Birth Certificate Not Found at Records Office

[twistedevil]

Hi all!

I've hit my first snag while collecting the various marriage, birth, and death records. I'm eligible through the GGfather, Gfather, Mother route of jure sanguinis. I received the birth certs I ordered today, and much to my chagrin, my grandfather's could not be found and I was given a "No record certification of birth" certificate. My grandpa's death and census records all say he was born in Pennsylvania. I have one more lead that his older brother may have been born a few hours north of my county, so I have an email out to his daughter inquiring about that possibility.

However, my question is: what if I am unable to locate his birth cert? What other documents could I bring to my appointment to prove his birth that would be accepted? Would baptismal records suffice and certified census records suffice along with the "no record cert of birth" issued from the vital records office? I will be going to the Philadelphia consulate.

Has anyone else out there had this issue and were still able to get their citizenship?

I'm feeling a bit bummed out about this bump in the road--everything has been smooth sailing so far. Thanks for your help and insight!

[mler]

Birth certificates are rather critical since they establish the citizenship line from generation to generation.

A baptismal certificate as well as the other documents you mention, may suffice, but there are no guarantees.

Keep on searching, however. If he had a social security card, he probably had a birth certificate too. You may also want to check if Pennsylvania issues delayed birth certificates based on other documentation.