How to Fill Out the CIT 0001 Form: Step-by-Step Instructions

The CIT 0001 is the form you submit to IRCC to receive your Canadian citizenship certificate. It is officially called the "Application for a Citizenship Certificate (Proof of Citizenship)." This guide walks through every section so you fill it out correctly the first time and avoid a returned package.

Gather these items before opening the form:

• Your birth certificate (government-issued long-form, not a hospital certificate)
• A valid government photo ID (passport or driver's license)
• Two photos (50mm x 70mm, signed and dated by the photographer on the back)
• Your Canadian ancestor's birth certificate or proof of birth in Canada
• Birth and marriage certificates for everyone in the chain between you and your Canadian ancestor
• The $75 CAD fee receipt (paid online at IRCC's website before you mail)

If your application is by descent through a grandparent or great-grandparent, map out your full ancestry chain first. You need a document for every person and every name change from you to your Canadian-born ancestor.

Your Legal Name

Enter your name exactly as it appears on your birth certificate. This means the full legal first name, middle name(s), and surname. Do not use nicknames, shortened names, or your everyday name if it differs from your birth certificate.

If your birth certificate says "James Robert Smith," write "James Robert Smith," not "Jim Smith." If you have legally changed your name, use your current legal name and include the name change documentation with your application.

Date and Place of Birth

Enter your date of birth in the format requested (YYYY-MM-DD). For place of birth, enter the city and country where you were born. If you were born in the United States, enter the city and state, plus "USA." Do not abbreviate the country.

Contact Information

Use a mailing address where you reliably receive mail. IRCC will mail your citizenship certificate to this address, and any requests for additional information will come here. If you are submitting by mail from the United States, include your full US address.

You will be asked to select one of the following:

• Born in Canada
• Naturalized (took an oath of citizenship)
• Registered as a citizen (applies to certain cases from earlier legislation)
• Born outside Canada to a Canadian parent (citizenship by descent)

For most people reading this guide, the answer is "Born outside Canada to a Canadian parent" (citizenship by descent). Select this option even if your Canadian ancestor is a grandparent, great-grandparent, or further back. "Parent" in this context refers to any direct ancestor in your citizenship chain, not exclusively a biological mother or father.

This section is where most people get confused. You need to document the unbroken chain of descent from you to your Canadian-born ancestor.

List every person in the direct line:

For a grandparent chain, you will enter three rows: yourself, your parent, and your grandparent.

For a great-grandparent chain, you will enter four rows: yourself, your parent, your grandparent, and your great-grandparent.

What to include for each person:

• Full legal name at birth
• Date and place of birth
• Whether they were born in Canada (yes/no)

What NOT to include:

Do not list non-Canadian relatives who are not in your direct line. If your grandfather was Canadian but your grandmother was American, you only list the Canadian grandfather in your chain. You do not need to include spouses unless a marriage certificate is needed to explain a name change.

Example: Great-grandparent chain

Row 1 (you): Sarah Jane Doe, born 1985, Boston, USA, Canadian? No Row 2 (your parent): Michael Thomas Doe, born 1958, Boston, USA, Canadian? No Row 3 (your grandparent): Robert James Doe, born 1930, Portland, Maine, USA, Canadian? No Row 4 (your great-grandparent): Thomas William Doe, born 1901, Quebec, Canada, Canadian? Yes

Thomas is the Canadian-born ancestor. The chain runs from him to you. Every link is documented.

Name changes in the chain

If any name in the chain changed due to marriage or other reasons, include the marriage certificate (or name change documentation) with your application. A note in your cover letter explaining the discrepancy also helps. IRCC is familiar with multi-generational name changes, particularly for French-Canadian families where names were anglicized.

If you previously held a Canadian citizenship certificate and it was lost, stolen, or expired, indicate this here. First-time applicants leave this blank.

This is where IRCC will send your citizenship certificate once it is approved. Double-check this address carefully. IRCC will not forward mail.

If your application address and mailing address are different (for example, you are temporarily staying elsewhere), fill in both.

Sign in ink. Do not print your name. Do not use a digital signature on a paper application. The signature must be your usual signature, consistent with your passport or other ID documents.

Signature City

This is a commonly misunderstood field. Enter the city where YOU are physically located when you sign the form. Not Ottawa. Not Sydney, Nova Scotia (where the processing centre is). Not the city where your Canadian ancestor was born.

If you sign the form at home in Chicago, write "Chicago." If you sign it while visiting Toronto, write "Toronto." If you move between signing the form and mailing it, that is fine. Use the city where you actually signed.

Date

Enter the date you are signing. Do not pre-date or post-date the form.

Package your application in this order:

1. The completed CIT 0001 form
2. Your payment receipt (printed from IRCC's website)
3. Two passport-style photos (50mm x 70mm), clipped to the front of the form
4. A colour copy of your government photo ID
5. Your birth certificate (certified copy)
6. Your Canadian ancestor's birth certificate (certified copy)
7. All birth and marriage certificates in between
8. Any other supporting documents (name changes, court orders, etc.)
9. A cover letter briefly explaining your chain (optional but recommended for complex cases)

Use a tracking-enabled mail service so you have proof of delivery. IRCC's mailing address for proof of citizenship applications is their Case Processing Centre in Sydney, Nova Scotia. The current address is listed on IRCC's website and may change, so confirm it before mailing.

Do not send original documents. IRCC keeps copies and does not return originals in most cases. Send certified copies or clear colour photocopies as specified in the instructions.

Can I submit CIT 0001 online?

Yes. IRCC has an online portal where you can upload documents and submit digitally. Online submission can be faster for initial acknowledgment. However, you still need to provide original or certified copies of certain documents at IRCC's request. Many applicants prefer mail submission because it creates a complete physical record.

Do I include non-Canadian grandparents or great-grandparents?

No. You only list the people in your direct Canadian citizenship chain. If your Canadian great-grandfather had a non-Canadian wife, she does not appear in the chain unless her name is on a birth certificate that links two generations. Your cover letter can clarify the family structure if it might be confusing.

What if I cannot find my ancestor's birth certificate?

For ancestors born before civil registration in their province, other documents are accepted: church baptismal records, census records, or a combination of supporting documents. Quebec baptismal records from BAnQ are widely used for ancestors born before 1926. See our guide on Quebec baptismal records for details.

What is the fee and how do I pay?

The government fee is $75 CAD per application. Payment must be made online through IRCC's website before you mail. No cheques, money orders, or cash are accepted. See our CIT 0001 fee payment guide for step-by-step payment instructions.

How long after mailing will I hear back?

IRCC sends an acknowledgment of receipt (AOR) typically within a few weeks of receiving your application. Current total processing time is approximately 11 months. See our full post-submission guide for the complete timeline.

The most common reason applications are returned is missing or incorrect documentation. Before sealing the envelope:

• Every person in your chain has a birth certificate
• Every name change has a marriage or name-change certificate
• Your photos meet the 50mm x 70mm specification and are signed by the photographer
• Your payment receipt is printed and included
• All copies are in colour, not black and white
• Your signature is in ink and matches your ID

MaplePass reviews your documents before submission and flags issues that would cause a return. A quick AI check before you mail can save months of waiting.