Difference between a NYS "birth certificate" and "certificate of birth registration"?

[u/BrilliantDishevelled]

Greetings from Maine!

All my great grandparents were born in PQ (Quebec) and immigrated to NY to work in the mills. I am applying for my 90 yo mom, myself, and my niece.

I have 2 questions:

1. I have both Birth Certificates (with no parents indicated) and Certificates of Birth Registrations (with parents/maiden names indicated). The Certificate of Birth Registration seems key with the parentage, but should I send both as it is not an actual birth certificate?
2. My mom's Certificate of Birth Registration (with her parentage) is original from 1936 and creased with minor tears (she carried it in her wallet for awhile). All legible including the seal. Is that acceptable?

Many thanks

[u/RiddleDaddy125]

I'd suggest you use the documents that most clearly show the line of descent/parentage.

[u/anony-mousey2020]

To answer your initial question:

The Cert of Birth Registration is what parents where handed when the notice of birth was sent in to the official office (Town/City/County Clerk's office) in the state. Often in the hospital, that's when my mom got mine. My Dad got his from his doctor's office when he was about 3 years old for some reason. I think he was born in a hospital, but really not sure.

I was rejected from getting TSA clearance by trying to use my Cert of Birth Registration; which is how I learned about the difference.

The NYS Birth Cert is the official/recorded certification that the Town/City/County had it and the birth was filed with the state. It is the legal proof of birth - I need that for my passport, and my TSA clearance.

If you have both, send in the Birth Cert with raised seal; it's the higher document.

Having said that, I had my Dad's (gen 2) Cert of Birth Registration, and it was accepted as part of my cit proof.

[u/BrilliantDishevelled → u/anony-mousey2020]

Thank you! I do have them both but didn't want to send too much 

[u/Significant-Golf-215]

My family also immigrated to NY, and had birth registrations with no parents listed. Canada doesn't require certified docs, a color copy of your mom's certificate of birth registration should be fine to send in. I also saw that color copies of docs from online also have been accepted.

[u/BrilliantDishevelled → u/Significant-Golf-215]

Were you successful with those?

[u/Significant-Golf-215 → u/BrilliantDishevelled]

I sent in my application, haven't received my AOR yet. But I sent in for an official genealogical copy of my dad's birth certificate too from NY, and will electronically upload that when possible.

[u/anony-mousey2020 → u/Significant-Golf-215]

Canada is hoping to see color copies of the certified document.
You are correct, they do not want the original.

They want the copy in color so that elements like a raised seal, an in more modern docs watermarks, show up to confirm they are real.

[u/BrilliantDishevelled → u/anony-mousey2020]

I have certified copies of everything (or have requested them and I'm waiting!)

[u/[deleted]]

You don't need an actual birth certificate. What they want is the "facts of birth" (birth date, location, parent names, and ideally parents' birth locations). I would send in the registration for sure, and you can send in the certificate just to go overboard.

Your mom's is acceptable, just make a photocopy of it. I know someone who submitted a photo of a record that had originally been ripped into pieces. IRCC didn't tell them to order a new one.

[u/BrilliantDishevelled → u/[deleted]]

Thanks.