Hi.
I apologize if this is an issue that's been brought up in the past, but I couldn't find a quick answer for myself in a forum search, so I decided to make a new post.
I've been able to get together all my necessary documents very quickly (luckily, all of my family immigrated to, lived, and died in Rhode Island), and now all that remains to be done is obtaining my great-grandfather's Certificate of Naturalization from the federal government. Thanks to the other documents I've found, I know that he naturalized in 1944, and I have all the other necessary information, but I'm pretty confused as to what to do next.
A woman from USCIS told me that I'd need to use the N-565 form ("Application for Replacement Naturalization / Citizenship Document"), a $220 form that's meant to apply for a lost copy of one's own Certificate. It doesn't seem right, and I don't want to fill it out, send the check, and get my hopes up just to learn that I sent in the wrong application. Instead, I've noticed a lot of people here talking about the Freedom of Information Act and the G-639 form.
Basically, I was hoping that someone could advise me on where to go next. N-565? G-639? Something else? And if it is N-565, how am I supposed to fill it out without looking like I'm committing perjury / identity theft / whatever?
Also, does anyone know how long it takes the government to send one of these certificates? Weeks? Months? Years?
Thanks a lot for your help.
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