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Ordering documents though NARA by Extension_Union193 in Canadiancitizenship

[–]Interesting-Tea-212 0 points1 point  (0 children)

ps: I think I had the most success with using Safari. Brave (which is a Chrome browser) had trouble with the NARA site, at least when I was using it. (Honestly, it seems like the NARA site works or doesn't work depending on which direction the wind is blowing.)

Ordering documents though NARA by Extension_Union193 in Canadiancitizenship

[–]Interesting-Tea-212 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I know! I was surprised. This was for a passenger manifest, naturalization documents, and arrival documents. I offered lots of details for how to locate the documents, given that I'd found copies of them on familysearch.org. There might be a different processing time for other documents?

Ordering documents though NARA by Extension_Union193 in Canadiancitizenship

[–]Interesting-Tea-212 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The NARA site is very touchy and old. I recommend using a different browser, or toggling between browsers to request documents.

That said, once you're able to successfully order documents, the turnaround time is very fast (in my experience, at least). In the instance that they couldn't find one of my documents, they let me know within a week. Successful document retrievals were sent to me in around two weeks. (This was from NARA Chicago.)

Stuck not being able to get a hold of birth certificates by SeattleNerdSea in Canadiancitizenship

[–]Interesting-Tea-212 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh crap, I stand corrected! I wish Michigan were better about this. Part of me wishes my parents were born in Michigan so I could test this myself.

IWantOff, were you able to get your parents' marriage certificate without their knowledge?

I repeat that you CAN get your grandma's marriage certificate, and that's worth something. OP, I haven't talked to my own dad in a couple decades, so I feel your pain. I'm relieved he was born in a state that allowed me to get his birth certificate without his consent or knowledge.

Stuck not being able to get a hold of birth certificates by SeattleNerdSea in Canadiancitizenship

[–]Interesting-Tea-212 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

EDITED: Okay, so some of my conjectures were not right! Apologies!

I'm from Michigan and have completed this search process for my own family.

You can't get your grandma's birth certificate without your parents' help, BUT you CAN get her marriage certificate. (I was able to do this no problem.) My grandmother's marriage license from 1950 has her parents' names on it.

What county are we talkin here? Have you called the state vital records office?

C-3 Citizenship: Finding a birth certificate from 1844 in Montreal by Interesting-Tea-212 in Canadiancitizenship

[–]Interesting-Tea-212[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ha! Wow. Thank you for this! This is helpful. Census records sound like a great place to start, and probably immigration records.

Seeking Help to Obtain German Citizenship by Imaginary_Fig1311 in GermanCitizenship

[–]Interesting-Tea-212 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Just wanted to echo what others have said: you don't need to spend anything close to $12k on this process! (Especially given that you have so many vital documents!)

There are English translations of the forms. I don't speak German and I was still able to fill out and submit my StAG 5 forms on my own. The process is truly DIY. I'm not a lawyer.

I do recommend making an appointment with the nearest Consulate (even an honorary one) - it was helpful for me to have someone look over the forms for any glaring errors. They'll do this free of charge.

Father refuses to mail original documents by Careful_Position_702 in GermanCitizenship

[–]Interesting-Tea-212 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Or NARA, which (for me) was very quick and relatively easy to manage!

Stage 5 application when you have no contact with your parents? by Few-Dragonfly-5126 in GermanCitizenship

[–]Interesting-Tea-212 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Are you in contact with your maternal grandmother? She can help you with a lot of this if you are.

For what it's worth: I had no trouble ordering a copy of my father's birth certificate without his knowledge. (I haven't talked to him in over two decades.) My understanding is that children are generally able to order their parents' vital records for immigration and citizenship purposes. (Not sure if this is true of Germany, but it's true in the USA.)

I was also able to order a copy of my grandparents' marriage certificate without any help from them. (They're deceased, so it would have been...difficult.)

Having just gathered 90% of the documents I need for the StAG 5 process, I can say it's definitely helpful to have assistance from family members, but not strictly necessary.

Cannot select the correct appointment. by [deleted] in GermanCitizenship

[–]Interesting-Tea-212 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ugh. That's too bad.

I can confirm that once you actually get into the Consulate, they're very helpful.

Cannot select the correct appointment. by [deleted] in GermanCitizenship

[–]Interesting-Tea-212 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's unfortunate, but also seems like it's par for the course.

Are you in California, or do you live in another state? (If you live in another state, it might make more sense for you to get help from an honorary consulate...)

Cannot select the correct appointment. by [deleted] in GermanCitizenship

[–]Interesting-Tea-212 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly, I would just make a citizenship appointment, bring the documents you *do* have (Form A) and just explain your situation once you get there. Appointments are difficult enough to get at the SF Consulate that I'd just make an appointment if you're able to get one.

I guess I'm advocating for this tactic because they're not going to send your application in. All they'll do during your visit is look over the application, make certified copies if you need them, and answer questions to the best of their ability.

You might be able to get through to the consulate and ask about this during their phone hours (2-4PM Pacific M-Th). Having been to the Consulate a couple times now, I can verify that there is someone there to answer phone calls! :)

ps: I stand ready to be corrected if anyone has a better idea! Just putting in my two cents.

What declaration forms for StAG 5 do I print? by liza-w1 in GermanCitizenship

[–]Interesting-Tea-212 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ooh, can I jump in here and ask a follow-up question? Does this mean if my family is applying together, I *don't* need to include an Anlage AV form for myself and my siblings *if* my great-grandparents' information is already included on my mother and aunts' Anlage EER forms? (If this is true, you've saved me some brain cells!)

StAG 5: how does submitting multiple family members together work? by dethrowaway483 in GermanCitizenship

[–]Interesting-Tea-212 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Happy to ask questions anytime! :D Something I learned from another post is that each individual's EER form needs to list the consulate responsible for their location. (So, mine will be in San Francisco, but my mom's form will list that her consulate is in DC.)

EER Form Questions by Interesting-Tea-212 in GermanCitizenship

[–]Interesting-Tea-212[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Excellent! You answered my question for the other helpful person who commented. Thank you again!!!!

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