Canada Civil Documents · Updated August 2026
The Civil Documents You Need From Canada for a U.S. Marriage Green Card
If you were born in Canada, a handful of provincial and federal records prove who you are for your U.S. marriage green card, and Canada's records are among the easiest in the world to order online.
Quick answer
For a U.S. marriage green card, the Canadian spouse generally needs the Birth Certificate, Police Certificate, and Marriage Certificate. An apostille is generally not required by USCIS for a filing inside the U.S. The documents are in English, so nothing needs translating.
- 3 core documents
- Birth Certificate
- Police Certificate
- Marriage Certificate
- No apostille needed
For a filing inside the U.S., USCIS accepts a certified copy of the record as issued.
- Documents are in English
Canada issues these records in English, so there is nothing to translate.
The documents you actually need
Start with these core records in order. Each one lists who issues it, what it costs, how long it takes, and exactly what USCIS wants.
Birth Certificate
What USCIS needs: USCIS and the National Visa Center want the long-form (certified copy of the birth registration) that lists your parents' names, not the wallet-sized short-form.
How to get it: Order online from the vital statistics office of the province or territory where you were born (for example ServiceOntario for Ontario births). Every province lets you order from anywhere in the world, and payment is by credit card.
- Issued by
- Provincial/territorial Vital Statistics office (e.g. ServiceOntario, Service Alberta, BC Vital Statistics)
- Cost
- Approx CAD 35 for the long-form (about USD 26); rush/premium service adds roughly CAD 30
- Timing
- Roughly 15 business days for regular online service plus mail; about 5 business days by courier for premium/rush
Police Certificate
What USCIS needs: Consular processing applicants (spouse interviewing abroad) must submit a police certificate from Canada if they lived there. If you are already in the U.S. and adjusting status (AOS), USCIS relies on its own FBI biometrics and generally does not require a Canadian police certificate.
How to get it: Get fingerprinted at an RCMP-accredited agency (electronic/Live Scan), which submits your prints to the RCMP national repository for a certified, fingerprint-based check. Local police-issued name checks are generally not accepted for U.S. immigration because they are not fingerprint-based.
- Issued by
- Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) or an RCMP-accredited fingerprinting agency
- Cost
- RCMP federal fee approx CAD 25, plus the accredited agency's fingerprinting fee of roughly CAD 40 to 60 (about USD 50 to 65 total)
- Timing
- About 3 business days plus mailing when there is no match; up to 120 business days if fingerprints flag a possible record needing review
Marriage Certificate
What USCIS needs: Submit the long-form marriage certificate for the marriage you are basing the green card on. For any prior marriage, include the divorce or death certificate that ended it.
How to get it: Order the long-form marriage certificate online from the vital statistics office of the province where you married. If you have never married, Canada issues no standard single-status certificate; instead request a marriage search letter from the province, or a Statement in Lieu of a Certificate of Non-Impediment to Marriage from Global Affairs Canada.
- Issued by
- Provincial/territorial Vital Statistics office where the marriage was registered
- Cost
- Approx CAD 15 to 35 depending on province and short vs long form (about USD 11 to 26)
- Timing
- Roughly 15 business days for regular online service; about 5 business days for premium/rush
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At a glance
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| Apostille status | Canada acceded to the Hague Apostille Convention, in force since January 11, 2024. Apostilles are issued by Global Affairs Canada, and Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, and Saskatchewan issue their own for documents from their province. For a U.S. marriage green card, however, USCIS and the National Visa Center generally do NOT require an apostille on Canadian civil documents, so most couples do not need one. |
| How records are kept | Civil records are provincial, not federal. Each province and territory runs its own vital statistics office that issues birth, marriage, and death certificates, and nearly all let you order online from anywhere. |
| Typical time to gather | Most certificates arrive in about 15 business days (5 with rush). The variable is the fingerprint-based RCMP police check, which is fast with no match but can take up to 120 business days if a record needs review. |
| Translation | English-language documents need no translation. French documents (common in Quebec) need a certified English translation; USCIS allows any competent bilingual person to translate and self-certify accuracy, so you generally do not need a paid agency. |
Source: U.S. State Dept Reciprocity Schedule: Canada. Verified August 2026. Need to translate a document? See our certified translation guide.
Full document reference
Every civil record from Canada that can come up in a marriage green card case, with the issuing authority, cost, and how to obtain it.
| Document | Issuing authority | Cost | How to obtain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birth Certificate | Provincial/territorial Vital Statistics (e.g. ServiceOntario) | Approx CAD 35 long-form (USD ~26) | Order the long-form online from the province of birth |
| Marriage Certificate | Provincial/territorial Vital Statistics | Approx CAD 15 to 35 (USD ~11 to 26) | Order long-form online from the province where you married |
| Divorce Certificate | Court that granted the divorce / provincial Central Registry of Divorce Proceedings | Varies by court, approx CAD 25 to 40 | Request the certificate of divorce or divorce order from the granting court |
| Death Certificate | Provincial/territorial Vital Statistics | Approx CAD 15 to 35 (USD ~11 to 26) | Order online from the province where the death was registered (needed to prove a prior spouse died) |
| Police Certificate | RCMP (fingerprint-based) via accredited agency | Approx CAD 25 federal fee + CAD 40 to 60 fingerprinting (USD ~50 to 65) | Get fingerprinted at an RCMP-accredited agency for a certified criminal record check |
What applicants report
“Canadian filers on the forums consistently report that ordering the long-form certificate straight from the provincial government site is cheap and fast, and warn each other away from the third-party 'expedited' resellers that dominate Google and mark up the same order several times over. The recurring headache is the RCMP fingerprint check for consular cases: people advise booking the fingerprint appointment early because a possible-match review can add months.”
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- U.S. State Dept Reciprocity Schedule: Canada
- HCCH: Apostille Convention status (Canada, in force Jan 11 2024)
- Government of Canada: Canada joins the Apostille Convention
- RCMP: Criminal record check processing times and fees
- Government of Ontario: Get or replace an Ontario birth certificate
- Government of Ontario: Get or replace an Ontario marriage certificate
Verified August 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an apostille on my Canadian birth or marriage certificate for a U.S. green card?
Generally no. Although Canada joined the Apostille Convention on January 11, 2024, USCIS and the National Visa Center accept original or certified Canadian civil documents without an apostille for a marriage-based green card. You would only need one if a specific officer or office requests it, which is uncommon.
Short-form or long-form birth certificate?
Always order the long-form. It is the certified copy of the birth registration that lists your parents' names and full registration details, which is what USCIS expects. The wallet-sized short-form does not show enough information.
Do I need an RCMP police certificate if I am adjusting status inside the U.S.?
Usually not. Applicants adjusting status (Form I-485) from within the U.S. are cleared through USCIS biometrics and the FBI, so a Canadian police certificate is generally not required. It is consular applicants interviewing at a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad who typically must provide the fingerprint-based RCMP check.
My documents are in French. Do I need a professional translator?
No. USCIS accepts a certified English translation from any person competent in both languages, who signs a short statement certifying the translation is accurate. This is common for Quebec-issued records and you do not need to pay a translation agency.
I have never been married. How do I prove single status?
Canada does not issue a standard single-status certificate, and a U.S. marriage green card usually does not require one. If proof of prior marital status is ever needed, you can request a marriage search letter from your province's vital statistics office or a Statement in Lieu of a Certificate of Non-Impediment to Marriage from Global Affairs Canada.
Key takeaways
- ✓
The core documents most Canadian applicants need are the Birth Certificate, Police Certificate, Marriage Certificate.
- ✓
Canada is a Hague Apostille Convention member, but USCIS generally does not require an apostille for a marriage green card filed inside the U.S.
- ✓
Canada documents are issued in English, so there is nothing to translate for USCIS.
- ✓
A home-country police certificate is generally needed only for consular processing abroad, not for adjustment of status inside the U.S.
- ✓
Order fresh certified copies close to when you file, since older originals and short-form copies are common causes of delay.
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