An applicant whose spouse lacked a Birth Certificate was asked by IRCC for a Birth Registration/Certificate with only 5 days to respond, and wanted to know what alternative document to submit.
What worked for one member in the same situation:- Submit an affidavit from the person's parents confirming their birth details, in place of a formal birth certificate.
- Attach supporting school records that show the birth date — specifically matriculation and Grade 12 certificates — alongside the affidavit.
- This combination was accepted by IRCC for that applicant, resolving the missing-document issue within the deadline.
Takeaway: if a birth certificate genuinely doesn't exist, a parental affidavit plus official school records showing the birth date is a combination IRCC has accepted before — gather these promptly given how short the response windows can be.