How close to deadline may I apply for a child's citizenship certificate?

[toby]

I have been told that it is easier to get citizenship for a child born outside Canada, to a Canadian citizen, IF it is done before the child reaches two years of age.

I forget exactly why this is, but that's not my question.  My question is, can I wait until a few days before the two-year deadline, or should I apply a few months before the child reaches two years of age?


Thanks

[PMM]

Hi

I have been told that it is easier to get citizenship for a child born outside Canada, to a Canadian citizen, IF it is done before the child reaches two years of age.

I forget exactly why this is, but that's not my question.  My question is, can I wait until a few days before the two-year deadline, or should I apply a few months before the child reaches two years of age?


Thanks

1.  Because Passport Canada won't issue a limited validity passport to children over the age of two. So if you wait, the child will be over 2 before it is issued.
2.  You have to apply for proof of citizenship, and then apply for the passport.
3.  If over the age of two, most likely a facilitation visa FW will be issued instead if travel is urgent.
4.  See: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/manuals/bulletins/2009/ob154.asp
5.

[aikarex]

Hi

1.  Because Passport Canada won't issue a limited validity passport to children over the age of two. So if you wait, the child will be over 2 before it is issued.
2.  You have to apply for proof of citizenship, and then apply for the passport.
3.  If over the age of two, most likely a facilitation visa FW will be issued instead if travel is urgent.
4.  See: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/manuals/bulletins/2009/ob154.asp
5.

Hi,

I had the same situation but my son was turning 3 this Feb. If ever my visa arrives, i can't apply for a limited validity passport because he was over 2 year old?

I already applied for his citizenship card last Nov. 23, Embassy of Canada(Manila).It was too late for us to realize that he shouldn't be on my application as a family class 'coz his father was a Canadian citizen the time that he was born

What is FW by the way?

Thanks!

[toby]

Hi

1.  Because Passport Canada won't issue a limited validity passport to children over the age of two. So if you wait, the child will be over 2 before it is issued.
2.  You have to apply for proof of citizenship, and then apply for the passport.
3.  If over the age of two, most likely a facilitation visa FW will be issued instead if travel is urgent.
4.  See: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/manuals/bulletins/2009/ob154.asp
5.

Thanks for the Op Manual.

1) May I assume from your answer that if the child won't need to go to Canada for a few years, then there is no particular difficulty waiting until after the child reaches 2 years of age to apply for a citizenship certificate? That is, the only problem is that he could not then get a limited-validity passport for urgent travel to Canada?

2) Once the citizenship certificate has been received (I read here that it takes about a year), how long to get a regular passport for the child?

I ask this because it is likely the child will go to Canada only after reaching 4-5 years of age. So, if the citizenship certificate takes a year to get, and the regular passport another year to get, we could comfortably start the process at the child's age 2.

[PMM]

Hi

Thanks for the Op Manual.

1) May I assume from your answer that if the child won't need to go to Canada for a few years, then there is no particular difficulty waiting until after the child reaches 2 years of age to apply for a citizenship certificate? That is, the only problem is that he could not then get a limited-validity passport for urgent travel to Canada?

2) Once the citizenship certificate has been received (I read here that it takes about a year), how long to get a regular passport for the child?

I ask this because it is likely the child will go to Canada only after reaching 4-5 years of age. So, if the citizenship certificate takes a year to get, and the regular passport another year to get, we could comfortably start the process at the child's age 2.

1.  The proof will probably take less than a year, some people have reported receiving them in about 4/5 months.
2.  Passport about 15 days after application.

[toby]

Hi

1.  The proof will probably take less than a year, some people have reported receiving them in about 4/5 months.
2.  Passport about 15 days after application.

Thanks, PMM, and Happy New Year to you.

\For what it's worth to others in our situation (my wife's and mine), the Consulate in Guangzhou says the only possible problem win waiting too long is that Citizenship may ask why we waited so long.  That's the only problem.

Also, here's an interesting sidelight.

I emailed the Consulate in Guangzhou with a copy of the birth certificate, asking if it alone was sufficient or whether it needed to be notarized as authentic (as mentioned in the website user's guide). Getting it notarized would have been quite problematic (requiring a long, arduous trip to the admin centre nearest to my wife's home town,  etc.) Given that birth certificates are produced out of a central database nowadays, I suggested that notarization was superfluous, and Guangzhou said no, the Certificate itself was sufficient.

Here's where it gets confusing. Somehow the Consulate in Shanghai got a copy of my email, and replied that yes, if I went through their Consulate, notarization would indeed be necessary. I queried Shanghai, asking whether we had to go through them or through Guangzhou, and pointing out the Guangzhou had already said that notarization was not necessary. SHanghai replied that Guangzhou had jurisdiction, and that I should satisfy their particular requirements.

So, back to NOT needing notarization.

It appears that different consulates have different requirements, that are not always spelled out on the user guides. For this and many other reasons, I believe that the Immigration-visa system needs a thorough overhaul.  Procedures should be standard from one consulate or embassy to another. And even if there are individual differences allowed, they should be spelled out clearly in user guides specific to the embassy or consulate.

Otherwise the immigrant or applicant is burdened with unnecessary uncertainty and guesswork .