Want to bring my family to Canada

[rachsg]

Hi all!
I am a Canadian citizen, married to an American and we have two kids.
We want to move to Canada so have begun filling out the endless paperwork

I have a couple of questions:
My Canadian IDs (passport, license, health card, etc) all have my maiden name. We are married 4.5 years and only visited Canada a couple of times so I never had the chance to change them. When we applied for my green card I applied with my assumed name without any issues.
Should I apply under my assumed name or my maiden name?
If applying with my assumed name should I apply for a new passport with my married name? (I don't want it to look fishy when the agents start processing out paperwork)

Also, my child is 2 years old and does not have a passport, do I need to get her one or is it unnecessary?

I am in the middle of filling out the IMM0008 (General application form for canada), question 3 - how many family members are on this application? -- am I on the application or just my husband and children?
Am I considered his dependent? or is he my dependent? (since he is the breadwinner and I am currently unemployed)

I have read the guides (and have them open on my browser) but am still confused ???

And one more question (for now).. do I need a medical exam or just my husband and children?

THANKS IN ADVANCE!! I am so thankful for this forum!

 

[OhCanadiana]

Hi all!
I am a Canadian citizen, married to an American and we have two kids.
We want to move to Canada so have begun filling out the endless paperwork

I have a couple of questions:
My Canadian IDs (passport, license, health card, etc) all have my maiden name. We are married 4.5 years and only visited Canada a couple of times so I never had the chance to change them. When we applied for my green card I applied with my assumed name without any issues.
Should I apply under my assumed name or my maiden name?
If applying with my assumed name should I apply for a new passport with my married name? (I don't want it to look fishy when the agents start processing out paperwork)

Also, my child is 2 years old and does not have a passport, do I need to get her one or is it unnecessary?

I am in the middle of filling out the IMM0008 (General application form for canada), question 3 - how many family members are on this application? -- am I on the application or just my husband and children?
Am I considered his dependent? or is he my dependent? (since he is the breadwinner and I am currently unemployed)

I have read the guides (and have them open on my browser) but am still confused ???

And one more question (for now).. do I need a medical exam or just my husband and children?

THANKS IN ADVANCE!! I am so thankful for this forum!

Welcome

1. You need to use your name as it appears on your passport (even if it's misspelled!). You can confirm this at http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/guides/3900ETOC.asp

2. You can choose to change your name on your Canadian passport or not. I really don't think it matters to CIC one way or the other. Generally, I would suggest changing it to your assumed name do all your documents match, FWIW. In some US states, for example, they wouldn't allow you to get a driver's license without having your name on your passport match that of your IDs and letters so you may want to do it at some point for general housekeeping.

3. Assuming you are a Canadian who was born on Canadian soil or who naturalized herself brfore you gave birth, you should get a Certificate of Canadian Citizenship for your child and a Canadian passport for your child directly. You don't need to 'sponsor' your child since s/he was Canadian at birth through you. It is much better for him/her to travel to Canada on a Canadian passport.

It is also probably easier to get a US passport while you are still in the US and you will need it should you travel back to the US. US citizens cannot use any other passport to travel in or out of the US.

4. Depends on whether your child is Canadian by birth (per my comments above). If your child is Canadian, your child does not count as a dependent of yours for immigration purposes.

5. For the application, you are the sponsor and your husband is a dependant. And maybe your child if s/he wasn't Canadian at birth (per above).

6. Sponsor does not need a medical exam, nor do any Canadian children you may have.

Good luck!

 

[rachsg]

Welcome

1. You need to use your name as it appears on your passport (even if it's misspelled!). You can confirm this at

2. You can choose to change your name on your Canadian passport or not. I really don't think it matters to CIC one way or the other. Generally, I would suggest changing it to your assumed name do all your documents match, FWIW. In some US states, for example, they wouldn't allow you to get a driver's license without having your name on your passport match that of your IDs and letters so you may want to do it at some point for general housekeeping.

3. Assuming you are a Canadian who was born on Canadian soil or who naturalized herself brfore you gave birth, you should get a Certificate of Canadian Citizenship for your child and a Canadian passport for your child directly. You don't need to 'sponsor' your child since s/he was Canadian at birth through you. It is much better for him/her to travel to Canada on a Canadian passport.

It is also probably easier to get a US passport while you are still in the US and you will need it should you travel back to the US. US citizens cannot use any other passport to travel in or out of the US.

4. Depends on whether your child is Canadian by birth (per my comments above). If your child is Canadian, your child does not count as a dependent of yours for immigration purposes.

5. For the application, you are the sponsor and your husband is a dependant. And maybe your child if s/he wasn't Canadian at birth (per above).

6. Sponsor does not need a medical exam, nor do any Canadian children you may have.

Good luck!

Yes, yes, yes!! This was on my mind but forgot to write it down.
I am naturalized (when I was 8)! How can I go about getting Canadian documentation for my kids? So I dont need to put down my children as dependents? hurray for less paperwork! and no medical exams for them either, correct?

 

[rachsg]

Also -- is my American husband the co-signer?
When we filled out the green card application the co-signer was someone who would help provide (financially) for the applicant.


I am getting confused by all the terminology (and also the late hour!)

thanks!

 

[Sweden]

Also -- is my American husband the co-signer?
When we filled out the green card application the co-signer was someone who would help provide (financially) for the applicant.


I am getting confused by all the terminology (and also the late hour!)

thanks!

your husband is not the co-signer - he is the principal applicant. Co-Signer would be if you were both canadian and sponsoring a child for example. So just leave that part blank.

Good luck with the paperwork!
Sweden

 

[OhCanadiana]

Yes, yes, yes!! This was on my mind but forgot to write it down.
I am naturalized (when I was 8)! How can I go about getting Canadian documentation for my kids? So I dont need to put down my children as dependents? hurray for less paperwork! and no medical exams for them either, correct?

Yes, no medical for them either . Just to confirm, you may want to take the questionnaire I posted in my prior post to ensure you didn't somehow become a citizen through your parents at birth (if you did, you'll have to sponsor your children). At the end of that questionnaire, it will give you the exact steps you'll need to take to get the Certificate of Canadian Citizenship. It does take some time, so apply soon for that too!

Is your child (or are your children) 2 years old already or just under? If just under, you can apply for a temporary passport to use for any upcoming travel you may have to Canada. If not, you'll need to wait until you have the Certificate of Canadian Citizenship to apply for the regular passport.

 

[OhCanadiana]

Also -- is my American husband the co-signer?

No, he can't be the person being sponsored *and* the co-signer. But, don't worry, spousal sponsorships are exempt from the minimum financial requirements (just show how you intend to support yourselves - e.g., savings until your husband gets a new job -> then show a bank statement)

When we filled out the green card application the co-signer was someone who would help provide (financially) for the applicant.


I am getting confused by all the terminology (and also the late hour!)

thanks!

Tip: try to forget everything you know about US immigration while you go through the Canadian procss and don't try to make analogies (or you'll end up even more puzzled). Follow the Canadian CIC instructions in the two guides to complete the various forms and later look up the guides to import goods, etc. There's some fundamental differences - for example, for Canada you'll be able to land and be a PR for immigration only (but not yet for CRA, customs, health care, etc) whereas in the US if you are a PR you have to be a resident for all other purposes too.

 

[rachsg]

OhCanadiana, thank you so much for your help
Just a quick question about my kids.
My first is born January 2009 (within the limit of the new guideline) and my second was born in 2010.
So according to this new law my second is not a Canadian?

Do I need to include my youngest on our application for my husband? (and pay fees for her too?)

Also about my oldest, the webpage is unclear about what I need to send to get her citizenship papers - I have an old citizenship certificate (it has only the year I became a citizen is on it, and I don't have any other paperwork with my card).

THANK YOU!

 

[OhCanadiana]

OhCanadiana, thank you so much for your help
Just a quick question about my kids.
My first is born January 2009 (within the limit of the new guideline) and my second was born in 2010.
So according to this new law my second is not a Canadian?

Do I need to include my youngest on our application for my husband? (and pay fees for her too?)

Also about my oldest, the webpage is unclear about what I need to send to get her citizenship papers - I have an old citizenship certificate (it has only the year I became a citizen is on it, and I don't have any other paperwork with my card).

THANK YOU!

Since you were already a citizen when each was born (and you are naturalized Canadian citizen) they are both citizens through you.

You're going to need the Certificate of Citizenship for the oldest to get a passport. If your youngest is less than 2 (you didn't say when in 2010 he was born), then you could get him a temporary passport if you are heading to Canada soon.