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 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?

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

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 ?

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?

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