HOW LONG TAKES TO GET A CITIZENSHIP FOR A CHILD OUTSIDE CANADA
- Thread starter Bashima
- Start date
You should try asking in the citizenship forum.
Assuming one of the parents is a citizen (by birth or naturalization) -
My understanding is:
-You need to apply for the citizenship and passport at same time. Make clear that the passport request is urgent and for travel to Canada.
-Assuming there are no issues, you MAY get the passport - a so-called 'temporary' one - valid for a year or two.
-The citizenship itself may come quite a bit later and the passport is not 'final' determination of citizenship but will allow the child to travel to Canada with one of the parents. (It's sort of a formality in that the passport indicates they believe the child is a citizen but pending the final determination and citizenship certificate).
This may be different in circumstances like if the child is older (not a newborn) or adoption or any questions about parentage etc. Again, this is my understanding, not an expert. I have no idea how quickly this is in practice especially recently, I vaguely recall posters here noting they got it in 2-3-4 month time periods (covid will introduce some variables).
And repeat, this will depend on circumstances since you gave no specifics at all except 'my child.'
I'd welcome comments from those that have more experience and again caveat, I may be wrong.
But at any rate the process is clear: apply for citizenship and passport at same time, check the documentation required carefully.
Thanks a lot armoured, I just got my COPR and as a refugee where i live the ambassy provide for me a travel document with RED CROSS I thought they will also give to my 2 years old baby because she is in mY application since the beginning just to find out she my have her own travel document since the father is a Canadian citizen .now I'm about to travel my travel documents will expire 2nd of August I'm so stressed and my daughter doesn't have any travel document. I wrote to the high commissioner they ask me to apply for the citizenship certificate , i really dont know what to do now . In your post you said i must apply for the passport? Please reply .thanks in advance
You need to apply for a citizenship certificate for your child. The instructions are below however generally processing is 6-8 months (you can try asking for urgent processing but I don't know if this will be considered).
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-citizenship/proof-citizenship/apply.html
Since you most likely cannot get the citizenship certificate in time to travel in August, depending on the age of your daughter, you may be able to request a temporary / short term passport.
I agree that the best place to be asking these questions is in the citizenship section of the forum.
Good luck, again, the citizenship forum may be a better place to ask.
It will REALLY help you in getting answers if you provide up front the answers to basic questions that will come up and are clear - as I understand your case is a spousal sponsorship (you are not coming to Canada as a refugee but as a sponsored spouse of a Canadian citizen) and the refugee aspect is important because you didn't have a travel document/passport from your country of nationality.
Okay for the child: you clearly included the child in your sponsorship app. Important stuff: your spouse is the parent of the child? Is on the birth certificate as the parent? Your spouse was a citizen when your application was started (or got citizenship later)? Was your child indicated there as a dependent or possibly as a citizen? (That's what should have been done...usually)
Again usually: you should have not included the child as a dependent but as a citizen (or presumed citizen) and provided documentation about applying for the child's citizenship. Did you do this? (Did IRCC ever comment on or mention the situation?) Did the child do a medical?
The reason is that IRCC should NOT issue a COPR/PR travel document to someone who is a Canadian citizen. This should have been clear a long time ago. Did the ctiizen-parent apply for the child's citizenship? Will he/she do this now?
Again most of your questions really should be in the citizenship forum now that you are where you are but it may help others to understand if you can answer these questions or at least know why people are asking.
(This also helps to explain why earlier when you were asking in different threads about medical for the child - it would not make sense for them to ask for medicals of a [presumed] Canadian citizen child.)
Okay armoured 1st of all I applied when my husband was a citizen and my child never did a medical exam , I got COPR for myself not for my child and I give birth after submitting my application and afterward I wrote and send to them the birth certificate the IRCC requested me to apply for citizenship as my child qualified for one my only concern is I long it will take so that I will travel with her because my travel documents will expire in 3months and should I apply for the passport all together .Thanks for your understanding
Okay, so you already applied for citizenship for the child? How long ago? That's what I mean when I say it helps if you include relevant information (you neglected to note the child was born after submitting your sponsorship application, and when you ask 'how long does it take' without mentioning that you already applied, you are leaving out crucial information).
It's not surprising that they never requested a medical for the child, because if the child is believed to be a citizen (a presumptive citizen), there is no medical requirement.
And yes, you should apply for the passport regardless, immediately. I do not know specific details of how one does so when one has already applied for citizenship and are just waiting for the response. Again, my understanding is that they may - under certain circumstances - issue a temporary passport before the final citizenship determination is made. But again - try the citizenship forum.