If you’ve recently discovered you may be a Canadian citizen by descent under Bill C-3, you’re probably getting ready to submit an application for proof of citizenship.

There’s one document that doesn’t get its own line on the checklist, but can still affect whether your file moves forward or is returned.

That’s a letter of explanation.

This article covers what a letter of explanation is, when Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), Canada’s citizenship department, requires one, and how it differs from other supporting documents you may come across while preparing your application.

What is a letter of explanation?

A letter of explanation, sometimes shortened to LOE, is a written note included with your application that addresses gaps, missing documents, or details about your situation that the standard forms don’t capture.

A letter of explanation is written by the applicant, or by their immigration lawyer if they’ve hired one as a representative. It needs to be signed by the applicant.

IRCC’s instruction guide for the Application for a Citizenship Certificate (CIT 0001) tells applicants to provide a letter of explanation for any documents that are missing, not included, or that require further clarification.

Unlike your birth certificate or your photos, a letter of explanation doesn’t have its own line on the Document Checklist (CIT 0014).

It’s a requirement that surfaces only in specific circumstances laid out in the instruction guide. However, in some cases applicants also like to proactively provide their own letters, outlining their lineage or to provide further explanation in complex cases.

When do you need one?

You need to include a letter of explanation in the following situations:

Missing documents. If a document required for your application isn’t included, you need to submit an LOE or risk having your application returned. This applies to birth, marriage, or death records needed to complete your file.

Documents that can’t be sourced. IRCC requires documents issued by the original source authority. If you can’t get a document from that source, you need to explain why, along with proof that you tried to obtain it.

Name variances. A grandparent’s name might appear one way on a Canadian birth record and another on a US marriage certificate, whether from a maiden name, an anglicized spelling, or a clerk’s error. Your letter explains that both names refer to the same person, and points to the documents that connect them.

Date discrepancies. Older records sometimes disagree on a date of birth. Your letter states which date is correct and provides any supporting evidence available.