u/Prize-Technology-755

Hi Everyone,

I was not planning on making a success post, but I’ve seen a number of people asking for information regarding recent Feststellung cases.

I applied through the consulate In Toronto February 2024 and got an AZ June 2024. But this process really started for me in Fall 2023 when I started gathering all of the needed documents. My processing group was TSll3.

The consulate notified me last week my certificate had arrived and is ready for pickup. I haven’t received the certificate yet, but I believe it is dated around mid September.

Here are some details of my case to add some context.

line was GGF->GF->F->Me with everyone born in wedlock. Pretty standard case. I provided everyone’s birth and marriage records, including the pre 1914 German birth registration of my GGF. I also provided several other certified German records, including confirmation records, and even the certified marriage record of my GGGF (one further generation back)

I asked for an update June 2026 and was told my case was in active processing.

I received a bit of a strange request via email from my caseworker asking for more information about my GGGF who was born in Prussia in the 1860s. This request came right at the start of September. I responded with the requested information by email (and by letter) and it looks like my case was approved about 10-15 days after I sent this information.

I have definitely learned a lot through this community over the years and also have tried to contribute information where I could, in particular with Canadian cases.

I wish everyone else the best of luck, this process definitely tests your patience and mental resolve.

Hi Everyone,

I finally heard something from the BVA by email after nearly 2.5 years. The request seemed a bit strange, so I wanted to ask you all for some advice.

My case goes great grandfather->grandfather->father-> me.

Everyone born in wedlock. My great grandfather was born in 1895 in Schleswig Holstein and I included a certified copy of his birth registration. From my understanding, this should be sufficient for proving German citizenship as I tracked back to a birth on German soil pre 1914.

Today I received a request from the BVA asking me for the birth record of my great great grandfather from the 1860s.

From my understanding, this might be diffcult because

1. was this not before the system of civil birth registrations? Would I be looking for a church record here?

2. he was born in a major city in Silesia no longer part of Germany.

This combination makes me thing finding this birth record will be very difficult.

Documents I have found for my great great grandfather already include his civil marriage certificate from 1894 (In Schleswig Holstein) which list his birth city in Silesia.

My questions for this sub:

1. Am I allowed to ask why they require the document? I don’t want to be combative, but given the above situation it may be extremely difficult or impossible to locate. It feels like I have been asked to provide a needle in a haystack.

2. can I ask them to substitute his civil German marriage certificate which lists his birth city?

3. If I must find this record, what would be the best way to begin? He was born in a major city in Silesia and was of the Lutheran faith.

4. I also found a German record from the last city my great great grandfather lived in from 1910 (found by the nicest man at the archive). My great great grandfather was a (medium ranked) German civil servant in Prussia involved in the legal system. Based on my research, this job was only possible to hold if you were a Prussian citizen. Would this also be helpful to provide?

Thank you all for the help!