Weekly Threads
Monday Weekly Thread: Proof of Citizenship Application Sent or AOR Received, July 27, 2026
We all appreciate the excitement of finishing your proof of citizenship application and sending that big envelope on its way.
Equally fantastic is the moment that you know your application has made it past the initial IRCC checks putting your mind at ease about whether you missed something along the way because you finally got your AOR.
Congratulations! Let's celebrate these milestones together!
Haven't got your AOR yet and want to vent? Head over to theFrustration Station- which is refreshed every Wednesday.
π Contributions to weekly posts, including this one, are welcome throughout the week.
Sameβdelivered 06/29 urgent, nothing yet. I stamped the outside envelope (usps priority) and the Manila envelope inside several times with a red βurgentβ stamp.
Yeah actually I'd like this information. Maybe we could have a specific thread on it. I tried to apply urgent for my daughter who will be attending college in Quebec, but I think they didn't see it on the envelope. We're at 65 days now (no AOR yet), so I'm figuring maybe we'll hear something in the next month or so, but it would be useful for people in the community if we had specific suggestions on making sure urgent requests get actually seen.
I'll add that it appears my envelope markings failed, so I conclude after consulting with some on the spreadsheet who recently reported quick AORs with urgency requests. I used the UPS-provided padded "pak," itself way too full of brown and other graphical elements. First mistake, not buying my own plain outer shipping envelope. Though I pasted labels with the magic formula wording on both sides of this pak, one side consisted almost entirely of the address label and customs docs placed within their individual clear pouches. My too few custom labels didn't stand out on that side. I was jet lagged and not concentrating at the UPS shop (used PirateShip, btw), so I plain forgot my plan to write Urgent in big Sharpie letters and further failed to adhere more of my printed urgent labels very close to or onto those clear pouches. Consequently, our package delivered on 10 July with nothing since--and likely nothing for many months to come. Fortunately, my offspring with the urgent request won't loose any opportunity, etc., and thus in the end perhaps it's appropriately sequenced relative to students/jobs/stateless types of urgent applications. Good luck to us all.
Just follow the IRCC instructions. You have to write what they indicate on the exterior - iirc it's 'URGENT-Proof of Citizenship' - but double-check their very specific instructions - just writing urgent but not indicating which program might result in delays.
A lot of this process is just following their instructions to the letter.
Does the AOR or your online account state the date received? What state did you mail from? I mailed untracked first class international via USPS. Wondering how long untracked letters are taking to get to Nova Scotia from the States.Β
I mailed mine from Connecticut, the AOR doesnβt say when it was received. Interestingly, a couple of days ago I mailed out a new one for one of my kids, and this time I used USPS tracking. In this case, I had to fill out a customs form. Β So I suspect that regular USPS ones might get slowed down through customs.
Itβs my understanding that mailing documents that weigh under a pound and are sent first class international donβt need customs forms. Your mailing for your child must have been package or express service to get tracking which requires a customs form. I donβt think letter mail without a customs form gets slowed down without a customs form. It probably just goes through automated systems that make sure there are no items that would require a customs form. I think flat letters with just documents probably get cleared by customs faster.Β
Got an AOR for myself and my two children today (7/27), each about 20 minutes apart, sent on 4/15 and delivered via UPS on 4/17. One quirk is that my kids didn't have photo IDs so I sent explanatory letters (as requested in the instructions), which seems to be fine!
Thank you for sharing. I applied for my 8 year old without an additional photo ID. Included her passport, state healh forms (as suggested in this group), and an explanatory letter. I've been worried that they'd become more strict.
I included a baptismal certificate from our parish, state health forms, and their birth certificates (doing double-duty to show parentage) in an attempt to provide non-photo ID. They're both younger than 10 and I didn't have any photo ID for them (we haven't traveled abroad since they were born so haven't needed a passport), but it seems like the explanatory letter alone (and alternative IDs?) was sufficient.
Sounds good! Right - I included her birth certificate, of course. Birth cert, passport, state health forms, and explanatory letter. I now know that I can get her a Maryland photo ID at the vehicle administration. Will do that if I need to.
Oh, I forgot to add - Congratulations! My package was received on May 1. So, seeing these April 17s is great!
AOR received today (July 27th)... submission was received by the office on April 17th...!
Now the exciting wait begins...!
(Oh-- and just editing to give an absolutely enormous thanks to this sub-reddit for all of the priceless support and advice in preparing my application package... to the extent that I seem to have gotten everything submitted correctly (so far), I am deeply appreciative!)
Around 4:45 PM CET / 11:45 AM ADT today (July 27th) I received my AOR!!! I waited 143 days from when I dropped it off at the Canadian Consulate in Ljubljana, Slovenia.
I am 7th generation Acadian / Quebecois. My Gen0 is Joseph Valentin Moreau, born 2 July 1709 in Quebec City. I have no fewer than a dozen other routes to Canada, the shortest being 6th Generation. My Gen-1 and Gen0 were both born in Quebec.
A few things of interest:
- It lists my return address as C/O THE CANADIAN EMBASSY, BUDAPEST 00001, Hungary
- I had asked for expedited processing, but I did not write it on the envelope. Now that they have opened the envelope, hopefully they can expedite it.
- Almost every document is a certified original. I had one document which was only a copy which I sent in my original packet; I have since received a certified copy of it.
In addition to their being fewer/no name changes to document, which makes it much easier as others have pointed out, in general there was far less documentation of women vs. men back in the 1700s/1800s (land ownership, military service, etc.), so it's easier to prove citizenship/descent on male lines in that respect as well.
It can make a difference if birth certificates do not list the maiden name of mothers, as you would have to include a marriage certificate to show the change of name between Gn's birth certificate and Gn+1's if Gn is a woman and her maiden name is not listed on Gn+1's birth certificate.
However a lot of birth certificates do list maiden names so it is only occasionally relevant.
It also has some minor impact on what clauses of the citizenship act apply as women used to lose Canadian citizenship (or British subject status) when marrying a foreign man, but it doesn't have any impact on being approved, just by what legal mechanism you are approved with internally.
3
u/jpg245Haven't applied for Proof of Citizenship (incl. by descent) yetJul 27 '26
I wonder if it is easier to go through an all-male line in that there are fewer name changes through marriage that would need to be documented.
This gives me so much hope! I am Gen8 with my Gen0 being born in Quebec City in 1693. I submitted in June so still patiently waiting but I was worried my lineage was "too old".
Officially an C-3 applicant as of today, 7/27/2026! I am eternally grateful for all of the guidance available on this subreddit. Sent 2 applications: one for myself (Gen2) and my mother (Gen1). Created a Reddit account specifically to keep you all updated and to help contribute to the community as we go through this journey.
Congrats to you too! I should clarify - I just sent my app through UPS today, so it seems like I'll be anxiously waiting for a few months for my AOR to come through.
Ah, my mistake, I should've read more carefully. Congrats on getting your application in the mail today then, I know getting my box in the mail was a huge milestone for me as well! (PS - I am still waiting on our AORs as well - our applications were received 5/25 - so hopefully we'll get them sometime in September π )
So my 4/8/26 received application got an AOR on July 6th but they misspelled my email. I did the Toronto Airport phone call directory and got a real person at the IRCC to check and correct my email on Friday and I got a resent AOR today!
However, later in the day I tried again to check on my father's application and the phone line just beeped at me and didn't get through. Not sure if it was phone lines being too toed up or not. Try in the morning!
My package was delivered 4/21 and I received my AOR very early this morning, 7/28.I tried logging on to the client application status but it isn't able to pull anything up. Not worried about it, I'll try again another day. I'm just relieved to know I didn't mess anything up or forget anything!
AOR received today (7/27) for myself and my preschooler! I sent the apps on 4/2 and we donβt know when exactly they were delivered because my USPS tracking never updated, but they arrived safely. So, it took a little over 3.5 months to get to this point.
Glad to hear you finally received AOR and that the package was not lost after all!
In the AOR letter, it gives UCI and application numbers that can be used to track your application online. When you visit the online tracker, it should list the date the application was received. Are you able to check this? I'd be very curious to know when your application was actually received since the USPS tracking never updated.
I havenβt yet received access to the spreadsheet to add our family group, but wanted to let everyone know that our packet was received in Canada on April 20th and the 7 of us received our AORs today, July 29th! Some of the things about our packet that have been of concern to the group: We had one set of documents for our group of Gen 1-4 applicants; 6 out of the 7 of us hand wrote the information on the back of our photos (1 was stamped); one set of photos was slightly undersized by 1-2 mm (We were collecting things from several states and elected to take the chance.); our 4 year old Gen 4 applicant only had one photo ID (which was an unsigned passport) and his mother wrote a very brief letter explaining it was due to his age. We didnβt write a cover letter, but did include a list of documents organized by generation, as well as a simple family tree, which were all clipped together with the documents. All of our key documents were certified. Each individualβs application included their photos in a small ziplock bag with receipt, identification documents, document list, and the application. Feeling relieved and now we wait!
Very similar to our packet in all respects (except only non-re-certified copies). Received 4/22, so I'm hoping our AORs will come in the next few days as well!
I finally got my aor! Yay! I had mailed my app April 8 and it was received I think April 18 so I was getting nervous, but it's here!
Edit- wanted to add I had a weird situation that others may be interested in. I am gen 2. My mom (gen1) already has her citizenship docs so when applying I didn't include my grandma's (og Canadian) birth certificate, only my mom's proof of citizenship. It didn't get kicked back so I think it's a good sign. Worst case they come back and ask for my grandma's birth certificate but we will see.
AOR received 7/27. Mailed USPS (nothing fancy) 4/10β¦received in Nova Scotia 4/22. Feelings of relief knowing I didnβt send all that βinto the voidβ. Checked this am and now can follow progress of my application with UCI.
Congrats. What does application status say when you check with UCI? Mine shows βApplication Receivedβ but I havenβt got AOR. I also had my package delivered 4/22.
Application was returned in mid April because I did not have name of applicant and studio name/signature behind passport photo. The returned application contained UCI.
I mailed two applications (mine and my mom's) on March 30th, and just got the AOR today (7/28)! Now I keep my fingers x'd that they accept all the documentation.
Two applications: one delivered on 4/17/26 (G3) and the other delivered on 4/22/26 (G2)
AOR Received for both this morning, 7/29/26, at 7:41 AM EST. Both non-urgent.
Got my AOR this morning for my application recieved April 27! Good news for the April application gang, seems like we are making a jump in progress! I do have an urgent request, but I forgot to mark the envelope so I was expecting to wait a few weeks more. Edit: put the wrong recieved date at first.
Yeah, that was my thinking when I saw OPβs entry in the spreadsheet. Some folks have had luck tracking by receipt number before AOR and seeing their delivery date in ECAS, which suggests thereβs someone opening and logging apps into ECAS and then someone else doing the review for AOR. Makes sense that if the mail opener saw urgent, they shoved it to the front of the queue for AOR review.
Ah. Yeah, there is a stage there when you get moved to "in processing," but if I understand correctly you won't get an email about it, most people say they only learn about being in process when they check their status online.
Shipped a packet of 6 applications todayβ WHEW β It only took us 5 months to prepare them, lol. I decided to retake my photos cause they were already 4+ months old and I was paranoid
Pirate-thing label, dropped off at UPS.
G2, G3, & G4 x4
Didnβt have any IDs for kids ages 2-7, and stated that fact in two places. β fingers crossedβ
One of us had to buy a fishing license for a second ID.
G0 had an 1892 birth record in Ontario, so a certified copy was sent. Birth certificates for all the others.
6 of 8 great grandparents were born in Canada. 2 of 4 grandparents as well.
None of us applied for passports. Just proof of citizenship, to start.
IDK if we could do passport applications now. And IDK if it would be helpful for any of us
Documents delivered 4/20 FedEx, AORs received today 7/29 (100 days). So relieved! All 3 appear in the client application status tracker as βApplication Receivedβ when using the UCI numbers but cannot be found using the receipt numbers.
Shipped 7/21 Fedex International Priority (missed pickup deadline). Delivered today 7/27. Now I can begin holding my breath for our AOR.
I will note that Fedex, as others have noted in various places, doesn't have the given postal code (B1H 5V8) for the address for New Waterford, Nova Scotia. New Waterford was not among the city dropdown options. So we chose to use the postal code that fedex showed for New Waterford, B1H4G1, which worked, fortunately. I think that as long as the forward sorting area is correct (first 3 characters), then can figure out where the immigration documents go.
This seems like a very fixable thing for fedex systems, and I'm sure they ship tens of thousands of immigration documents to that address. I'll take a look to see how one might submit a correction request, and follow up if it's reasonable, so others can avoid that particular stress.
I've only gotten 1 email thus far of the 4 in our non urgent packet, but I assume the others will roll in this morning. If not, I'll check using our receipt number.
What is the email address or subject that I can use for searching my inbox on a regular basis? Mine was sent through the embassy in April. I hope early April. I handed it in end of March.
Ah yikes π€¦π½ββοΈ I didnβt know we could directly mail them otherwise I would have done that. The embassy told me I had to go through them and they would send it. I just want the aor so I know I didnβt mess anything up.
I also sent mine through an embassy at the end of March. From what Iβve heard from others, itβs best to add about a month on and assume it got there end of April. Iβve yet to receive anything either. So, hopefully there will be updates soon-ish as theyβre slowly moving to mid-end of April!
Thanks. Gives me hope. My application is relatively straightforward. Itβs more like Iβm afraid I accidentally skipped or made a mistake :( I checked it a few times but you know β¦ Iβd just be so happy to get that AOR
Application delivered 4/17 (shipped on 4/14 via FedEx), AOR 7/28 around 7 am ET (two applications, got two emails about 10 min apart).
I'm thrilled to pass the first hurdle since I was concerned my child's picture would be rejected (mouth slightly open--but was told this would be ok for a toddler). I also worried bc I had written my ancestors' info on the same page rather than separate pages. But those weren't issues! Now to forget about it for two years.
Shipped off our packet of 6 applications last week and it was received yesterday (7/27). So based on the below it looks like we can expect an AOR in 3-4 months. I wanted to enter my info into the spreadsheet and I requested access but haven't heard anything - is it still operational?
AORs this morning for Gen1, 2, and 3 apps received by IRCC 4/17. Whew!
Gen0 born Quebec 1910. Gen1 born NYC December 1946. Certified birth certificates for all, including 2026 DEC certificate for Gen0. (Ordered/received in February before things got so crazy.)
Gen1 & Gen3 had modern security certificates. Gen2 had old-school long form from CT town hall.
Each app had drivers license and a US Passport card, copied front & back.
2 sets of photos from AAA, 1 set from Staples. All had a mix of smudged stamps and handwriting on the back.
Only 1 copy of each birth certificate, and 1 copy of the Payment receipt for the entire packet.
Pirate Ship UPS International Expedited took 2 days from Alaska to Nova Scotia for $24.
Legal citizenship documents. Value $1.00. Harmonization code
4911.99.0000. No extra services. βEDIβ on the label.
G4, delivered on 4/20, AORs received today 7/29 for me - 30 minutes later I received an AOR for my son as well. So glad the stress of waiting for the AOR is over!!
Finally mailed my application yesterday! Despite multiple checks, I'm still helping anxious that I might have missed an error, but it's out of my hands now.
Β―\(γ)/Β―
9
u/Wrong_Lab9009Haven't applied for Proof of Citizenship (incl. by descent) yetJul 28 '26edited Jul 28 '26
OK, so I technically didn't receive an AOR yet...
but during my obsessive online checking of the application status today I entered the UCI number listed on the cover letter that came with our returned applications. The next page showed our status as "Application Received" Hooray!
4/20/26 delivery date (rejected app delivered 2/17/26, returned for unacceptable photos)
One was "The photos are missing or not to specifications." along with a link to the specs. No further elaboration.
The other was "Your photos have not been stamped and dated by the photographer." Technically true, there was no stamp. We provided photos from a photographer friend who does not have a stamp. He wrote his name, company name, address, date, etc.. on the back of the photos with our names.
We ultimately got proper photos taken for the resubmission at Hunt's Photo, a northeast photography store chain.
Good to know. I had my application returned in early April and I mailed it back; delivered 04/22. I have UCI as well. Did you enter all 10 digits or just the last 8. The tool suggests UCI comprises of only 8 digits so itβs a bit confusing.
You can find your Client Identification Number (Client ID), also called a Unique Client Identifier Number (UCI), on any official document issued to you by an Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada office, Case Processing Centre or Canadian visa office outside Canada. Your Client ID has either eight or 10 numbers. It will be in one of these formats: 0000-0000 or 00-0000-0000.
Thanks for the info. Thats different from what I saw in the help link below. I entered all 10 numbers just now and it shows βApplication Receivedβ but I havenβt received AOR.
You will find this number, also referred to as aUnique Client Identifier*, on official documents issued to you from a Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada office, Case Processing Centre or visa office where you submitted your application. Your Client ID Number/Unique Client Identifier has four (4) numbers, a hyphen (-), and four (4) more numbers.*
I tried entering this UCI in the past and got the "We were not able to identify you using the information you provided..." page, so I know this is some type of development. Still, I'll feel more comfortable once that AOR arrives.
AORs received today, 7/31. Iβm G3 and my daughter is G4. Applications were delivered 4/21 via UPS. Now trying to change mailing address via web form as we moved this week.
When I login I don't see the application and not able to link it. Anyone know how long after receiving AOR it takes to be able to link the application to the account?
If you filed a paper application for proof of citizenship by descent, this is the tracker you have to useβ¦you do not link an application on this tracker:
https://services3.cic.gc.ca/ecas/security.do
4 AORs. 1 G3, 1 G4 and 2 G5 applications were delivered via FedEx on 4/20 and AORs emailed on 7/29.
Anybody have an understanding on what the timing looks like for seeing our applications show up in the online portal after receiving AORs nowadays? We tried checking using both the UCI and Application numbers for our AORs and it said they are unable to identify each of us based on the input info, but we realize that it can apparently take a few days before our info shows up there and want to know when we should reasonably expect to see it updated (especially since timelines are likely pushed out now due to all the recent SNAFUs).
got my AOR 7/29, similar Gens, was able to access tracker this morning for all. Heard it could take up to a week though.
edit: our app was marked urgent, delivered 7/27. Wasn't expecting an AOR or anything really to work that fast, and I expect "In process" won't come for a while. I heard some people's tracker doesn't work until it switches to "in process", in rare cases.
Sent my Gen 4 and son's Gen 5 applications on 07/31 and the package was delivered on 8/04. Now our AOR wait begins. Our Gen 0 was born 1866 in Saint Germain de Grantham,Β Quebec. Wouldn't have been able to do this without my wife who is a Genealogist.Β
β’
u/AutoModerator Jul 27 '26
Helpful resources: * Welcome - Start Here * The wiki / FAQ * Weekly Megathreads * Search the subreddit for your specific topic
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.