u/DmDvT

I have my grandfather's Ontario death certificate in hand and I'm trying to get his birth certificate (he was born in 1921, so it falls under ServiceOntario/Office of the Registrar General, not the Archives of Ontario since that only covers births up to 1919).

I've got the death certificate ready and understand I'll only be able to get a "certified copy of birth registration," not a standard certificate. What's tripping me up is the guarantor requirement, someone who's known me for 2+ years and works in an approved profession (doctor, lawyer, notary, etc) Canadian citizen. I don't have that

Has anyone been through this process recently, either as a grandchild applicant or dealing with the guarantor step? Is there a better way to obtain it?

Hoping some folks who've been through this an sanity check what I have before I submit CIT 0001.

The chain:

• Grandfather: born in Canada, Canadian citizen. I have his long-form birth certificate.
• Father: born outside the US (outside Canada), to my grandfather. I have his long-form birth certificate. He never applied for or received any Canadian citizenship documentation, no citizenship certificate, nothing.
• Me: born outside Canada, to my father. I have my long-form birth certificate.
• My two sons: both born before December 15, 2025 (so before Bill C-3 took effect), also outside Canada.

No name changes anywhere in the chain, on any generation, no marriages that changed anyone's name, no legal name changes, nothing unusual there. Every name matches cleanly across every birth certificate.

My questions:

Q Since my father never applied for proof of citizenship himself, does that matter? My understanding is citizenship by descent isn't something you "get" by applying, it's something you either have or don't based on the law at the time you were born, and the application just proves it after the fact. Is that right, or does his never having documented it create a gap I need to fill differently?

Q Are the three long-form birth certificates actually sufficient to prove the chain, or does IRCC also want something that directly proves grandfather's citizenship status (as opposed to just his birth record), like a citizenship certificate, passport, or other government-issued proof? I've seen conflicting info on whether a Canadian birth certificate alone counts as "proof of citizenship" for this purpose or whether they want a separate citizenship document.

Q With Bill C-3 removing the first generation limit as of December 15, 2025, does my father's status as someone born abroad to a Canadian parent change in a way that affects my application, or does the "substantial connection" requirement only apply going forward to children born after that date (meaning it wouldn't apply to my father or me since we were both born before then)?

Q Does it make sense to apply for my two sons at the same time as my own application and send everything together, or should I get my own proof of citizenship confirmed first and apply for them separately afterward? Both boys were born before December 15, 2025, so from what I've read they should be exempt from any "substantial connection" requirement that applies to children born after that date, but I'm not sure if that same exemption logic applies cleanly when the parent (me) is also still unconfirmed at the time of filing.

Q For the boys, the only photo ID either of them has is a US passport . Is one piece of photo ID enough for a minor, or does IRCC typically want a second document (school ID, other government ID) alongside it?

Really just trying to get my documentation package right the first time instead of having it bounced back after a 12+ month wait. Appreciate any firsthand experience, especially from anyone who filed after the Bill C-3 changes, or anyone who's applied for a parent and minor children together in one batch.