Child born to a Canadian Citizen outside Canada

[Dijana]

If you are either born in Canada or you immigrated to Canada and were naturalized, your child will be a Canadian citizen. You would have to talk to a Canadian embassy when your child is born, apply for a citizenship card and once you get it, you can at any time apply for a passport for your child. If you need a passport faster than it takes waiting for the citizenship card (a year+), you can ask the embassy to issue a temporary passport as soon as you have applied for the card.

If you were not born in Canada and did not immigrate but gained citizenship because one or both of your parents were citizens when you were born, you can not pass citizenship to your child. In that case, if you want to move to Canada, you have to sponsor your child for PR.

Leon, I am adopted child and live in Bosnia but my biological mother lives in Canada over 30 yrs (she was not born there) and I have never lived in Canada only visted her once for two months can you please advise if is there any chance for me to get canadian citizenship? If so how and what should I do? Is there any age limit since all messages are about the babys, new born...

 

[Leon]

Leon, I am adopted child and live in Bosnia but my biological mother lives in Canada over 30 yrs (she was not born there) and I have never lived in Canada only visted her once for two months can you please advise if is there any chance for me to get canadian citizenship? If so how and what should I do? Is there any age limit since all messages are about the babys, new born...

I believe that once your mother gave you up for adoption, all legal ties between you and her were severed and so I do not think you would qualify for citizenship even if she has it. She would also have to have been a Canadian citizen when you were born. When in doubt, contact the Canadian embassy nearest to where you live, see http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/offices/missions/belgrade.asp You can also look at the application process here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/citizenship/index.asp

 

[Dijana]

Leon, first many thanks for such a quick respond, really apprecaite it... At that time adoption was not completed and all my documents are on her, but no she was not canadian at that time..so there is no any chance for me, than...what if i come to visit her and try with her thru immigration, maybe ...you are the only one i can ask for advise, pls

 

[Leon]

If no legal adoption ever took place, it is a bit different but still few options since she was not a citizen when you were born and you are now an adult.

When she immigrated to Canada, did she list you on her application? If she did and you are still under 22 she could still sponsor you.

If that is not the case, if she lives in Manitoba or Saskatchewan, she may be able to sponsor you under PNP family stream.

If that is not the case, your best option to immigrate would be to go and visit her and look for an employer who will help you get a work permit. If you are in Canada on a work permit, it is easier to find a way to immigrate.

 

[meirazalts]

I am a canadian citizen who was born in Israel (2nd generation to parents who were not born in Canada but with canadian citizenship that returned to israel). I stayed in canada 2 years 2003-2005 and now I reside in israel and have a baby.I was 28 in 2010. can i apply for my baby certificate of citizenship with my valid canadian citizenship certificate and passport?
thank you
Dana

 

[Leon]

I am a canadian citizen who was born in Israel (2nd generation to parents who were not born in Canada but with canadian citizenship that returned to israel). I stayed in canada 2 years 2003-2005 and now I reside in israel and have a baby.I was 28 in 2010. can i apply for my baby certificate of citizenship with my valid canadian citizenship certificate and passport?
thank you
Dana

A new citizenship law came into effect on April 17, 2009. Before that date, anyone who was 2nd generation born abroad had to apply to retain their citizenship before they turned 28 but with the new law, they do not need to do that any more. Therefore, if you did not turn 28 already before the new law, your own citizenship is safe, even if you never applied to retain it.

As for your child, with the new law, it was also decided that a Canadian citizen who gained their citizenship based on their parentage as opposed to having been born in Canada or naturalized can not pass on citizenship to their babies born outside Canada. Therefore, if your baby was born after April 17, 2009, it does not have a claim to Canadian citizenship. You can however if you plan on moving to Canada sponsor your baby (and spouse) for PR. Once you are living in Canada, you could apply for citizenship for your baby right away.

 

[toby]

If the parents (one of them a Canadian citizen) needed to go to Canada, and the child were under 2 years of age, I understand that they can apply for a "special passport" for the child (I forget what the exact name is), which would be issued speedily.

What happens once they get to Canada? Is the special passport easily converted into a normal passport, or must the parents still apply for a Citizenship Certificate (which takes a long time usually)?

 

[Leon]

If the parents (one of them a Canadian citizen) needed to go to Canada, and the child were under 2 years of age, I understand that they can apply for a "special passport" for the child (I forget what the exact name is), which would be issued speedily.

What happens once they get to Canada? Is the special passport easily converted into a normal passport, or must the parents still apply for a Citizenship Certificate (which takes a long time usually)?

As I understand, you can not get a temporary passport unless you apply for a citizenship certificate first. You don't have to wait a year+ until you get it though, it is enough that you have applied and then you get the temporary passport right away.

In this case though, I do not believe that the child has the right to citizenship if it is born after the new law and the Canadian citizen parent is born outside Canada and not naturalized. If she were to apply for a citizenship certificate for the baby and if the embassy does not already pick up on that the child has no right to citizenship, she might be able to get a temporary passport for the child. She could take the child to Canada or not but at some point, the citizenship certificate would be denied and that is it. If the child doesn't have the right of a citizenship certificate, her only option to get it is sponsor the baby for PR and apply for citizenship for it after it gets its PR. A Canadian citizen can sponsor from outside Canada but they must show plans to move to Canada when their spouse or child they are sponsoring gets their PR. If she doesn't have such plans, they could be hard to show.

 

[G.Ysabelle]

Hi Leon, my baby was born one week ago, i checked link you showed us, the cic requires Two (2) pieces of personal identification, such as a driver's licence and a health insurance card, one of which must have your photo on it. but usually new born baby does not have id document, such as health card and other ID with phote on it, how to resolve this?
2, as required by document list, only birth certificate from hospital, dose this mean, we also need to have birth certificate from hospital notarized by local official organization?
3, also in terms of applicant, should baby be the applicant rather than me (canadian citizen)?

could you please answer my questions, apprecate your help!
3, about

Hi and Congratulations. I processed and submitted my daughter's Citizenship Application last year of July she was 17 months then, since my husband is in Canada and me here in the Phils. I still have to send to him our child's Birth Certificate with an affidavit from the Phil. Consulate from Edmonton. Since we cannot provide any identification aside the Birth Certificate of our child we were told to submit the pre-natal handbook of my baby from the time I conceive her w/ ultrasound result as well we included certification from my obstetrician and pediatrician bearing our name as parents. I was able to received through email my daughter's UCI# last November and it was on process on e-cas. Not sure if this information is applicable to your country of residence but I hope it helps. Goodluck.

 

[toby]

Hi and Congratulations. I processed and submitted my daughter's Citizenship Application last year of July she was 17 months then, since my husband is in Canada and me here in the Phils. I still have to send to him our child's Birth Certificate with an affidavit from the Phil. Consulate from Edmonton. Since we cannot provide any identification aside the Birth Certificate of our child we were told to submit the pre-natal handbook of my baby from the time I conceive her w/ ultrasound result as well we included certification from my obstetrician and pediatrician bearing our name as parents. I was able to received through email my daughter's UCI# last November and it was on process on e-cas. Not sure if this information is applicable to your country of residence but I hope it helps. Goodluck.

Most babies have only the birth certificate as identification. They haven't yet got a driver's licence.

What other type of identification is there for a baby?

 

[steaky]

What other type of identification is there for a baby?

Certificate from a obstetrician, pediatrician or hospital bearing the names of parents. This document is usually required before the official birth certificate can be issued.

 

[G.Ysabelle]

Certificate from a obstetrician, pediatrician or hospital bearing the names of parents. This document is usually required before the official birth certificate can be issued.

Initial screening of application was done in Embassy Manila, an immigration officer phoned me upon receiving my child's application and asked me to provide all of these supporting documents before they forwarded my application to Ontario, Canada. We already have her UCI# and is already in process on e-cas.

 

[toby]

But if those documents ( certificate from an obstetrician, pediatrician or hospital bearing the names of parents) precede a birth certificate, and you can’t get a birth certificate without them, and the parents produce the birth certificate, isn’t it redundant to also produce the preceding documents?

What do parents do who did not think to save all this documentation?

 

[steaky]

What do parents do who did not think to save all this documentation?

That's why the health officials usually recommend parents to submit those documents as soon as the child is born.

 

[G.Ysabelle]

That's why the health officials usually recommend parents to submit those documents as soon as the child is born.

Hi guys, for some clarification only. The above documents that I mentioned (pre-natal baby book, certification from obstetrician and pediatrician) are all additional and follow up requirements that was asked from me by the immigration officer who did the screening of my application before it was forwarded to Canada, aside that I submitted my daughter's original Birth Certificate. I believe they've asked me these to make sure of the smooth process of our application w/ no delay.