I have filed two applications for a certificate of Canadian citizenship for my mother, both of which have come back "no record." As my mother was born to Canadian parents (albeit outside of Canada) she was returned to Canada immediately following her birth. While I can find Canadian census records, residency records, etc. I am at wits end on what avenues to pursue to prove her citizenship. Any suggestions appreciated. Jay
Proof of citizenship alternatives
- Thread starter Jay Christopher
- Start date
Maybe her parents didn't register her birth at the Canadian embassy/consulate in the country she was born... Had she ever had a Canadian passport?
So, your mother was born outside of Canada to Canadian parents. I was born outside Canada to a Canadian parent. What I sent (in accordance with the instructions: https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/ircc/migration/ircc/english/pdf/kits/citizen/cit0014e-2.pdf) was my birth certificate and my Canadian parent's birth certificate. There is no requirement to show that your mother ever lived in Canada. Please explain further.
I do not know. She went to nursing school in the US,
So the issue I am running into is that there is no record of my mother's Canadian citizenship on file with the folks that issue a Proof of Canadian Citizenship. So I have been trying to find another source of "official" records that might establish my mother's citizenship.
You don't need anything other than her American birth certificate and a birth certificate of one of her Canadian parents. You don't need to prove that she was ever considered a Canadian citizen in the past, UNLESS you want to get citizenship for yourself through her. In that case, she would have had to be a Canadian citizen when you were born. However, there are several possible roadblocks to your getting citizenship. What year was your mother born? When and where (USA?) were you born?
Again, if you are only looking for citizenship for your mother, the research you are doing is unnecessary. Please explain what you're trying to achieve.
Last edited:
I am trying to establish my own Canadian citizenship through my mother. I was born in 1948 in the US. My mother was born in 1913. When I went through the "are you a Canadian citizen" questions, the answer I get back is, "you are likely a Canadian citizen".
Well, unfortunately, you wouldn't have received that answer if you had completed the questionnaire correctly. First of all, let's assume that your mother had Canadian citizenship when you were born. Normally, your birth would have had to be registered with Canadian authorities, but there was a sticking point. Only the children of Canadian fathers could have their births registered, unless you were born out of wedlock. I assume, therefore, that your birth was not registered. However, there was another opportunity for you and that occurred between 1977 and 2014. Again, if your mother was a citizen when you were born, you could have applied for a facilitated grant of citizenship. It is no longer possible to apply for such a grant. Because you were not a Canadian citizen before April 17, 2009 (which is when citizenship by descent was limited to the 1st generation born abroad), you are not a Canadian citizen now.
This is how you would answer the questions in the "Am I Canadian" tool:
Where were you born? Outside Canada
Crown servant? No
Naturalized? No
One of my parents was: (several choices, incuding Born in Canada?) No
I was: Born between 1947 and 1977
How did parent become Canadian? Born outside Canada to a Canadian parent
Which applies to parents' citizenship? Neither applied for citizenship*
Was your birth registered? No
You are probably not a Canadian citizen
*Under the 1946 Citizenship Act, the foreign-born child (your mother) of a Canadian-born father (your grandfather) would have become a Canadian citizen on January 1, 1947 if they were 1) admitted to live in Canada as a permanent resident at that time, or 2) a minor. Your mother was probably not living in Canada in 1947 if you were born in the USA in 1948, and she was not a minor. Therefore, she probably did not become a Canadian citizen until she was made one under the 2009 changes to the Citizenship Act. Her status when she was living in Canada before 1947 was British subject (as the daughter of a British subject father). If you were looking for a record of the Canadian citizenship of your mother when she was living in Canada before 1947, you wouldn't find one, because Canadian citizenship didn't exist until 1947.
Where were you born? Outside Canada
Crown servant? No
Naturalized? No
One of my parents was: (several choices, incuding Born in Canada?) No
I was: Born between 1947 and 1977
How did parent become Canadian? Born outside Canada to a Canadian parent
Which applies to parents' citizenship? Neither applied for citizenship*
Was your birth registered? No
You are probably not a Canadian citizen
*Under the 1946 Citizenship Act, the foreign-born child (your mother) of a Canadian-born father (your grandfather) would have become a Canadian citizen on January 1, 1947 if they were 1) admitted to live in Canada as a permanent resident at that time, or 2) a minor. Your mother was probably not living in Canada in 1947 if you were born in the USA in 1948, and she was not a minor. Therefore, she probably did not become a Canadian citizen until she was made one under the 2009 changes to the Citizenship Act. Her status when she was living in Canada before 1947 was British subject (as the daughter of a British subject father). If you were looking for a record of the Canadian citizenship of your mother when she was living in Canada before 1947, you wouldn't find one, because Canadian citizenship didn't exist until 1947.
Last edited: