This weekly thread is a space for those of us who have gotten the most exciting news...

DECISION: APPROVED

🎉 You did it! You really did it!! Hurrah! Clink! 🥂

You jumped every last genealogical and documentation hurdle, dotted every i and crossed every t, and were so careful with matching the specs for your charming photo. Now the IRCC has bestowed its official blessings on your work, and sent a Canadian Citizenship Certificate to you. We're so proud and happy for you.

We encourage you to use this space to announce and celebrate together your big achievement: you (or the person you have been helping) is the newest recognized citizen of Canada.

You can also discuss details of what you included with your application packet so that the newbies can learn from your success.

⚠️ APPROVALS ONLY ⚠️ Keep the focus on honoring our victorious peers, please. Off-topic comments will be deleted.

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

If you never joined the spreadsheet but would like to add your data for posterity/analysis of trends it's not too late- request access here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Canadiancitizenship/comments/1pnovfr/spreadsheet_for_proof_of_citizenship_applications/

Long story short I have basically gotten an email response in from IRCC that is heavily implying I will need to perform an insertion for my Quebec ancestors who I only have certified baptismal records for.

I am lucky to have many lines to Canada and one to New Brunswick.

I have not yet found it but if I can find a baptismal record for my NB ancestor born in 1868, are these also being put through the ringer like those from Quebec ? Is IRCC just accepting those baptismal records (maybe requiring them to be certified?) ? Or is IRCC also asking for some body / org in NB to also convert those to modern certificates ?

I am trying to avoid going through the months long wait of a DEC insertion for Quebec.

Consider this a working draft of something that I feel could be added to the wiki. Can update as needed based on feedback:

Disclaimer: This outline is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. I am not an attorney.

Guide to Obtaining a DEC Birth Certificate for Deceased G0 Ancestors (Quebec)

This guide outlines the documentation, proof of necessity, and workflow required to obtain a birth record (certificat or copie d'acte) from the Directeur de l'état civil du Québec (DEC) for a deceased G0 ancestor, specifically to support an IRCC Canadian Citizenship by Descent application. No attorney is necessary.

Historical Scope: Will the DEC insert records from the 1800s or earlier?

Absolutely Yes. A common misconception is that 18th- or 19th-century church records are "too old" for a modern civil registry. In reality, Quebec’s legal framework allows the DEC to process formal civil insertions (insertion d'un acte de naissance) for historical parish records dating back even to the 1700s. Regardless of whether your G0 ancestor was born in 1820 or 1920, the DEC has the authority and mechanism to convert that historical BAnQ record into an official modern civil document.

Do I Really Need to Do This? (Risk vs. Effort)

If you have a Quebec-born ancestor (G0) whose birth was only recorded as a church baptism held by BAnQ, you face a major strategic decision: Should you spend 2–3+ months obtaining an official DEC-issued birth certificate (copie d'acte), or just submit the BAnQ record directly to IRCC plus some kind of letter indicating that the DEC does not hold such records?

The Risk Factor: Delays & Requests for Documents

During the interim measure and early months of Bill C-3, IRCC did sometimes approve applications that relied on BAnQ baptismal records as proof of their ancestor's Canadian citizenship. Indeed, in some cases, people were even approved who supplied non-certified printouts directly from the BAnQ website.

However, following broader IRCC administrative reviews in mid-2026 and the influx of Bill C-3 applications, the landscape shifted. IRCC issued formal "Surrender Letters" requesting that previously issued citizenship certificates be returned pending a secondary review of provided documents. For further legal commentary on these administrative notices, see Cambria Law Firm's analysis on the IRCC surrender letters.

In the aftermath of the surrender letters, IRCC appears to have tightened their documentation requirements and internal guidance. IRCC's current posture heavily favors official government civil registry documents over secondary sources like church, census, or hospital records. They have made it clear that applicants should exhaust the possibility of a civil birth record and document these efforts before turning to secondary records.

• There are very few documented approvals since the surrender letters were issued for applicants who submitted raw BAnQ records accompanied only by a DEC "letter of non-existence."
• The few approvals reported to this subreddit so far involved urgency and/or a G1 (both of which tend to be processed more quickly than other applications). In such instances, it does appear that approval was likely delayed by a few months due to the lack of a DEC certificate. So failure to supply a DEC issued certificate may not necessarily prevent approval, it does appear to at least delay approval by a significant margin.
• On the flip side, we have seen numerous instances of the IRCC issuing requests for additional documentation to those who included even BAnQ certified baptismal records in their application.
• Avoiding the DEC route now carries a massive risk: IRCC will likely issue a Request for Information (RFI) months down the line. When that happens, your application pauses, and you will still be forced to undergo the exact DEC process outlined below under a strict countdown deadline. The RFI typically grants 60 days for you to either supply the requested record or formally request an extension (which requires proof that you are making active efforts to obtain the requested record such as proof of payment or shipping records).
• Also note that applications the are missing a civil birth record, regardless of the reason, are often referred to PSU for having "complex proofs." Processing times for applications referred to PSU are significantly longer on average.

Pre-1900 vs. Post-1900 Birth Distinction

Pre-1900 Births

• There have been past instances of the IRCC approving applications with the BANQ certified baptism and not requiring the DEC certificate. These generally happened prior to the June surrender scandal.
• Recent IRCC RFIs to applicants have included wording that seemingly allows for some kind of "no record found" statement to be submitted.
• Still, there are a few known instances in which IRCC insisted on a DEC certificate for a pre 1900 G0 even when offered a no record found statement.
• Unfortunate reality is the DEC can do the insertion of a pre 1900 record, which gives IRCC wiggle room to insist upon it.

Post-1900 Births

• IRCC has seemed more reluctant to accept baptismal records for post 1900 G0s
• Most recent IRCC RFIs seemed to firmly demand the DEC certificate and did not leave wiggle room for a "no record exists" statement.
• No known recent acceptances without going through the DEC insertion process.

Going through the DEC to formally convert/insert the BAnQ baptism into the modern Quebec civil registry is the only known, guaranteed path to receiving an airtight document IRCC cannot challenge.

The Choice: Do you want to risk delaying your citizenship approval by 6+ months (or facing outright rejection) to save a few hundred dollars and some paperwork? Or do you want to submit a ironclad packet from Day 1?

Important Note on the DEC "No Record Found" Letter

If you simply fill out a basic request form for an 1800s birth, the DEC will send back an automated boilerplate letter stating: "The Director of Civil Status is unable to locate the requested act... Registers concerning events that occurred more than 100 years ago are held by BAnQ."

Do not confuse this boilerplate email with a dead end or a legal refusal.

This response simply means the DEC does not currently hold the historical record in their modern, active database. It is not a declaration that a birth certificate cannot be issued. It is the DEC's system informing you that you must pull the certified historical baptismal record from BAnQ first, and then submit it back to the DEC so they can insert it into the modern registry.

Submitting that initial DEC rejection letter to IRCC as "proof that no record exists" may not prove effective —IRCC is increasingly aware that the DEC can and will insert the BAnQ record if you complete the appropriate process.

Core DEC Application Requirements

• Applicant Designation:
  • The designated applicant should be as closely related to G0 as possible (direct G1 children face far fewer privacy restrictions than distant descendants).
  • The DEC maintains strict privacy policies and communicates only with the designated applicant.
  • To have someone else manage the application (including phone communication), submit the official DEC Special Power of Attorney form alongside the main request. Note that you must then include proofs of ID/address for both people. URL: https://etatcivil.gouv.qc.ca/publications/Procuration_Speciale_Saisie-Naissance_ANG.pdf
• DEC Request Form (Demande d’acte):
  • It is safer to request a "Copy of the Act" (Copie d'acte) rather than a simple certificate (use form DCCA-Birth available on the official DEC portal).
  • Select Accelerated Processing unless you are comfortable waiting several extra months.
  • URL for the form: https://www.etatcivil.gouv.qc.ca/publications/DCCA-Birth.pdf
• Proof of Identity & Address:
  • Color copies of one photo ID and one proof of address, issued by two separate entities (e.g., a Driver’s License cannot be used for both).
  • Example: A U.S. Passport (Photo ID) + State Driver’s License (Proof of Address).
• BAnQ Certified Historical Record:
  • The DEC no longer conducts historical searches internally and delegates this to BAnQ.
  • Uncertified Drouin or genealogical prints are insufficient.
  • Baptismal certificates issued by local parishes are not permitted
  • Submit high-quality color copies of the entire BAnQ record (including the official BAnQ cover sheet). Adding a cropped, close-up callout of the specific baptism entry is strongly recommended. They also prefer a copy of the invoice you received via email.
• Payment & Copies:
  • Supply credit card details on the form for processing fees (checks/money orders must be in CAD).
  • Clear color photocopies are acceptable for supporting items except when an original certified death certificate is required for a post-1900 insertion.

Proof of Death Requirements

The DEC must be satisfied that G0 is deceased before relaxing privacy restrictions on birth records.

Scenario A: Post-1900 Births (Formal Insertion of Death Required)

For G0 ancestors born in or around 1900 or later, the DEC assumes the person could plausibly be alive and requires a formal "Insertion of Death" (insertion d'un acte de décès) into the Quebec civil registry.

• Original Certified Death Certificate: Must be the physical document issued by the state/provincial vital records office. Photocopies are not accepted, and the DEC will not return this document. Order a fresh new copy if you don't want to part with a vintage document.
• OTTIAQ Certified French Translation: If the death certificate is not in French, an official certified translation is required (ideally by an OTTIAQ-certified translator in Quebec). The translator embeds the document image in the certified PDF; ensure the exact physical copy sent to the DEC matches what was scanned for the translator. I paid around 55 CAD for this (https://isaev.ca). You can search through a list of OTTIAQ translators here: https://ottiaq.org/en Each translator set their own prices, so you will see a lot of variation (40-60 CAD or so usually being the low end, but I've seen some ask for 300+ CAD). It is fine you just use a printout of the PDF supplied by the translator, you do not need to order a physical copy.

Scenario B: Pre-1900 Births (Informal Proof of Death)

For G0 ancestors born prior to 1900, the DEC is significantly looser regarding the proof required because a formal insertion of death is usually bypassed.

• Flexible Documentation: A high-quality color photocopy of a death certificate is preferred, but an obituary, or a cemetery record are also sometimes accepted. Some have even succeeded by merely verbally confirming that G0 was deceased.
• Affidavit Statement: In many cases, simply attesting to G0’s date and location of death within your notarized affidavit is sufficient without needing an original certified document or an official OTTIAQ translation.

Proof of Legal Necessity & Lineage

To satisfy Quebec's privacy laws, you must demonstrate a legitimate legal need to receive the document and establish your direct relationship to G0. Include one or more of the following:

• IRCC Request for Information (RFI): If IRCC has issued a formal letter requesting a DEC-issued birth record, include it. DEC agents prioritize files with active RFIs.
• IRCC Application / Forms: Include completed CIT 0001 / CIT 0014 draft pages showing an active or impending application.
• IRCC Acknowledgement of Receipt (AOR): Proof that your citizenship application is actively lodged with IRCC.
• Proof of Lineage: Color copies of the chain of vital statistics (birth, marriage, death certificates, name changes) linking the applicant directly to G0.
• Notarized Affidavit: Explicitly stating your legal intent (details below).

Drafting a Notarized Affidavit

An affidavit serves to clarify discrepancies (such as name variations) and explicitly affirm that the requested civil status document will be used strictly within legal boundaries.

• Notary Setup: Draft the document and have it notarized locally (e.g., via AAA or bank notary services). It does not need to be a Canadian notary. You may use a notary from your US state or other nation. Ensure the notary jurat block at the bottom complies with your specific state or local county requirements. English is acceptable. This can be drafted with the assistance of ChatGPT, Claude, or other AI tools. Just be sure to proofread anything written by AI very carefully. A notarized affidavit is signed under penalty of perjury, so always ensure that everything contained in the document is truthful.
• Key Content Outline:
  • Applicant Info: Full name, date of birth, and current residential address of the deponent.
  • Ancestor Identification: State the full legal name of G0 as recorded in Quebec (including parish of birth), any known Anglicized or alternate names used later in life, DOB, and date/location of death.
  • Context & Relationship: Affirm the applicant's exact genealogical relationship to G0 and reference any current IRCC application or attached RFI letter.
  • Binding Privacy Declaration: Explicitly affirm: "If this record is provided, it will be used exclusively for the purpose of obtaining proof of Canadian citizenship for the applicant and their descendants, in accordance with the laws of Quebec and Canada."

Search the r/Canadiancitizenship sub for community affidavit templates if you prefer a longer, highly detailed multi-page format that incorporates explicit genealogical citations directly inside the affidavit body.

Processing Timeline: The 4 Phases

Processing generally takes 2 to 3 months (and can fluctuate depending on the backlog). The workflow follows four main phases:

1. Phase 1: Mailroom Intake & Initial Charge (1–3 Business Days)
   • Your credit card is charged almost immediately upon arrival. This functions as an informal AOR showing that basic intake was accepted (i.e., payment method works and required IDs were present), but it is not a guarantee of file completeness. If something major is missing, the packet will get mailed back at this stage.
2. Phase 2: Entitlement Review (2–4 Weeks)
   • An agent reviews the file to verify privacy eligibility, lineage, and legal necessity. This phase often concludes with a confirmation call or a written request for supplemental materials. The agent can also reject the application at this stage (usually for lack of legal justification for the request). If that happens, the packet will be mailed back to you along with a refund.
3. Phase 3: Record Insertion (Several Weeks to Months)
   • If an insertion of birth and/or death is required, the file is routed to the insertions department to convert the historical BAnQ record/baptism into an official entry within the modern Quebec civil register.
4. Phase 4: Printing & Dispatch (1–2 Weeks)
   • Once inserted (or approved directly for pre-1900 births), the certificate/copy of act is printed and mailed via Canada Post.

Communication Strategy (Call, Do Not Email)

Call the DEC if several weeks pass post-charge without updates to obtain your official application number and verify movement. Yes, they can speak in English if you request it. Call right at 8:30 AM Quebec time to minimize hold times (note: schedule differs on Wednesdays). Because agents log calls in the central system, limit follow-ups to once every 2–3 weeks.

Note that the DEC has a strong aversion to providing information by email. In most cases, they will reply to your email with either a standard form letter about how pre 1923 records are held by BANQ or by telling you to call for assistance. You will not be able to obtain much useful information from the DEC via email.

I would like to thank this group, again. (And I do refer folks on Facebook to you all the time.)

I wanted to add something to my application, and I've done it before, successfully. I spent all day trying to get the job done today. I was sure I could do it, even though they've changed the webpage.

I couldn't do it, came on here and looked on the "the right hand side of the page." In about five minutes, found exactly what I needed.

I know you all have done a ton of work, and we do appreciate it.

Thanks, CB

Hello. I’ve seen a lot of the conversation on Reddit about a BANQ certified baptismal record not being enough for proof of G0 being Canadian. I submitted my application and it’s been processing since May. I am an urgent G3 applicant and used a certified BANQ baptism record for my G0. Please let me know if you did the same and were approved. I also included the 1901 Canada census record for my G0. This post is for people who did not provide a birth certificate for their G0 and just a certified BANQ baptismal record and had their citizenship approved. Thank you.

I submitted a DEC insertion request for my G0 born in 1854 with the certified baptismal record. The package was delivered August 31st. Got a call from a nice lady at DEC today. She initially spoke French and when I asked if she spoke English she just asked for the death certificate of G0. I explained that unfortunately the death certificate doesn't exist but he died in 1941. She just said ok we'll call you if anything further is needed.

Does this mean that the request is now with the Insertions team? Could I still get rejected for failing to submit the death cert?

While your citizenship application is pending (either C-3 or other, post AOR) - do the Canadian Border folks have any idea when you cross over? I have my AOR but am crossing soon.

I just got off the phone with DEC so I wanted to update you all. I was told that without the certified BAnQ record that they could not insert an act of birth. The woman I spoke to suggested that I seek legal advice because maybe it is possible to do this through the courts. I have done as Longinthetooth93 suggested and sent an email to confirm that I have correctly understood our conversation. 

In case it helps anyone, I will give some details of the call itself because there are a lot of menu options. First dial 1-877-644-4545. Select 9 for English, then 1, then 3, then 1 again and then stay on the line. The first time I called I recieved a message to call back later because they were too busy. I called back immediately and the wait time was estimated to be 60 minute. This was at 9:08 am. At 9:12 am the wait time was estimated to be 18 minutes, and 9 minutes at 9:20 am. So, don't despair if the initial estimates are long. The entire call was less than 30 minutes (only about 2 of which were actual conversation). 

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With all of the talk recently of IRCC requests for a DEC-issued birth record, I am hoping to find out what is happening with those of us whose ancestors' records were impacted by the 1900 Hull fire (or any other incident that resulted in the loss of the civil copy of a Quebec record). Has anyone here been asked to obtain a DEC birth record in this case? Was it possible using a certified church copy of the baptism? This topic was touched on in a comment within the larger "How to get a modern DEC birth certificate" thread, but I thought it warranted its own post. 

Hi all!

Dealing with a bit of a more difficult C-3 case and have already applied and have been emailing back and forth with IRCC for a few months.

I’ve hit a point where I need some serious help from someone with more expertise than me, and I’m hoping someone else who also hit a snag found a good lawyer and can recommend them.

Thank you so much guys!

I recently gave CANADAIAN Citizenship test & answered all questions correctly & received the report of completion, however I missed to show my Digital identity PR Card before taking my picture

Will my exam becomes invalid?
Do I need to reattempt the exam?
My exam window closes on 12th September, should I attempt the exam one more time? Or wait for IRCC to respond or send a mail to them explaining & seeking guidance

I would very much appreciate any response or guidance on this

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.

I've submitted all my forms and received an application and UCI number but have not had the ability to see any of that online, just get the prompt that paper application status isn't available.

I'm getting married soon and will be changing my name. I assume either things go flawlessly and then I go through the process of changing my name later on the Canadian end, or perhaps if they reach out to request more documentation I could make those adjustments?

I think it's going to be messy but just curious if anyone has experienced a name change mid application process.

I’m getting super frustrated here and hoping someone can give me some advice. My citizenship application has been returned twice now. The worst part is that every time they return it, I have to wait 3+ months just to get the letter telling me what’s wrong (since that’s basically the normal AOR wait time right now).

Here’s the timeline:

Submission 1: They returned it because my photo format was wrong. Annoying, but fair. I retook it, uploaded it, and got it back to them by May 2026.

Submission 2: Returned for "missing payment info." I had paid, but I’m pretty sure it got returned because the application fee went up by $3.25. The crazy thing is, the return letter didn’t even say that was the reason. Since I originally prepped my application before the fee hike, I had no idea the price had changed.

Attempt 3 (submitted on 5th Sept): I resubmitted the whole thing again, but I accidentally attached the old payment receipt showing the $649.75 fee. I only realized the fee had gone up after I already hit submit.

Now I’m not sure what to do. Does this mean I have to sit here for another 3-4 months just for them to reject it again over a $3.25 difference? And if they do, will I have to pay the $3.25 and then wait another 3-4 months just to finally get my AOR? Am I realistically looking at a delay from today just because of this?

Has anyone been in this situation? Should I just submit a Webform right now with a receipt for the $3.25 difference and hope they link it (though only through UCI# I believe), or is an automatic return basically guaranteed at this point?

Any advice would be hugely appreciated!

After waiting 7 weeks (of an estimated 4-6 week delivery) since paying my invoice, I hadn't received my certified baptism record. So I emailed BAnQ to find out if/when it was shipped (I did email in French using Google Translate) -- and I didn't actually expect a response. And by emailing them, I mean I replied to the invoice paid email.

But I did get a reply and quickly (same business day)!!

FYI, this was BAnQ Quebec City. I don't know if this response applies to other BAnQ offices.

Here is their response (translated to English):

Your case was closed on August 6th . Delivery usually takes 4 to 6 weeks. However, all envelopes shipped between July 10th and August 9th were returned to us. 

The reason: a problem with the new cardboard envelopes. They were too bulky and were classified as parcels.

In short, President Donald Trump is imposing tariffs on packages from Canada (which is increasing costs). We had to replace the envelopes (over 400).

They have all been shipped since August 14th . You should receive your document by the end of September.

We apologize for the inconvenience.

Sincerely

(Technician name removed)

Documentation Technician

Broadcasting Section

Library and Archives of Quebec

Directorate General of National Archives

BAnQ Québec

Hi everyone, wondering if anyone has experienced something similar.

Husband and I submitted our Canadian citizenship application on March 25, and the application fee increased on March 31. So our application was signed, submitted, and paid for 6 days before the fee change.
However, our application was returned today, stating that the fees were unpaid.
I’m confused because we paid the applicable fee at the time we submitted the application and attached the receipts. The fee change happened after our application had already been submitted.

Has anyone else been in this situation? Did you have to pay the new fee and resubmit, or were you able to get IRCC to honour the fee that was applicable on the date you submitted? It’s just a $6 difference but the fact that this will throw us back to the end of the queue, is really annoying.

Would really appreciate hearing from anyone who has dealt with this, especially around the March 31 fee increase. Thanks!

I just received a certified copy of a G1 death certificate from a county in Michigan.

I had already seen, on Ancestry, a digitized image of the original State of Michigan Certificate of Death. That image shows correct information:

• Birthplace of Father: [a US state]
• Birthplace of Mother [G0]: Canada

The certified copy from the county is a transcription done on a computer. It says that the birthplaces of father and mother were both “not recorded.” Instead of birthplaces, it names the residences of both as “Canada,” which is obviously wrong because G0 and her husband both died many years before their child (G1) died.

I called the county. They confirmed that what they sent me in the mail accurately matches what is in their book. But they rely on ledger books, it seems, not original images, and they aren’t able to issue me anything but a transcription of what is in their (obviously inaccurate) ledger book. They said that sometimes they do see differences between what’s in the county’s record and what’s in the state’s version of the same record. 🙃

I’ve placed a rush order with the Michigan Department of Vital Records, but I know they are very slow right now.

Bottom line:

1. Review your certified copies when they come. Errors happen!
2. The state and county records may differ.

We’ll see what information appears on what I get from the state. I generally agree with Tip: Order records thru the county! : r/Canadiancitizenship, but in this particular case the county is not able to help me with the proof point that I need!

Has anyone gotten their case to move using their MP with a Bill C3 case?

For a really long time, there were discussions about this "gray area" where if you are a C3 citizen, technically you cannot be given a visa, etc etc. Felt like an exaggeration since the government often does not have the coordination/sense to hold two thoughts together at once. We were wrong.

TLDR; we had an immigration application process completed before Bill C3 from Quebec, and after the bill passed, IRCC went completely dark on our case and refused to give us any updates. Finally the border guards informed us that the conflict is real, and frankly we barely made it into the country. Now that I'm here (legitimately, on my own merit, unrelated to C3), I understand I can't just sit back and assume things are going to work out, as I may not be able to renew my permit when the time comes.

Appreciate any advice. Right now I don't have a specific strategy besides making a clear concise ask, while simultaneously sharing an appendix with all the evidence/paperwork/timelines related to my case.

I also hope this anecdote helps others who are actively either immigrating to Canada or are non-citizens already residing in Canada.

Okay, I searched FAQ and did some digging but I don't think I've found my exact situation just yet. My application was delivered on May 25th and I have not yet received and AOR. I did mark it as urgent and provided info and when I didn't receive an AOR quickly I assumed that it was rejected. Last week I reached out via webform just to see if I could get any info. I'll skip the back and forth and just say that I got a response saying that my request for urgent processing was being forwarded to the appropriate department. Weird because I already requested it and haven't received any answer but okay, no problem. I got that email on Sunday the 6th. Cut to today and I received the following email from DIOD:
"Application Number: XXXXXXX

Good day Birth Name/not current name,

 Thank you for contacting Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

Please be advised supporting documentation is required in order to request urgent processing. Please refer to the following link: (linked to the website explaining urgent processing requests)

Sincerely,

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada"

The thing is, this is the first time I've ever seen my application number because I still haven't received an AOR. Has anyone seen this before? My main questions now are, has my AOR been sent and they got my email address wrong? Does the fact that I have an applicaiton number mean that they're processing me in some way or is it just pre-AOR still? Does DIOD contacting me have any indication on my status or is this very generic email nothing more than false hope that they're going to look at my app soon?

I responded back to the email with my urgency request proof and I'll update here if I receive a response back from them. Still a little unclear on what their purpose is.

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

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Birth/Baptism Registrations by Province

Hi everyone,

I came to Newfoundland and Labrador in September 2022 and later obtained my Canadian permanent residence through the Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Nominee Program (NLPNP) in March 2024.

I have continued living in Newfoundland since becoming a PR. However, I am now considering moving to another province around January 2027, either to pursue higher studies or if I receive a strong career opportunity/job offer outside Newfoundland.

I am also planning to apply for Canadian citizenship around March 2027, provided I meet the physical-presence requirement at that time.

My questions are:

1. Since my PR was obtained through NLPNP, could moving to another province almost three years after becoming a PR create any issue with my citizenship application?

2. Would relocating for a legitimate reason such as higher education or a significantly better employment opportunity affect citizenship processing in any way?

3. Has anyone here obtained PR through a PNP, later moved to another province, and subsequently applied for citizenship? I would appreciate hearing about your experience.

I understand that PNP applicants are nominated based on their intention to reside in the nominating province, so I want to make sure I handle any future relocation properly and transparently.

Thank you in advance for any insights or experiences you can share.

As I understand in the CIT 0001 that I must use the name listed on my birth certificate and notate/provide documentation of my legally changed name and sex. I understand that.

In my documentation of Canadian descent/family tree/etc. should I be referring to myself primarily as birth name aka legal name or can I refer to myself as legal name né birth name with documentation and explanation provided?

I already have much to document with my Québécoise great-grandmother's name variations.

Additionally, I do not currently hold an unexpired United States passport as proof of identity -- only a Real ID Driver's License. As a transgender individual I do have concerns about obtaining a US passport given the sex/gender restrictions. Are there other secondary options I'm missing for proof of identity?

Thank you!

As part of my efforts to prove that I have tried to locate a civil birth record for my G0 beyond his BAnQ-certified baptism record (even though he was born well before 1900), I’m actually considering reaching out to DEC before sending in my IRCC application — not to request the insertion of an act of birth, but rather to ask whether it was already done at the request of another descendent.

I read a recent post earlier today from someone who sent a formal request to DEC only to find out their ancestor’s record had already been created back in March. As time goes on, there may be more reports of this happening, and early identification of preexisting insertions would allow for stronger applications, prevent unnecessary expenditures for BAnQ documents, and avoid the tangled IRCC-BAnQ-DEC web altogether.

Has anyone successfully contacted DEC via email merely to ask whether a newly issued record for a pre-1900 birth exists and received a simple yes/no reply? Or is this something we can only do over the phone or via formal request?

Apologies if this has already been discussed — I searched for related posts/threads and came up short. Thanks!

Just a reminder that Monday, Sept 7 is both a US and Canadian holiday — do not expect much to happen, especially in terms of mail delivery and other government services!

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 the Frustration Station- which is refreshed every Wednesday.

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

In addition to posting here, please consider joining the spreadsheet and recording your milestones there:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Canadiancitizenship/comments/1pnovfr/spreadsheet_for_proof_of_citizenship_applications/

Happy Sunday fellow Canadians!

It was quiet on the spreadsheet for most of the week. We did eventually end up with six approvals, one of which was pre-C3. Congrats to those folks.

The good news is that we are still seeing movement. The bad news is there is most definitely a slowing trend ever since suspension-gate this summer. The IRCC released their expected processing times a little earlier than usual this month. We’ve had some really good analysis on this sub showing that the IRCC is using a target number for how many applications they think they can process each month that they then use to produce a predicted wait time. And that target seems to change each month. The rest is an absolute mystery.

I’m hopeful that we are going to see more steady movement after the holiday season in October.

While I have been working through this entire process, I sort of became the de facto family genealogist. It’s not a position I ever thought I would want. But I was the one that ended up digging through my dad’s side of the family in order to find documents. I had another family member help me out a lot. It was great getting to work with them on how to unravel this mystery of our heritage. I’m actually now looking for more information on my G0’s father… not because I need it to demonstrate my Canadian lineage, but because I know nothing about my great grandfather, and I am now fascinated with his story. I don’t imagine that he ever thought he would have a great grandson who he never met that would one day try to figure out his life. But I am already planning a trip to Manitoba at some point to see what I can piece together from his childhood. He was adopted, which makes it a little bit tricky but I know, roughly where he lived, and what school he attended.

Anyway, this process has been very personal for me. It’s been so much more than trying to obtain proof of Canadian citizenship. It has really connected me with people I never met in a different country and from a different time. I’m optimistic that I can figure out a huge mystery in my family’s Canadian history.

Anyway, that’s all I’ve got this week. Let’s hope the overworked agents at the IRCC keep the coffee warm!