IRCC Asked for a Letter From Quebec's DEC: What to Send

If your Canadian ancestor was born in Quebec before 1900, there is no civil birth certificate to order. The record of that birth is the baptism in the parish register, and the certified copy comes from BAnQ, Quebec's national archives. For years, a certified BAnQ baptism was enough. In 2026, applicants started posting a different request from IRCC.

The request arrives after the application has been referred for secondary review. It asks for a clear colour copy of a birth certificate issued by the original source authority for each generation, including the Canadian ancestor. Then it adds the part that catches people out: if the authority cannot issue the document, send a letter from that authority, addressed to you, explaining why. Generic email replies are not acceptable, and baptismal certificates are not acceptable as primary evidence of birth. The applicant we saw had 60 days to respond, and the request cited section 23.1 of the Citizenship Act, which lets IRCC ask for more evidence.

This matches what IRCC has said about evidence more broadly in 2026: a provincial birth certificate is primary evidence, and a baptismal record is secondary. A secondary record can still carry an application, but IRCC wants to see that the primary one genuinely does not exist.

Anyone whose chain runs through a Quebec ancestor born before 1900, which is when the Directeur de l'état civil's holdings begin. That includes most French-Canadian lines in New England and most Acadian and Cajun lines, which go back much further. The same logic applies in other provinces for ancestors born before civil registration began there, such as Ontario before 1869 or New Brunswick before 1888.

1. The certified baptism from BAnQ. This is still your record of birth. Order a certified copy of the act from the parish register, not a FamilySearch screenshot or an index entry. Our Quebec baptismal records guide explains how to find the parish and order it.

2. A letter from the Directeur de l'état civil. This is the document IRCC is now asking for: a signed letter, addressed to you, confirming that the Directeur de l'état civil cannot issue a birth certificate for your ancestor and saying why.

There is no standard form for this letter that we can point you to, so ask for exactly what IRCC wants, in writing:

• Your full name and mailing address, so the letter can be addressed to you.
• Your ancestor's full name, the date and parish of the baptism, and both parents' names.
• The reason: a Canadian citizenship application (proof of citizenship, form CIT 0001), and IRCC has asked for a letter from the original source authority.
• What you need the letter to say: that no act of birth exists in the Directeur de l'état civil's records for this person, or that it cannot issue a birth certificate for this birth, and why.
• A request that the letter be signed or on the office's letterhead, because IRCC refused generic email replies.

Keep a copy of your request and the date you sent it. If you already have the certified BAnQ baptism, mention it, so the reply can confirm the birth falls before the Directeur de l'état civil's records.

Do not let the 60 days run out in silence. If the letter has not arrived, reply to IRCC before the deadline with everything you do have: the certified baptism, any corroborating records, a copy of your request to the Directeur de l'état civil with its date, and a note that the letter is on its way. Ask for more time to send it. When it arrives, send it straight away. If your case is unusual, a licensed immigration lawyer or consultant can help you word the reply.

The simplest way to avoid this request is to include the letter from the start. If your ancestor was born in Quebec before 1900, order the certified baptism and write to the Directeur de l'état civil at the same time. Both take weeks, so starting them together saves the most time.

While you are checking Quebec documents, check the dates they were printed. IRCC does not accept a Quebec birth or marriage certificate issued before January 1, 1994, even for a recent event. If the copy in your family papers is older than that, order a current copy of the act from the Directeur de l'état civil.

Outside Quebec, the same request goes to the provincial vital statistics office. Many call it a letter of no record. Ask for it addressed to you, and pair it with the church or archive record that proves the birth. Our guide to proving Canadian ancestry without a birth certificate covers the records to pair it with.

MaplePass adds this letter to your document checklist automatically when an ancestor was born before civil registration, and tells you who to ask. Start with the free eligibility check, then build the application with every document IRCC is likely to request.