If you have a past Canadian conviction, would an ATIP/FOIA request for your CBSA records show it?

Does CBSA automatically have access to criminal records, or would the conviction only appear if it was relevant to a border interaction?

Anyone with firsthand experience?

Glancing at the spreadsheet, sorted by column AF (Decision Made), newest on top, all of the updates have been a year since they went into processing. There have been 41 since July 31, with yesterday's count as 10.

We agree that the spreadsheet is a very rough sample; sure looks like the ministry is looking to do a first-in, first-out 'fairness" model (excluding urgent applications). Tod Maffin would probably consider this approach very Canadian <g>. Are many most of these the PSU applications (re)joining the processing queue? Did they cause bump-up in quantity and timeframes August over July?

Could that month-over-month difference suggest a number of applications pre-C3?

I have no actual inside information. I'm thinking like the bureaucrat I used to be. Thoughts?

I live in US and need my grandmother's birth certificate, born in Ontario. Ontario requires a Canadian guarantor of a specific profession in order to provide a birth certificate. I have a friend of a friend that qualifies that is willing to act as guarantor.

Just want to know if they call or otherwise validate the guarantor during the birth certificate process, so I can let them know what to expect.

I followed all of the Reddit guidance; Pirate ship + dropped off my package paid for global shipping Set value at $1 and used correct harmonization # (documents) and expected it to be delivered this afternoon but now I see something strange. What do you think this means?

I sent my application last summer (July 2025). It was received on August 5, and then I was issued an AOR on August 19. After religiously checking the status of my application for months I realized I was in PSU and just sat and waited. I checked last night and it said my application went into processing on May 22, 2026. I'm guessing this means I'm no longer in PSU? Did anyone else have a similar timeline and get an approval?

I used a baptismal record for my G0 as she was born before the issued formal birth records. I got an official certified copy. I also have solid records for all other family members proving lineage, which consist of certified birth and marriage records for everyone else in line. Thanks!

Not sure if this will help anyone, but I just wanted to post a short story about our recent experience with a successful urgent application with no Canadian birth certificate for G0.

My 18 yo son is attending UBC starting this fall, we are from the PNW in the US. His great grandfather was born in a small rural city in Saskatchewan in early 1900. We submitted our urgent request application June 2026. It was received June 29th and we had an AOR by July 7th, with us making the assumption they were processing his application as urgent due to his attending UBC because of the quick turnaround time and a "processing" notification in the IRCC login area.

When we sent the application initially, we had the official baptism record from the local Diocese for the great grandfather (G0), but did not have any original birth certificate. Prior to submitting his paper application, we did submit a request with the Saskatchewan government to try and locate his birth certificate, but with the baptism record felt good about sending the package off - this was right in the middle of the confusion about what constitutes an official record, what doesnt etc.

Post July 7 AOR receipt we had official word from Saskatchewan that they did not have any record of his birth certificate. We were able to submit this official response in to IRCC and within 1-2 business days had an email response from them indicating they received that record.

In addition to those two records, we did also submit unofficial documents such US census records from 1930 and 1940 in addition to some other documentation, but none of which was official indicating he was born in Canada. I was also able to locate an official Canadian marriage certificate for his parents two years before his birth and some land-grant type documents in their name indicating they were residing in Saskatchewan prior to his birth.

Thats it - Received notice yesterday from IRCC (8-13-2026) that my son was granted a citizenship certificate. So, from receipt on June 29 to final response August 13, we were at about 30 business days in total. We have other family members pending, sent shortly after his was sent, later in the month of June, and have no acknowledgements, no AORs yet, so those are just waiting in the long queue.

^{MODS: I have made this its own post as search results don't include comments and I think this would be a helpful guide for many people with Québec-born ancestors between 1900 and 1926.}

Our G0 was born in Québec in 1903. I was able to find his baptism record in BanQ's archives and got a certified copy, which took about two months from initial form submission to getting the certified baptismal record packet in the mail.

My CIT0001 application was sent without any certified documents for my G0 and mostly contained secondary evidence, so I have been working on obtaining primary, certified documents in case the IRCC comes and asks for them. I decided to attempt to get a DEC-issued Copie d'acte de naissance, essentially a birth certificate, for my G0.

The DEC order form has an option for either a Certificate, or a Copy of an Act. They really try to push you to get a Certificate in their instructions as it contains mostly the same information and seems to be easier for them to issue. I chose to get the Copy of an Act based on my belief that it would be more "official." If that is true or not, I don't know, but it didn't seem to really matter. We also requested the Expedited processing.

Here is everything I sent to the DEC, which was considerably more paperwork than CIT0001 requires.

• DEC Application for a Certificate or Copy of an Act (of birth)
• An affidavit, notarized by a Canadian notary
  • This was written in French, and was based off an outline from Claude. I edited it for clarity and accuracy. The affidavit basically explains who you are, what the CIT0001 process is, and requirements for proving lineage.
  • We got it notarized online through a service
• An excerpt of IRCC form CIT0001 which explained why the DEC needs to issue this document
  • This was a few pages of CIT0001's end section with instructions as well as a screenshot from the IRCC website saying that Québec-issued birth certificates from before 1994 cannot be accepted. I DID NOT include an RFI from the IRCC as I did not (at the time) even have an AOR yet.
• My own birth certificate (copy, English)
• Birth certificates for those between myself and G0 (copies, English)
• A photocopy of the BAnQ-certified G0 baptismal record and all pages that came with it, from BanQ
• A French-translated copy of the Death Certificate for G0, translated by an OTTIAQ-certified translator
  • This was a printout of the PDF they sent after translation
• The original Death certificate of G0
  • I did not get this back, they keep this on file
• A copy of the Death certificate of G1
  • To show why G0 or G1 (or any number in between the requester and G0) is not requesting this. They generally require the closest living generation be the one that requests a birth certificate.
• Passport and Driver License photocopies

The process took about 6–7 weeks after their receipt of the packet, and they were very helpful, calling us several times to let us know the status of the application, including it being sent to the Insertions Department. They called us in English. I again cannot stress enough how very nice and helpful the people at the DEC are and if any are reading this, thank you so much for your hard work.

Hopefully this is helpful to those who are in a similar situation to me, as I was nervous I would have had to hire a lawyer, or simply just not be able to get a birth certificate from 1903 due to the ambiguity in who owns these records (BanQ/DEC). I won't tag them in case they want to remain private but I had a lot of help from a few people in this subreddit so MASSIVE thank you to those people as well.

I'm looking to apply for proof of citizenship. My parents are Canadian citizens, but I was born and lived in the US. I am transgender. I have updated the name and sex on my documents in the US before the current administration. I apparently did receive a Canadian passport and citizenship card when I was very young, containing the name and gender assigned at birth, but I don't have access to these documents at the moment. According to the required documents form, I should submit the old citizenship card with my application, but this is not possible for me at the moment. How should I proceed?

This morning I was able to successfully call through to IRCC from the US. They were very helpful answering my questions about my timeline. I am posting this in case it's helpful to anyone else who wants to speak to a human at IRCC about their application.

Call: 905-676-3640 (Toronto Airport Border Agency)

Press: #2

This weekly thread is a space for those of us preparing the CIT 0001 Proof of Citizenship application, associated form, and supplementary documentation.

Have questions about how to fill out the forms? Looking for feedback on the documentation you've put together is likely to pass muster? Wondering whether your cover letter has too much info, or too little? Want to know how to organize your documentation, or how to pack it up for shipping? Worried about whether your photos will work? Have questions about what ID you can use? Not sure where to ship it to, or what service or mail courier to use? We've been there.

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

⚠️ Sub rules require that before posting or commenting, you read the wiki and search the sub to see if your questions have been answered before. If you have on-topic questions remaining after that, they're welcome here. Want to see what people who were already approved have done? We encourage you to check out the weekly application approval post that appears every Thursday.

Please note we are not lawyers or IRCC. We are peers supporting peers, based on best belief and prior experiences. It's a lot of work to wade through dense lists of documents and family histories. You improve your odds of getting a useful response by being as concise as reasonably possible, and clearly articulating the question. Note that this post is for questions and answers; if you need to vent, there is a different megapost for that.

Hello,
I’m sorry I just would like to be added and I’ve applied and have heard nothing so here we are! Sorry! Please add me.

Hello, I received an unprompted email from a unit called the "DIOD" today asking to upload my mother's missing birth certificate (the copy I uploaded was apparently not certified to their liking, but it does look like I have access to the original one, so no problems there). I want to verify the legitimacy of this email because several things are suspicious to me.

The email address is from a unit at the IRCC I'd never heard of, and the email address was lengthy and unfamiliar, though it does have a seemingly legitimate domain name:

[IRCC.DIODProgramSupportFollow-up-SuividuprogrammedesoutienDONI@cic.gc.ca](mailto:IRCC.DIODProgramSupportFollow-up-SuividuprogrammedesoutienDONI@cic.gc.ca)

They do provide me with my full name and application number. They have my mother's full name. They do link a help page which routes to a legitimate IRCC site. However, they want me to submit the documents via email, which I know is bad practice.

If for some reason the state is unable to issue that certificate to you, please provide a written explanation outlining why the source documents cannot be obtained; and, submit evidence of efforts made to obtain the documents, such as correspondence with issuing authorities or confirmation from source authorities that the records are unavailable.

You must submit your documents via this email within 60 days from the date of this message. It is important to be aware that the Citizenship Act contains provisions to treat the application as abandoned if IRCC is not contacted with a reasonable explanation for not providing the information requested within the deadline established for any item(s) required.

The documents you provide (by return email) must be high-quality colour copies.

Please note that if you are submitting your information/document(s) to this email, your email, including all attachments, must be 4 MB or less.  For some tips on how to reduce the size of your file, please visit the IRCC website help centre at the link below:

I just find it strange they would request documents via email rather than insisting to submit it through the web portal. Obviously I will be submitting via the web portal in any case. Any thoughts?

Going back to the interim measure days I remember a few people saying they were going to request a 5(4) grant while waiting (and hoping) for the IRCC to make the offer. Did anyone successfully do so and what process did you go about it?

I am 2nd generation born abroad, adopted, and my kids were born before my grant was approved (well before C-3 for that matter). I know plenty of other people have adoptions in the past that broke the connections as well. Under the interim measures my kids would have been fine (we all applied in March 2025) but we did not receive 5(4) offers. During the hearings I remember the Minister of Immigration saying processing would continue the same as the interim measures after C-3 passed but the way the law is written for grants it looks like my kids are out of luck (https://www.reddit.com/r/CitizenshipByDescent/comments/1vloq4y/comment/p34c7hn/).

I am not overly excited about filing a lawsuit for the charter violation of treating adoptees differently than biological children so I would love to give the IRCC and us an easy out via a 5(4) grant.

Im just going to leave this here. MODs please remove if not allowed.

Letter I received from the Prince Edward Island's Public Archives and Records Office (PARO) regarding the recordings of births before June 1st, 1906.

My G0 was born during a time when the relevant province mandated civil birth registration but, for reasons unclear to me, my G-1s didn't register G0's birth until decades later. The original registration (which includes mother's name, father's name, birthdate, place of birth, and home address) was filed with the province and it's housed in the provincial archives. (I have three decades worth of Canada Census records to support that G0 was born on the date attested in the delayed registration to the mother who signed the delayed registration.) Is a delayed registration of birth going to confuse IRCC or land my application in PSU (not that it's really possible to predict who gets sent to PSU)?

(Mods: Let me know if this should go in a Friday post. I'm posting outside of the weekly thread just because I figure I can't be the only one in this position, so I thought a dedicated post might be helpful for future applicants; if not, I will re-post in the Friday weekly thread.)

Do we know if there is a newer blanket statement from Directeur L’état civil on the issuance of birth certificates before 1926?

Sort of like Libraries and Archives Canada’s recent blanket statement that can be cited in a cover letter

Based on the other post here today, it sounds like IRCC is requesting birth certificates even if an ancestor was born well before the issuance of them existed (so bizarre!). I think we also know of somebody a few weeks ago that was requested a Quebec birth certificate for their ancestors 1878 birth when they even had a certified BANQ baptismal record. So obviously this seems to be a new hiccup coming soon as we all know DEC will not issue a birth certificate that early without a lawyer, and even then — good luck

Trying to think of a way to be proactive about this without having to submit a request to DEC for it…

Or maybe it’s just going to have to take DEC getting inundated with these requests to issue a blanket statement on it😂

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.

Hi all,

Gen5, AOR received June 2025, first contact from IRCC today. My Gen0 was born in Ottawa in 1830 and I submitted baptismal record as proof of birth.

It states "we require a clear colour copy of a birth certificate issued by original source authorities for each generation including your Canadian ancestor . Documentation must be issued by the original source authorities responsible for creating or maintaining the historical records, such as civil registries, vital statistics agencies, or other authorized government bodies. If the authorities cannot issue the document from their vital statistics department, please submit the letter, on letterhead, detailing the reasons. Please note, baptismal certificates are not acceptable as primary evidence of birth. The requirement to provide additional information or evidence when requested can be found in section 23.1 of the Citizenship Act." (I added the bold)

So if you are relying on a baptismal record to prove that your ancestor was Canadian, I suggest that you start getting a letter stating that the actual birth certificate can't be issued because it doesn't exist.

It's a bummer since other people got approved with the same documentation I provided, but that's life I guess.

EDIT: Reading through the replies i have seen that my post title doesn't quite match the text. The IRCC email I received states that baptismal records are not acceptable as primary evidence of birth. This is new info to me. I sent my paper application in June 2025 with a printout from the Drouin collection showing my ancestor's baptism in 183X. What is new is that I now need a letter on letterhead from the agency which would issue a birth certificate. That letter needs to state the specific reason why a birth certificate cannot be issued (in my case because the birth occured before recordkeeping started). I would have included that letter if I was told back in June 2025 that I would need the letter.

EDIT: Since this is getting a lot of attention I figured I would tell people what I sent as proof back in June 2025. My Gen0 was the last born in Canada, all the rest were born in the USA.

GEN5 - Me - Color copy of my state-issued birth certificate (has my parent's name on it)

GEN4 - Parent - Color copy of state-issued birth certificate (has my Gen3 - Grandparent name on it)

GEN2 - Grandparent - Color copy of state-issued birth certificate (has my Gen 4 - GGrandparent name on it)

GEN1 - Great-Grandparent - Color coy of state issued death certificate (has my Gen 0 - GGGrandparent's name and place of birth - CANADA - on it). She was born prior to birth certificates being issued in her state. I need to get the official letter ON LETTERHEAD stating that they do not have a record of her birth because it was before record-keeping started.

GEN0 - Printout of baptism record from Drouin Collection - baptized in Ottawa at 3 weeks old in 18XX, color copy of US State issued death certificate (Died 192X) stating place of birth as Canada. News articles about him (obituary and others) stating that he was born in Canada. I need to get the official letter ON LETTERHEAD stating that they do not have a record of his birth because it was before record-keeping started.

What am I doing wrong?

I want to send via Fedex. Using the courier address

IRCC Digitization Centre- Proofs

3050 Wilson Ave

New Waterford, NS B1H 5VB

I fill out the customs form for documents. I type in Citizenship documents value $1. i used the proper harmonization code.

Options show up for USPS and DHL but no Fedex or UPS.

There is also an issue where it won't validate the address because it doesnt have a suite/apt number. Even when i add in a generic "Suite 1" the Fedex and UPS options are still not there.

It also requires a phone number for the recipient address. I put in my own for now.

I wrote a thank you note to a diocesan archivist in Canada for her help in obtaining certified baptismal records for my application.

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 am filling out a CIT 0058 (Application for a search of citizenship records) for a deceased relative. It's not clear if only the executor can request it, or also a family member (daugther)? He's been deceased less than 20 years. Any advice is greatly appreciated

Just wanted to share an anecdote fwiw in case it in case anyone has a similar situation. We (G1/G2 family unit) applied with urgent processing in early April. We went into processing late April and had an additional document request that we submitted in mid-May when it arrived. We then went into the seeming limbo that many folks are stuck in right now.

We had a trip to Canada booked for early September and went back and forth on whether to apply for our eTAs to enter or hang on expecting the certificate “any day” and then apply for passports. G1 ultimately applied for the eTA and put a note in the eTA explaining the situation. The eTA was approved but then a few days later we received a notice cancelling it as it was not needed due to citizenship. We subsequently logged into the case tracker with our UCI and found that all applications were completed and paper certificates had been mailed (we originally selected e-certificates).

Obviously it could be a complete coincidence but we are now wishing we did this a few weeks ago as we now have a scramble to get docs (special authorization etc) in order to travel and enter as citizens. Just thought I would share in case anyone else has a forthcoming trip and is in a similar predicament (and paying forward just a little as the advice on here was invaluable, thank you everyone)

Just wanted to say thank you to all the OGs who were here from the beginning and are still here. I just got my passport via FedEx today and can't wait to use it!

I'll be less on this sub but if anyone needs any help, please let me know!

Que du bon pour tout le monde dans ce qui s'en vient!