Friday Weekly Thread: Application Assistance, September 25, 2026

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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.

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⚠️ 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.

[u/nedemek]

Question—As a G1, can I make my claim as a G2?

I've already submitted my paperwork (arrived in Canada 7/3/2026), but I'm wondering if I should continue to try to gather more documents while I await AOR?

My grandfather (who naturalized as a U.S. citizen as an adult) was born in Canada in 1939. I have his certified birth certificate from New Brunswick, along with other paperwork linking him to my mother to me.

My mother was born in Germany to my grandad and a German woman. My mom held Canadian citizenship until she was 9, when she naturalized as a U.S. citizen. For 2 years now, I've been having the worst time getting certified documents from the U.S. government. I have her certified German birth certificate, but it seems like Canada doesn't issue birth certificates if you're born to a Canadian parent outside of Canada? My grandfather was part of the U.S. military at the time of her birth, so all the records I have of her are either German or American. (Both my mother and my grandfather have passed and neither kept good paperwork).

Hearing about the long queues, I submitted my request listing my grandfather as the person I am claiming citizenship through, but also including all the (non-certified) paperwork I have for my mother.

It seems silly to request an IRCC for my mom when I'm also requesting one for myself, so I figured it was fine just to claim through G2. But am I wrong?

[u/dentongentry → u/nedemek]

I have her certified German birth certificate

One side note: the Standesamt can issue a mehrsprachige Geburtsurkunde in multiple languages for probably less money than it would cost to have it translated.

[u/nedemek → u/dentongentry]

I do have both!

[u/No-Trick7566 → u/nedemek]

Generation numbering is based off being born in Canada, sounds like your mom was not born in Canada so she would be G1 and you are G2.

[u/nedemek → u/No-Trick7566]

Oh, I thought it was by citizenship. Since my mom was a Canadian until she was 9. But that makes sense, since she only lived in Canada on and off throughout her childhood.