I'm a 27 y/o male born in Canada. My father is a U.S. citizen; he was born there and moved to Canada when he was 9. The requirements for me to acquire citizenship are that he spent 5 years in the U.S., 2 of which after his 14th birthday. Because he moved to Canada when he was 9, it is very difficult for me to prove that he was present for the 2 years after he turned 14.

However, he was. It's just very difficult to prove. My father has lived in a border town ever since he moved to Canada. He would cross the border weekly, sometimes even two times per week to see his aunts, uncles, and cousins. The border has no record of his travel during this time because none of this was tracked until after 9/11, and I was born prior to 9/11. I made this claim to one of the U.S. consulates in Canada alongside my father. I created two affidavits with my lawyer claiming that he visited his family that remained in the U.S. weekly; one was signed by my father, and the other was signed by his aunt, who still resides there. I supported my case with photos, although none of these photos can really prove that they were taken in the U.S., even though they were.

So, in summary, I was denied by the consulate due to insufficient evidence. There is nothing else I can really use as evidence other than the photos and affidavits. He returned to the U.S. for work after I was born, but I think the two years after he turned 14 have to be before I was born. Any recommendations on what I can do to strengthen my case? I am frustrated because I do in fact satisfy all the requirements, it's just difficult to prove. How many times can I reapply with a similar case? Perhaps I will get an agent next time that is more understanding, and maybe that person will pass me? Would visiting a passport agency in the U.S. be better than going to a consulate in Canada? Again, I'm literally 5 minutes from the border, so this wouldn't be an issue. My plan is to get my affidavit documents notarized this time, as I didn't do that last time. And, I would like to bring my U.S. citizen grandmother with me, and her U.S. citizen sister (my dad's aunt that still lives there), so that they can attest to this in person as well. We're a really tight knit Italian family, lol. Perhaps that will help them believe us? Any other suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thank you!

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