How long did it take for you to receive your documents from request to delivery?

Did you run into any problems where documents were unavailable for any reason?

Etc?

I requested a few documents from Lafayette and Baton Rouge and have only been waiting a few weeks but I’m feeling so antsy!

Please share your thoughts/experiences here:)

You did it! You really did it!!

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 - and now the IRCC has bestowed its official blessings on your work and sent your Canadian Citizenship Certificate to you.

This weekly thread is a space to announce and celebrate your 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 newest newbies can learn from your success.

Hello cousins!

How many people have tried to get records from a Catholic church and gotten nowhere? I know its happened to a few of us who were told that there’s not enough staff to process genealogy requests. I’m trying to understand the scope of the problem. Has anyone had any luck appealing?

I am outside of Canada and had trip planned before I got the invite. I will definitely write email for rescheduling but I also want a virtual ceremony if possible due to my kiddo at home. I will be driving alone so i am not confident taking a kid with me. But if it is risky I’ll just find an alternative solution and will attend the ceremony. Will 2 requests in one email be too much of asking for ircc? Has anyone done it?

Hello, everyone. I came across this interview that aired on a local Detroit TV station. It seems that they contacted an immigration attorney who does not understand C-3 or the fact that many people beyond the 2nd generation have received their citizenship certificates. Also, he mistakenly says that anyone from the 2nd generation needs to show that their grandparent could pass the "substantial connection" test.

I think it's important that we try to call out this type of disinformation because there will be many people who would be discouraged from asking the Canadian government to acknowledge that they are, in fact, citizens.

I see a lot of anxiety in this community about the test. People who have lived in Canada for years, raised families here, built careers here, worrying they will not remember which level of government handles education.

Here is what I want you to know.

The material is learnable. Every single topic on that test is something you can master in a few focused study sessions. The people who fail are almost never the people who tried. They are the people who did not practice in the right format.

Reading the study guide is not the same as being tested on it. If you have read it but never done practice questions under timed conditions, you have done half the preparation.

You are closer than you think. Keep going.

If you are currently preparing and want to talk through any part of it, comment below. I read everything.

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 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.)

For new citizens, should we provide PR card information under "previous travel documents" details?

Not a question - just information. Sorry if this is in the wrong place, or if I didn’t search correctly and am posting duplicate information, but it seemed useful.

I think they’re who you request Essex, Ontario church records from.

https://dol.ca/sacramental-records

Update - April 2026

Sacramental Certificates for Canadian Citizenship (C-3)

Due to an overwhelming surge in family history requests for Canadian citizenship purposes we are temporarily suspending the creation of documents. This will only be temporary as we are developing a streamlined system that will be available on our diocesan website that will be activated sometime in the coming months. Please check this web page for updates.

I've been lurking here for a few months...never chiming in, but regularly learning from the posts and exchange of information. I'm shipping off our family application today. With that said, I want to give my deep and sincere appreciation to the admins and anyone who has helped with the FAQ docs and/or responded to questions. Your guidance has been incredibly valuable. We shouldn't forget how generous people can be with their time. Thank you!!!

Hello & thanks for your work.

Would it be possible to add a link to the standard Tuesday genealogy megathread post to this subreddit for Geneology for Canadian Citizenship by descent?

https://www.reddit.com/r/citizenshipgenealogy/

As one of the people who responds to the late-week questions when the megathread gets less traffic, I would find it helpful to be able to have that link handy to refer people with questions that are beyond my skillset.

TIA

Try these without looking anything up. These are the style of questions the test actually uses.

1. What are the three levels of government in Canada?
2. Name one right that is also listed as a responsibility of Canadian citizens.
3. What does responsible government mean?
4. Which level of government is responsible for education?
5. In what year did women gain the right to vote federally in Canada?

Answer in the comments. I will reply to every one and tell you if you got it right.

This is the kind of recall the test expects. Reading the guide feels like you know it. Being asked cold is different.

I'm really not sure what to do here. I submitted on behalf of myself and a family member (sibling) in November (Mailed UPS 11/20/2025).

SIBLING received AOR 12/18/2025.

I can look up my case in the system using my payment receipt, and the system says "Decision Made", and has for months now.

Neither me or sibling has received anything in the mail yet.

I attempted to update my email contact (since I hadn't gotten an AOR) and got an automated response (so emails from them DO get past my spam filters) but I still never got an AOR (trust me I have been refreshing my spam folder since November).

I completely get that we're just stuck in a waiting game now since our decision has been made, but it doesn't seem like (from posts here) that this is the norm? Or is it?

Hello! How many people who applied and received their processing confirmations back in summer of 2025 received their citizenship certificates?

I applied in July 2025, at the time my dad wasn't really interested so I didn't bother to include him in my application. Since then, I'm stuck in PSU and new applications seem to be speeding through. I was considering helping him apply and if I do, and he's quickly approved, could I somehow use that citizenship cert to expedite or refile my application? Wondering if anyone has done something similar. Thanks!

EDITED TO UPDATE INFO

Has anyone run into this problem? I used the same email address for all three applications - mine and my two young adult kids.

Today:

• 3 separate emails inviting us to download our citizenship certificates.
• Downloaded my certificate without issue
• Downloaded first kid's certificate without issue
• Got error saying second kid's certificate cannot be downloaded because the info in the database doesn't match.

I'm not sure what to do now.

I've tried:

• logging into my account, entering their UCI and Application Numbers and DOB as instructed
  • The email said: if you used one email address for all applications in a family file, only one account is necessary to download their e-Certificates. Note: The invitation code can only be used to create one account.

Nothing seems to be working. Has anyone had success getting tech help with certificate download problems?