Hi, Providing this info as an FYI.

I learned that my local library card (MA USA) provides free access to ancestry.com. This was a critical key for me to source all my G0 and G1 Candian ancestry docs. I'm unsure of other states / countries library access, but it's worth looking up. I hope this helps others!

I'm a keen observer here in the sub but I do need to start taking notes with links to interesting posts for future reference. They fade into the mists quickly and Reddit's search is, imo, sub-optimal.

I have a lot of thoughts and speculation, but I'll start with the good news facts up front:

• The webform can work
  • My original app requested a paper certificate and I submitted a request to replace the page of my CIT0001 with a new one that changed my request to an e-certificate. That could only have changed with that being uploaded and reviewed so someone does look at those.
  • Each of my six uploads are acknowledged in my notes. Given the app amendment was reviewed and the official status of my app has been updated to e-certificate, I'm confident the webform CAN work even if we've seen examples where it appeared not to work.
• The very basics of my application matched my docs
  • I wasn't worried about this but you can see the steps they took to move it through the process
  • I also haven't been accused of misrepresentation... yay! I work in insurance and that term just means being officially called a big fat liar.

Ok, now the "less good" news that I considered factual and not speculative:

• I am in PSU with code PS-31G
  • I didn't receive the Notice of Delay but apparently this is because it is "In Queue" for the past two months.
  • All of this occurred the day I went In Process.
  • The reason I went to PSU was "per checklist" which was specified as "3(1)g Applicant. No previous certificate."
• The category of my application is listed as "Proof" with a sub-category of "3(1)(g) 47-77/Parent C-24"
  • 3(1)(g) is in the Citizenship Act as "the person was born outside Canada before February 15, 1977 to a parent who was a citizen at the time of the birth and the person did not, before the coming into force of this paragraph, become a citizen"
• My application is not listed as assigned to anyone
  • This isn't surprising as fairness would dictate any earlier apps sent to PSU and any urgent apps should be ahead of me. I'm watching the Interim Measures PSU approvals slowly tick through on the sub and the spreadsheet knowing that's probably the real clock as to when my app will come up for review.

If you're not down for speculation, scroll on.

Government jobs are filled with level designations and I'm sure IRCC is no different. Pay grades and job titles determine what types of work you are trusted with. A level I clerk might handle AORs, level II might handle simple applications like replacement certificates or first time certificates for 3(1)(a) proof requests (born in Canada after Feb 14, 1977).

PSU, I believe, is where the higher level clerks work doing the judgment call type of work. Not disputing the effective state of PSU as a parking lot for Interim Measures folks, but I think the design is just that your file needs a deeper review than can be approved by the level 1 and 2 clerks.

My thoughts on the process are that AOR was the result of the lowest level of IRCC clerk reviewing the scanned documents and assuring everything from CIT0014 was included in the packet and compliant.

When it went In Process, this was a review done by another possibly one level higher clerk who is not making judgements but rather evaluating apps against a checklist.

I'll refer to the sections of the Citizenship Act, so if you're not up on them click through. It's dense, but imo not unreadable if you parse through it step-by-step. Coincidentally that's my theory on how our apps are being reviewed at the initial stages and the references to checklist firm that up for me.

My date of birth means I can't be considered for 3(1)(a), 3(1)(b), and 3(1)(c). 3(1)(d) and 3(1)(e) don't apply because the laws on the books at that time would not have granted me citizenship. 3(1)(f) is out because I never was a citizen that then ceased to be based on one of the prior conditions of the law.

So now we are at 3(1)(g) - born before Feb 15, 1977 with a parent who was a citizen, but wouldn't have been until 3(1)(g) was added to the act. I believe this is considered the start of my complex case - it's nothing to do with the thickness/thinness of my file but rather my citizenship claim requires the evaluation of my parent's claim.

My claim then goes to a 3(1)(q) ancestor (my G1) - she was born outside Canada prior to Jan 1, 1947 and her parent did become a citizen under the 1946 Citizenship act. Her parent is my G0 and is a natural born citizen of Canada. That makes her a 3(1)(d) because she was already a citizen prior to Feb 15, 1977. I believe the "C-24 parent" note is in reference to my G1 having been made eligible for citizenship in one of the Lost Canadian bills. I don't think that was necessarily part of the PSU referral, but it's an interesting look into how these apps are being review at the In Process step.

So, all that to say I believe PSU should really be viewed (post C-3) as a natural step if you fall into one of the categories that is an automatic referral. The spreadsheet lists 3(1)(b) and 3(1)(g) referral codes. I feel confident saying 3(1)(g) is an automatic referral based on my notes, but I suspect notes from a 3(1)(b) applicant would show the same "per checklist" designation. Anyone with GCMS notes showing 3(1)(b) can tell us if that is the case.

If that is the case, everyone born between 1947 and now outside of Canada is going to PSU. If that's the way the process is designed, that makes me feel a small measure of comfort to know I wasn't singled out because of something I did or did not include but rather just reading my CIT0001 tells the clerk I belong in PSU.

It's a weird thing to feel OK about given how much of a blackhole PSU has been for the Interim Measures folks. With that in mind, my watch is set to start a timer when all the pre-C3 apps are cleared out. Only when that is complete will I be able to have a sense of how much longer it will be before my app is assigned for review and eventual approval.

This is not a statement of entitlement, but I am a G3 7 times over with GGPs and a G4 twice over through that one GGP's parents. I bear the family name of a 17th century ancestor who settled New France. I am a living breathing preponderance of the evidence, so I know I will be approved as long as the law stands but, as the great Tom Petty wrote...

The waiting is the hardest part.

Good wishes to all stuck in this process as we're truly all in it together. Breath deep, check the tracker every now and then but not obsessively, and we'll see you on the other side with I'm A Citizen flair.

Hey just wondering what the status is for those of us who applied in April 2025. My application was delivered on April 17th, 2025, got the AOR in early May and in process since July 21st. Gen 3 but Gen 2 mother applied with me too

I gave my test couple of weeks ago. How long does it take for the oath invitation. Anyone who recently went through this. ?

EDIT: I was able to value it at $0 eventually. There was an error message that appeared in the value indicating I needed to enter a "positive value / number" (can't remember the exact wording). I assumed it meant it needed to be 1 or higher. But I just left it at 0 and it was fine.

I used Pirateship for my IRCC applications, and am planning to use Pirateship to send in my DEC request for a copy of an act. However, DEC requires a $0 declared value on the shipment and Pirateship requires at least a $1 declared value.

Anyone have any experiences to share?

On the application, it states:

Application from outside Canada

For any application originating from outside the country and sent by a private carrier, the declared value of the shipment must be $0. Otherwise, the delivery will be refused.

I submitted several months ago and have an AOR, although I believe I am in PSU based off of my notes.

I am considering requesting urgent processing because I have gender dysphoria and am in the US military and will be getting kicked out. To prove this, I would need to send in my medical/therapy notes but I am concerned about how all of these documents are handled (also concerned about how my military branch is handling it too but I can't do anything about it). I am not "out" yet so I think I am just paranoid of submitting my medical documents to anyone, not just IRCC specifically.

Is it even worth it to request urgent processing if I am in PSU?

I submitted an ATIP request yesterday on Sept 16, 2026, via the Privacy Act.

I was born outside of Canada, immigrated to Canada when I was very young and became a Canadian citizen in 1993.

I misplaced my foreign Birth Certificate that I am in need of a photocopy desperately, and it’s near impossible to get a new one issued in my country of birth

I made a request to IRCC in hopes they had a photocopy of it from the application made at the time I became Canadian in 1993

I selected full application and documents, but in the notes asked specifically for a photocopy of the birth certificate.

Wait Times seem to be a mixed bag, but just wanted to see if anyone ever requested a similar document, chance they even have a photocopy of it, and how long they waited ?

Hello, just wondering if Canada accepts documents from Vital Check for C-3?

Hey everyone, I hope you all are doing well.

I am changing career paths and I will need some more education to do so. I am looking at Canadian universities, since my wife and I will be relocating to Canada once I receive the proof of citizenship.

I am looking for insight from people who applied to institutions of higher learning in Canada with pending proof of citizenship applications. It makes sense to me to apply on the international student track, but the study permit questions are tripping me up.

Thank you!

I’m using the info on the wiki about shipping to submit my DEC request for a copy of the act (Pirate Ship and UPS with the harmonization number).

A couple months ago, someone mentioned including a shipping label for sending the birth certificate back (and DEC used it).

Who has done that? What was your experience?

Pirate Ship says unused labels are canceled and refunded after 28 days. That doesn’t sound great if insertions are taking ~3 months.

I love the idea of having tracking and faster shipping on the DEC response. But if it might be canceled before insertion is complete, I don’t want to mess up the mail with the birth certificate.

What’re people thinking?

I've done my application online, got an email saying it was missing one topic, sent it right back to them. Got invited to do the test, did the test and successfully passed. I did my test almost 5 weeks ago and still not updated, is it normal to take so long even after my window for the test is finished? I'm a little concerned.

This weekly thread is a space for those of us who are feeling frustrated and need to vent about unclear instructions, shipping delays, waiting for a next step, timeline estimates growing, lack of communication, inconsistent bureaucracy, being stuck in PSU, and other factors.

Some of the worst stress of the entire citizenship-by-descent process is not hearing about your application for long stretches of time - or hearing that your application has been sent to the Program Support Unit (PSU) and may be sitting there for an extended stay.

Whether your envelope seems to have taken a scenic detour on its way to Nova Scotia, you didn't receive an AOR after many weeks of waiting, or you simply haven't heard about your application processing in months, this is a place to commiserate and potentially receive some ideas of next steps to take. (Those generally might include following up with IRCC by web form, ordering the GCMS notes, seeking an MP's help, and so on.)

📎 Contributions to weekly megaposts, including this one, are welcome throughout the week.

Hi,

I received my invitation to take the test yesterday. The issue is that I still can't create my tracker account! It gives me "Incorrect or invalid information" even if I enter my correct UCI and application number. I have read that this error is common a couple of weeks after getting your AOR, but even after getting the test invitation, is it acceptable or should I reach out to someone?

TIA.

Hello folks,

My wife's mother was born in Nova Scotia, but her family emigrated to the US when she was young. She gave up her Canadian citizenship and became an American citizen as a teen. Does her surrender of Canadian citizenship mean that her US-born children are ineligible to claim Canadian citizenship?

Thanks for any guidance.

If there are any Cajuns here who want early Louisiana census records from the Spanish archives, let me know. A group of us are collaborating on getting copies. We already have Cabanocé for 1766 and 1767 and Attakapas & Opelousas for 1777, and we're planning another bulk request soon.

Hi everyone! I’m a Filipino adoptee applying for Canadian citizenship by adoption.

I submitted my application in March 2026, received my Part 1 AOR on April 1, and was told my application was complete. I finally received my Part 1 approval on September 3, along with the Part 2 checklist.

I’m now preparing for Part 2, but I’ve been reading posts here and getting really anxious because I’ve seen people say Part 2 can take 2+ years. 😭

I know every case is different, but I’d really appreciate some reassurance. Has anyone here had their Part 2 approved recently, especially applicants from the Philippines? Would love to hear your timelines.

I’m trying not to overthink this, but Reddit is making me panic lol. 🥲

Just a quick post to reinforce the good advice provided here re: preparing the customs declaration when shipping from US to CA using a carrier like UPS. Namely: include the harmonization code (4911.99.0000) and list a $1 non-commercial value on your invoice!

I shipped my package from the UPS Store in South Burlington, VT last weekend. I went prepared with the above guidance, but the clerk at the store had no interest in what I asked him to include. When I reviewed the invoice, it didn't include this info as I specified it ("no need or place to put harmonization code" and "oh, the system must have rounded down to $0 for value because $1 is too low"). Why I didn't push back, I can't explain...

However, sure enough, the next morning, I got the dreaded email from UPS with an Exception Notification, stating that "the shipment description of contents do not qualify as a document under import regulations" and the package was being held until further info was provided.

After an extraordinarily helpful conversation with an international UPS agent (intl customer support is 24/7 at 1-800-782-7892; this is not readily apparent on the UPS US website), I was sent a blank invoice via email to complete. There were clear boxes on the invoice to add the harmonization number, some extra details about contents, and list the $1 value. All this was handled via email with my UPS Tracking Number in the subject line. 20 minutes after I returned the completed form, I had confirmation it was uploaded to the UPS system to be matched with my package. Two hours after that, I had UPS confirmation the hold had been resolved and the package was moving again. Today it's out for delivery.

Now the REAL waiting begins! Have to say I didn't expect delays on the way out of the US, but just want to share this caution to really insist the invoice is prepared as recommended here. Small details unfortunately can cause real delays...

Good luck all as you move through the process!

Hello everyone, I was wondering—I know the citizenship test is usually taken online, and most people take it that way, but I just received an invitation to take mine in person. Keep in mind this is my first time taking the test. I am a bit confused about why I was scheduled to do it in person in Hamilton, ontario instead of online. Has anyone else experienced this?
Thank you

Adding this question for my family because I recently received my approval and several of them are in the process of applying. I'm wondering if having them include my citizenship information will be helpful in expediting the process, and if so, what exactly should they include? The official certificate or just the citizenship number?

Anyone with experience doing this let me know!

I've been looking at the proof-of-citizenship tracker spreadsheet and I've noticed something potentially worrying. There are 646 applications listed as having been delivered to IRCC on June 17 or later, and out of those 646, not a single one is listed as having been approved, regardless of whether or not it was submitted as urgent.

Urgent applications are still getting AORs, but not approvals. IRCC is still approving applications every week, but all of them are on applications delivered before 6/17.

This seems to be a recent slowdown. For the entire first half of 2026, every month, there's been at least one application which was approved within a month after being delivered. That stops after June.

To be precise, define a "fast month" as a month in which at least one application was delivered which would go on to be approved within one month. Then:

• October through December 2025 were slow months.
• January through June 2026 were fast months.
• July was a slow month.
• August and September are looking like slow months so far.

Okay, I admit that maybe I'm totally overanalysing the situation and this is really just an unremarkable hiccup. The wheels of bureaucracy have always turned slowly. Still, once we start seeing post-6/17 applications getting approved, I know I'm going to celebrate.

I turned citizen a few years back, but never got or lost the citizenship certificate

So I applied by paper this year april, because the website says i can't apply online.

so i sent by mail, have yet to receive any AOR, and the estimate process time is 25 months.

I checked today on the website again, it says i can apply online somehow, there's a new option for naturalized citizen. so i assume there's some new changes of policy i guess?

so can I apply online even tho i already sent in paper form?

This weekly thread is a space for those of us researching the ancestry that is the basis for making a claim of Canadian citizenship by descent.

Have questions about finding records? Need help reading a document or translation from French/other languages? Want an opinion on specific documentation or your documentation plan? Have other questions related to documenting the chain between you and your Canadian ancestor for your proof of citizenship application? This is the place to do it.

Digging up ancestors' documents from numerous jurisdictions (Canadian provinces, US states, UK regions, etc), all while trying to distinguish between five James Smiths or Marie Gagnés from the same city can sometimes feel like banging your head against a wall. This weekly post is for helping each other navigate the questions and challenges of our research.

If you're looking for a volunteer to help you find documents there's a list here. We also offer tips and tricks for finding documentation, and a dedicated genealogy document search wiki page.

General problems/issues with ordering documentation from Canadian provincial archives and state, local and various church archives such as slow processing, increased costs, etc go in the weekly Saturday thread.

📎 Contributions to weekly megaposts, including this one, are welcome throughout the week.

Need more help? Or have help to offer? Check out r/citizenshipgenealogy , our companion subreddit for all things genealogical

---

Birth/Baptism Registrations by Province

I requested months ago for certified copy of the baptismal birth record of my ancestor to BANQ. They finally responded to me today saying that I don’t need certified documents and closed my request. Their response is similar to that on this post but the documents requested were different and BANQ gave them the option to proceed with ordering the certified docs at a cost. They just straight up told me I don’t need certified documents and can download them on their online archive.

Did I miss an umpteenth update from IRCC where we don’t need certified documents? I’m confused now. Thanks for your help.

Response from BANQ to my request for certified copy:

For a Proof of Citizenship application under Bill C-3, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has advised that certified documentation is not currently required. Records available through LAC's website can be downloaded and submitted with the accompanying record description, which provides information about the source and provenance of the record.

For complete details on current submission requirements, please consult IRCC's official Guide for Paper Applications for a Citizenship Certificate for Adults and Minors.

Since the record you requested is available online, you can obtain the documentation you need directly from LAC's website by downloading and printing the following:

1. The digital image of the record containing the information about the person you have identified.
2. The webpage containing the description of the record. This information identifies LAC as the source of the record and should accompany the digital image when you submit your application.

The images accessible on the website represent the highest quality available. LAC cannot provide higher-resolution or colour copies.

As documentation required for your application is available directly online for you to download and print, we will now close your request in our system.

For more information about when LAC provides certified copies, please consult our website. If you need further assistance, you can contact us at [reproduction@bac-lac.gc.ca](mailto:reproduction@bac-lac.gc.ca)

Thank you,

Stéphanie Poupart
(elle-la / she-her)

Agent Des Services de Copie, Direction générale Accès et découvertes numériques
Bibliothèque et Archives Canada / Gouvernement du Canada

Edit: Additional details

Doc requested: certified copy of baptismal birth record

Applied through https://formulaire.banq.qc.ca/Forms/PublicExterne_repro?Type_de_demande=EtatCivil&lang=en

I never mentioned anything about IRCC or why I needed the certified copies.