Loading…
In depth
An RFE (Request for Evidence) is a formal request from a citizenship authority for additional documentation or clarification during the processing of an application. RFEs are common in CBD cases, particularly from the German BVA, Canadian IRCC, and Italian consulates.
RFEs can request: missing vital records, additional translations, corrected apostilles, clarification of name discrepancies, proof of unbroken citizenship chain, or evidence of the ancestor's citizenship at the time of the next child's birth.
Responding to an RFE promptly and completely is critical — most authorities give 30-90 days to respond, and failure to respond can result in denial. Ancestra drafts every RFE response under counsel.
Example
The German BVA may issue an RFE requesting additional documentation of persecution under the Nazi regime for an Article 116 application.
Related terms
Citizenship by descent (CBD) is the legal right to acquire a country's citizenship through one's ancestors — typically a parent, grandparent, or great-grandparent — without being born in that country, based on the principle of jus sanguinis.
Jus sanguinis (Latin for 'right of blood') is the principle that grants citizenship based on the citizenship of one's parents or ancestors, regardless of where one is born.
Jus soli (Latin for 'right of the soil') grants citizenship based on being born in the territory of the state, regardless of the parents' citizenship.
Dual citizenship (also called multiple citizenship) is the status of being a citizen of two or more countries simultaneously, with the rights and obligations of each.
Naturalization is the legal process by which a non-citizen acquires the citizenship of a country, typically after meeting residency, language, and integration requirements.
Denaturalization is the legal revocation of a person's citizenship, typically on grounds of fraud, disloyalty, or — historically — persecution.