Generally, when a protected person applies to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for a permanent residency, they must submit documents proving their identity. Documents such as passports, travel documents, or any identity document issued outside of Canada can serve this purpose.
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There are, however, exceptional cases where such a person may not possess any means of identification or document proving their identity. In such cases, an applicant applying for Permanent Residence to the Canadian government may submit what is referred to as a Statutory Declaration of Identity.
What is the Statutory Declaration of Identity?
A statutory declaration of identity refers to a document that establishes the identity of an individual and confirms that the individual bearing such a document is actually the person identified within the document.Â
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A statutory declaration is provided to satisfy the legal burden of proving something to be true when there is no other piece of evidence available to state that fact/truth.
Contents of the Statutory Declaration
An individual who intends to present a Statutory Declaration instead of a valid means of identification, such an individual must ensure the following:
- They provide an explanation that the IRCC can verify, proving their inability to obtain an identity document from their home country.
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In addition to the above, such an individual will also need to acquire:
- A statutory declaration that was sworn by anyone who knew the applicant and can attest to their identity which is contained in the applicant’s statutory declaration of identity.
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This second statutory declaration can be made by any person or family member, including but not limited to the applicant’s
- Father/mother,
- Brother/sister,
- Grandfather/grandmother, or
- Any official from a body representing nationals of the applicant’s country.
Does one need to notarize a statutory declaration of identity?
Every statutory declaration must be notarized, and the statutory declaration of identity is not left behind either. Your Statutory Declaration of Identity must be notarized before a Notary public or a Commissioner of oaths.
Can the declaration be notarized online / remotely?
Statutory declarations of identity can be notarized online with our remote online notarization service.
How can All-Canada Notary help?
All-Canada Notary is a network of notaries public; they can help you certify your Statutory Declaration of Identity or even draft a fresh one to suit your requirements. At All-Canada notary, we also operate physical and virtual notary services. You can book your appointment online, have your statutory declaration notarized virtually, or walk into any of our in-person locations any day.
