A proof of citizenship application needs a record for every link in the chain, from you back to the ancestor born in Canada.
Who
The record that proves the link
You
Your long-form birth certificate, naming your parents.
Your parent
Their long-form birth certificate, naming their parents.
Each generation before them
A birth record naming the parents, plus a marriage record wherever a surname changes.
The ancestor born in Canada
A provincial birth certificate if one exists. Without one, IRCC counts a baptism or a census as secondary evidence. Applicants report IRCC letters asking for two Canadian records that show the birth in Canada and the parents' names.
Printouts from genealogy websites can't carry an application on their own. IRCC wants copies from the archive or registry that holds the original.
IRCC's document guidance changed during 2026. We check every file against its current guide and the letters applicants are getting.
Hire us, or do it yourself
The research
We search church registers, civil registrations, censuses and notarial records for your whole line, from the ancestor born in Canada down to you. One search covers everyone in the family who descends through that line.
Gen 0 Check$49
Everyone starts here. Up to 45 minutes on the main indexes for your ancestor's birth or baptism. You get what we found, how hard your case looks, and which option below fits it.
3 extra hours of research*$344
*Intermediate difficulty case
Up to three more hours on the same ancestor. You get every record we find, its source, and where to order a certified copy.
7 extra hours of research*$695
*Advanced difficulty case
Up to seven more hours, for lines with missing records, name changes or gaps between generations. Same results: each record, its source, and where to order it.
We use AI tools that read old handwriting, even cursive on microfilm, and search thousands of archive pages at once. That's how an hour of our time covers more ground.
Hours cap our time, not the result: we can't promise a record exists, because some were never made and some were lost. If we don't find one, you get a log of every place we searched. Findings arrive within 5 business days for 3 hours and 10 for 7 hours. Working to an IRCC deadline? Tell us when you order. Archive fees are paid by you, directly to the archive, and archives take their own time to send certified copies.
Four pages on what to order in each province and territory, what it costs, and every office's website and phone number. The 73-page comprehensive guide (an ebook) is now in the shop for $27.99.
Send what you already know about the family, even if it is only a surname and a province.
We search the registers
US naturalization papers and death certificates often name the Canadian parish, so we start there. Then we work through the registers and census returns of the province where your ancestor was born and follow the line forward to you.
You get the records
Each record comes with its source and where to order a copy, plus a line of descent template that shows how the records connect.
Painting from our Ontario history series.
Questions
Are you lawyers?
No. We find records and explain them. We do not give legal advice or tell you whether you qualify. An immigration lawyer can.
What if the names don't match from one record to the next?
It happens often. Jean-Baptiste becomes John, Marie becomes Mary, and a surname can gain or lose a letter between records. We note every spelling and show which records tie them together.
My ancestor was born before birth certificates. What now?
Before civil registration, churches kept the record of a birth, usually a baptism. Ontario began civil birth registration in 1869. Quebec's parish registers go back to 1621.
Do I need certified copies?
No. The copy has to come from the archive or registry that holds the original record.
What if the record doesn't exist?
Some never did, especially in Ontario before 1869 and in the Maritimes. You get a log of every source we searched and the archives' written replies.
Tell us about your Canadian ancestor.
Start with the $49 Gen 0 Check. We will tell you which records exist for your line and what the rest costs.
