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Obtaining Certificate of Citizenship (by descent)

tgman

Hero Member
Aug 24, 2015
594
157
Category........
Visa Office......
Hong Kong
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Pre-Assessed..
Update! I FINALLY received my citizenship certificate today! 1 year and 2 months of waiting with no e-mail notification (unless I accidentally missed it).
Congratulations! Well deserved.
 

Doctore123

Member
Jul 4, 2021
12
1
Hello everyone..
Please I need your assistance. My question are as follows:
1) My claim has a Canadian citizen is through my Dad. I am currently filling the form and confused in selecting the appropriate option for question 7A "relationship to you". My problem is that I don't know if I should select Biological parent or legal parent. By my understanding from the instruction guide biological parent means you have a genetic connection with your parent, which I do. Also, it was stated that "or your parent has biological connection to you and they are NOT listed on your birth certificate. In my case, my parents name is fully listed on my birth certificate, which qualifies as under Legal parent: which means "that your biological or non-biological parent was listed on the original birth certificate at the time of my birth".
2) Is it compulsory I notorized my original birth certificate? If I submit my birth certificate, will It be returned back to me?
3) I only have my dad's soft copy of his certificate, and passport. Is it acceptable for submission if printed out?.
4) For the photo requirements, it was mentioned that the person's name should be printed on the back of the photo. Is it compulsory? If it is, can I use pen to write it myself?
Please help me out!
 

rajkamalmohanram

VIP Member
Apr 29, 2015
15,802
5,769
Hello everyone..
Please I need your assistance. My question are as follows:
1) My claim has a Canadian citizen is through my Dad. I am currently filling the form and confused in selecting the appropriate option for question 7A "relationship to you". My problem is that I don't know if I should select Biological parent or legal parent. By my understanding from the instruction guide biological parent means you have a genetic connection with your parent, which I do. Also, it was stated that "or your parent has biological connection to you and they are NOT listed on your birth certificate. In my case, my parents name is fully listed on my birth certificate, which qualifies as under Legal parent: which means "that your biological or non-biological parent was listed on the original birth certificate at the time of my birth".
2) Is it compulsory I notorized my original birth certificate? If I submit my birth certificate, will It be returned back to me?
3) I only have my dad's soft copy of his certificate, and passport. Is it acceptable for submission if printed out?.
4) For the photo requirements, it was mentioned that the person's name should be printed on the back of the photo. Is it compulsory? If it is, can I use pen to write it myself?
Please help me out!
May be @hawk39 might be able to answer these questions as I've seen him/her answer 'Citizenship by descent' questions before.
 

hawk39

Hero Member
Mar 26, 2017
670
261
Hello everyone..
Please I need your assistance. My question are as follows:
1) My claim has a Canadian citizen is through my Dad. I am currently filling the form and confused in selecting the appropriate option for question 7A "relationship to you". My problem is that I don't know if I should select Biological parent or legal parent. By my understanding from the instruction guide biological parent means you have a genetic connection with your parent, which I do. Also, it was stated that "or your parent has biological connection to you and they are NOT listed on your birth certificate. In my case, my parents name is fully listed on my birth certificate, which qualifies as under Legal parent: which means "that your biological or non-biological parent was listed on the original birth certificate at the time of my birth".
2) Is it compulsory I notorized my original birth certificate? If I submit my birth certificate, will It be returned back to me?
3) I only have my dad's soft copy of his certificate, and passport. Is it acceptable for submission if printed out?.
4) For the photo requirements, it was mentioned that the person's name should be printed on the back of the photo. Is it compulsory? If it is, can I use pen to write it myself?
Please help me out!
  1. Biological.
  2. The requirement to notarize copies does not seem to be present in the instructions or the checklist anymore; just that it has to be high quality and in color. However just to be safe, I would recommend that you notarize color copies of your birth certificate and father's certificate. Do not send your original certificates; they will not be sent back to you.
  3. Your father's passport is not required; only a copy of his citizenship document. I would highly recommend that you get a copy from his original document, not a printout.
  4. If it's in the instructions (which it is), then it is a requirement; this goes for everything in the application. There is nothing in the instructions forbidding you from writing your own name; however if you're getting them done at a studio, why not ask the photographer to print your name at the same time they also write their information on the back.
 

Doctore123

Member
Jul 4, 2021
12
1
  1. Biological.
  2. The requirement to notarize copies does not seem to be present in the instructions or the checklist anymore; just that it has to be high quality and in color. However just to be safe, I would recommend that you notarize color copies of your birth certificate and father's certificate. Do not send your original certificates; they will not be sent back to you.
  3. Your father's passport is not required; only a copy of his citizenship document. I would highly recommend that you get a copy from his original document, not a printout.
  4. If it's in the instructions (which it is), then it is a requirement; this goes for everything in the application. There is nothing in the instructions forbidding you from writing your own name; however if you're getting them done at a studio, why not ask the photographer to print your name at the same time they also write their information on the back.
Got it. Thank you so much. About my dad's certificate, it was actually scanned and sent to me in Nigeria. Getting the hard copy might be difficult since initially took him ages before sending the scanned copies. I feel like this should not be an issue since I have his certificate number with it. Or what do you think? Anyone that knows anybody that has the same issue?
 

hawk39

Hero Member
Mar 26, 2017
670
261
Got it. Thank you so much. About my dad's certificate, it was actually scanned and sent to me in Nigeria. Getting the hard copy might be difficult since initially took him ages before sending the scanned copies. I feel like this should not be an issue since I have his certificate number with it. Or what do you think? Anyone that knows anybody that has the same issue?
When I applied four years ago, the instruction guide specifically asked for a notarized copy of the parent's document; now it just says color copy. If that's all you have, then you can try and submit it with a letter of explanation. The worst that can happen is that they return your application or ask for a DNA test; but if you really are a citizen by descent, then you'll eventually get it.
 

Doctore123

Member
Jul 4, 2021
12
1
When I applied four years ago, the instruction guide specifically asked for a notarized copy of the parent's document; now it just says color copy. If that's all you have, then you can try and submit it with a letter of explanation. The worst that can happen is that they return your application or ask for a DNA test; but if you really are a citizen by descent, then you'll eventually get it.
Thank you so much, I really appreciate.
 

Doctore123

Member
Jul 4, 2021
12
1
I am back again, putting all the final touches together & almost at the point of submission. Please I have two important questions.
1) my two(2) pieces of personal identification that I want to submit, one is a passport which has the same name with my birth certificate i.e my surname, first name & middle name, the second which is a driver's licence carries initials of my other name as a middle name not on my birth certificate. I want to ask if it's going to be a problem for me?
2) I will be submitting through the embassy here in Nigeria. Please I want to know if I am to address the application to them with the Embassy's address on it or addressing it to the address in Canada? Additionally will I have to put postage stamps for it?
 

Rullence

Star Member
Nov 4, 2018
162
10
Submit ids that carry similar name. Otherwise, it may cause further delay.

Inconsistency or discrepancy may result to additional documentation request from ircc or worse, psu endorsement.
 
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