant’s identity made by an official of an organization representing nationals of the applicant’s country of nationality or former habitual residence. 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 in the case of an identity document, the identity document is genuine, identifies the applicant, and constitutes credible evidence of the applicant’s identity;

and in the case of a statutory declaration, the declaration is consistent with any information previously provided by the applicant to the Department or the Board, and constitutes credible evidence of the applicant’s identity.