Certificate of Citizenship

[Katy1409]

My husband was born in Canada in 1970 to American citizens who were working for the University of Toronto (so, not a foreign government). His parents moved him to the US at age 3 and he has not been back to Canada. We have two children under the age of 12, both born in the US and mom (me) is a US citizen.

Does my husband have dual citizenship by birthright? If so, does he need, or would he benefit from getting, a Certificate of Citizenship? Do my children also qualify for dual citizenship? If so, what forms need completion for their status?

We are unhappy with the direction the US is headed both socially and economically, so we want to give our family the option to relocate to Canada in the future.

Are there any pros or cons to pursuing the dual citizenship that we haven’t considered and should know about? Thank you in advance for your responses to my query.

 

[hawk39]

Yes, your husband is a dual citizen by virtue of being born in Canada to American parents. His Canadian birth certificate is essentially his Canadian citizenship certificate, so he does really not need to apply for one.

Because your husband is a citizen by birth, your children are dual citizens by descent. The only difference is that if your children were to have their own children born outside of Canada, they (i.e. second generation) will not be entitled to Canadian citizenship. Click here to apply for their certificates.

As long as your remain in the US, there are no cons to having dual citizenship. Canada has a residency-based tax system, so if you were to remain in the US, you don't have to file a Canadian tax return. However, if your family were to establish a residency and work in Canada, you would have to file both Canadian and US tax returns.