+1(514) 937-9445 or Toll-free (Canada & US) +1 (888) 947-9445

Child born to a Canadian Citizen outside Canada

nyguy2

Star Member
Nov 10, 2016
89
16
USA
How did you go about filling that portion out, and what was the result? I'm in the same boat- my dad was born in Canada, as was his mother. My mother (and her parents) were all born in USA. I have everything ready to go- certified copies, photos, have paid the application, etc., but I'm stuck on Section 8B because the wording is as clear as mud. Any help would be appreciated!
Thanks
I ended up delaying my application quite a bit (problem was down to paperwork) for two reasons:

  1. Notaries in my state (New York) and near me are not allowed to make certified true copies of vital records (birth/marriage/death). This made getting certified copies of my own birth certificate and my father's birth certificate (he was born in Canada) a huge issue. Solution: Flew to Ontario (was going to be there anyways) and had the originals notarized there.
  2. Getting the photo done to Canada's specs was a huge problem. Solution: Got this done in Ontario.
I ended up renewing my work permit in Canada (now valid through 2020, NAFTA LMIA exempt and apply at the border) which in hindsight may have been a bad move compared to applying for Citizenship urgently with the need to continue to be able to work in Canada as the reason. Oh well!

My application was complete and was tendered to a Canada Post office on 2nd July 2017 and received in Sydney on 7th July. At this point I have no AOR via email or mail and I'm just waiting to hear back.

Regarding section 8B - I left the first part of that blank (my father was the first parent I listed and he was born in Canada). Thus, the "if the applicant's parent was born outside Canada" part does not apply. For the second half of that page, I checked no (my mother is a US citizen born outside of Canada, and neither scenario applied).

To hopefully avoid processing delays, I included a cover letter in my application which explained two things:
1. That I had marked the number for my father's citizenship certificate as "n/a" as I had verified with him that he had a provincially issued birth certificate, but never a citizenship certificate.

2. That I had left the first half of section 8B on grandparents blank as my father was born inside of Canada, thus it did not meet the criteria of "if the applicant's parent was born outside of Canada" for either question, but I had checked "no" for the second half of that page as my mother was born outside of Canada.

So in short:

Application complete and mailed: 2nd July 2017
Application received at CSC-Sydney: 9th July 2017 (5 business days if you exclude the third as a mail holiday in Canada)
When they open it and say it's complete or not: TBD

I'll update you if I hear anything back (e.g. application complete, requests for clarification, etc.)
 
Last edited:

ch_wa

Star Member
May 13, 2012
53
7
Can anyone kindly advise if minor children born outside Canada to a parent before the parent became a Canadian citizen become eligible for citizenship immediately after they arrive/land in Canada as Permanent residents since I (naturalized Canadian citizen) being their parent had sponsored them. Any advice would be appreciated
 

ch_wa

Star Member
May 13, 2012
53
7
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/guides/CIT0003ETOC.asp


This link states that minor children (below 18) upon becoming a Permanent resident/landed immigrant become eligible for Canadian citizenship without having to fulfil 3years residency obligation that is there for adults if one of their parents is a Canadian citizen. I am a citizen and my minor kids have been issued PR visas. We plan to land in few weeks in Canada. Would I be able to apply kids citizenship straightaway since both kids are minors below age of 12 years. Guidance from seniors would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
 

alphazip

Champion Member
May 23, 2013
1,310
136
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/guides/CIT0003ETOC.asp


This link states that minor children (below 18) upon becoming a Permanent resident/landed immigrant become eligible for Canadian citizenship without having to fulfil 3years residency obligation that is there for adults if one of their parents is a Canadian citizen. I am a citizen and my minor kids have been issued PR visas. We plan to land in few weeks in Canada. Would I be able to apply kids citizenship straightaway since both kids are minors below age of 12 years. Guidance from seniors would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Yes, you can apply as soon as they land.
 

nyguy2

Star Member
Nov 10, 2016
89
16
USA
How did you go about filling that portion out, and what was the result? I'm in the same boat- my dad was born in Canada, as was his mother. My mother (and her parents) were all born in USA. I have everything ready to go- certified copies, photos, have paid the application, etc., but I'm stuck on Section 8B because the wording is as clear as mud. Any help would be appreciated!
Thanks
They said my application was received on 26th July (e.g. not incomplete) so I'm hoping they're fine with the wording of section 8B. I know that they state a 5 month processing time... it's been 14 business days/22 days total since then so I'm hoping to hear back soon (based on the feedback from other threads, seems like 18-20 business days is realistic if your proof of citizenship application is straightforward. Experiences could vary widely though). Still waiting...
 

Going through

Star Member
Jul 30, 2017
69
7
I ended up delaying my application quite a bit (problem was down to paperwork) for two reasons:

  1. Notaries in my state (New York) and near me are not allowed to make certified true copies of vital records (birth/marriage/death). This made getting certified copies of my own birth certificate and my father's birth certificate (he was born in Canada) a huge issue. Solution: Flew to Ontario (was going to be there anyways) and had the originals notarized there.
  2. Getting the photo done to Canada's specs was a huge problem. Solution: Got this done in Ontario.
I ended up renewing my work permit in Canada (now valid through 2020, NAFTA LMIA exempt and apply at the border) which in hindsight may have been a bad move compared to applying for Citizenship urgently with the need to continue to be able to work in Canada as the reason. Oh well!

My application was complete and was tendered to a Canada Post office on 2nd July 2017 and received in Sydney on 7th July. At this point I have no AOR via email or mail and I'm just waiting to hear back.

Regarding section 8B - I left the first part of that blank (my father was the first parent I listed and he was born in Canada). Thus, the "if the applicant's parent was born outside Canada" part does not apply. For the second half of that page, I checked no (my mother is a US citizen born outside of Canada, and neither scenario applied).

To hopefully avoid processing delays, I included a cover letter in my application which explained two things:
1. That I had marked the number for my father's citizenship certificate as "n/a" as I had verified with him that he had a provincially issued birth certificate, but never a citizenship certificate.

2. That I had left the first half of section 8B on grandparents blank as my father was born inside of Canada, thus it did not meet the criteria of "if the applicant's parent was born outside of Canada" for either question, but I had checked "no" for the second half of that page as my mother was born outside of Canada.

So in short:

Application complete and mailed: 2nd July 2017
Application received at CSC-Sydney: 9th July 2017 (5 business days if you exclude the third as a mail holiday in Canada)
When they open it and say it's complete or not: TBD

I'll update you if I hear anything back (e.g. application complete, requests for clarification, etc.)

I'm applying for proof of citizenship for my minor child, and almost exactly in the same boat as you. I decided to get my ID documents notarized, as well as her ID documents notarized (even though it's not required) as they felt more "official" to me rather than just sending in regular photocopies. The NY notary I went to ended up notarizing my signature on them as "true copies of the original document" (this worked for my US citizenship application, so I figured it'd be good enough for Canada). Again, I know I didn't need to do this, but just felt more formal to me rather than plain ol' photocopies. The birth certificate (mine and hers) were certified copies of the originals however, ordered from the records office.

My Canadian certified short form is so old they probably look completely different now (it was ordered decades ago), so I'm hoping that won't be an issue in and of itself. Oh well, it's better than nothing I suppose.

For section 8B, same as you---the first part didn't apply because the applicant's parent (myself) was born in Canada. The applicant's other parent (my husband) was born in the US, same with his parents. The first half of the page, I left both checkboxes blank and wrote N/A next to both yes/no questions on the right-hand side of the page, and wrote N/A next to the number of both yes/no questions on the left-hand side. I figure whichever side the person looks at, I'm covered lol

I put N/A in all the following grandparent info boxes. For the "other parent", I checked "no" for both boxes, and put N/A in all the following grandparent info boxes.

Since one of the applicant's parents was born in Canada (myself) I didn't put anything in the Canadian Certificate No. except for N/A. I figure whomever looks at the application, can figure it out pretty quickly from looking at the documents and rest of the application that one of the parents was born in Canada, and that is what the applicant is applying under. I know some put the birth certificate number but I didn't want to do that incase it confuses the person thinking that's my certificate no. and that neither of the applicant's parents were Canadian citizens by birth. I think I'm fine with putting N/A there since the application explicity asks about parents and what country they were born in/citizens of, on the next page or so.

I'm mailing my application out to Sydney today (from NYC)---wish me luck, and good luck in your application as well! I'll comment back here on whether my application was accepted as is with the 8B info filled out as well. (crossing fingers)
 

nyguy2

Star Member
Nov 10, 2016
89
16
USA
How did you go about filling that portion out, and what was the result? I'm in the same boat- my dad was born in Canada, as was his mother. My mother (and her parents) were all born in USA. I have everything ready to go- certified copies, photos, have paid the application, etc., but I'm stuck on Section 8B because the wording is as clear as mud. Any help would be appreciated!
Thanks
They ended up being fine with the way I filled 8B (checked "no" for both boxes for my mother who was born outside of Canada, checked neither yes/no for my father since he was born in Canada, and cover letter explaining that).

  1. We received your application for a citizenship certificate (proof of Canadian citizenship) on July 7, 2017.
  2. We sent you correspondence acknowledging receipt of your application(s) on July 26, 2017.
  3. We started processing your application on August 25, 2017.
  4. We sent you a letter on August 25, 2017. Please consider delays in mail delivery before contacting us.
  5. We sent you a citizenship certificate on August 25, 2017. Please consider delays in mail delivery before contacting us.
 
  • Like
Reactions: goblue

nyguy2

Star Member
Nov 10, 2016
89
16
USA
I'm mailing my application out to Sydney today (from NYC)---wish me luck, and good luck in your application as well! I'll comment back here on whether my application was accepted as is with the 8B info filled out as well. (crossing fingers)
IRCC/CIC did end up accepting my application yesterday (processed and approved) with 8B filled in that way, so I'm sure the application you are making will be fine.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Going through

Going through

Star Member
Jul 30, 2017
69
7
They ended up being fine with the way I filled 8B (checked "no" for both boxes for my mother who was born outside of Canada, checked neither yes/no for my father since he was born in Canada, and cover letter explaining that).

  1. We received your application for a citizenship certificate (proof of Canadian citizenship) on July 7, 2017.
  2. We sent you correspondence acknowledging receipt of your application(s) on July 26, 2017.
  3. We started processing your application on August 25, 2017.
  4. We sent you a letter on August 25, 2017. Please consider delays in mail delivery before contacting us.
  5. We sent you a citizenship certificate on August 25, 2017. Please consider delays in mail delivery before contacting us.
They really should consider redoing the form the way they have it currently laid out. I would think most people applying fall into the category of having at least ONE parent born *in* Canada...a simple third checkbox with [ ] Not Applicable would save a lot of applicants (and IRCC) from any confusion.

Good luck with your application---I just mailed mine only yesterday, so I figure I have at least a week before stressing out about it while waiting for delivery (sent it registered, as per USPS's suggestion at the post office for the best way of tracking actual delivery on both sides of the border).

Why the month-long wait between receiving your application and beginning processing, I wonder? And almost 20 days for them to send a receipt notice out, wow...

I'm hoping that the receipt notice reflects the post date of when it was actually mailed? I'm wondering if by the time they actually acknowledge receipt of my package, my daughter's photos might be outdated since it was so close to the 6-month expiry by the time I actually sent my application out. I'd hate for them to turn around and then say the photos are "expired" and send the application back due to a time-delay on their end.
 

nyguy2

Star Member
Nov 10, 2016
89
16
USA
They really should consider redoing the form the way they have it currently laid out. I would think most people applying fall into the category of having at least ONE parent born *in* Canada...a simple third checkbox with [ ] Not Applicable would save a lot of applicants (and IRCC) from any confusion.

Good luck with your application---I just mailed mine only yesterday, so I figure I have at least a week before stressing out about it while waiting for delivery (sent it registered, as per USPS's suggestion at the post office for the best way of tracking actual delivery on both sides of the border).

Why the month-long wait between receiving your application and beginning processing, I wonder? And almost 20 days for them to send a receipt notice out, wow...

I'm hoping that the receipt notice reflects the post date of when it was actually mailed? I'm wondering if by the time they actually acknowledge receipt of my package, my daughter's photos might be outdated since it was so close to the 6-month expiry by the time I actually sent my application out. I'd hate for them to turn around and then say the photos are "expired" and send the application back due to a time-delay on their end.
#1 (We received your application...) reflects the day on which Canada Post delivered my envelope to Sydney.

#2 (We sent you correspondence acknowledging receipt) reflects when CIC/IRCC opened the envelope and checked that all of the documents that were supposed to be included actually were. I received an email at the email I listed on that day, and this is the first point at which my application was trackable online.

#3 is when they actually reviewed the contents of my application (vs. just the forms/documents included) and #4 and #5 are basically application accepted, all appeared at once. Oddly enough, I didn't receive an email for these, but they showed up a day later (Saturday August 26th) in the application status tool.

As far as why the delay is so long, who knows. I'm just glad that it only took ~2 months instead of the listed 5.
 

Going through

Star Member
Jul 30, 2017
69
7
#1 (We received your application...) reflects the day on which Canada Post delivered my envelope to Sydney.

#2 (We sent you correspondence acknowledging receipt) reflects when CIC/IRCC opened the envelope and checked that all of the documents that were supposed to be included actually were. I received an email at the email I listed on that day, and this is the first point at which my application was trackable online.

#3 is when they actually reviewed the contents of my application (vs. just the forms/documents included) and #4 and #5 are basically application accepted, all appeared at once. Oddly enough, I didn't receive an email for these, but they showed up a day later (Saturday August 26th) in the application status tool.

As far as why the delay is so long, who knows. I'm just glad that it only took ~2 months instead of the listed 5.

Thank you so much for the clarification! Yeah you got through super-quick---gives me some hope that mine may be handled just as fast :)
 

nyguy2

Star Member
Nov 10, 2016
89
16
USA
Thank you so much for the clarification! Yeah you got through super-quick---gives me some hope that mine may be handled just as fast :)
Yeah, just make sure that you send the mail trackable, and add it to Packagetrackr (you can add packages from different couriers and it will regularly check the status, and send you an email when it's out for delivery). I

I think letter mail traditionally processes the border pretty quick, but sometimes things get wonky with customs (I ordered two certified birth extracts from British Columbia, both were issued on the same day - one arrived within two weeks, the other took six weeks. I thought it was lost). Especially once you get the citizenship certificate and you have to send in the original (assuming you apply for a passport by mail), I would pay extra for trackable expedited mail or courier (UPS/Fedex). Not worth the hassle and the cost and wait to re-apply for a new citizenship certificate if it gets lost in the mail on the way to Canada.
 

wilts001

Member
Jul 10, 2017
11
8
I sent my daughter's application end of August. It reached CPC, Sydney on September 1st. What should I expect now? Am I going to get an e-mail with the application number? Would I able to track it by using the payment receipt number?
 

nyguy2

Star Member
Nov 10, 2016
89
16
USA
Well, I'm officially done. But unlike GoshoJosh06, I now get to move on to a different (and more time consuming/difficult) citizenship by descent, so I'm just moving on to another "project" ;)

Citizenship Certificate Application Mailed: 2nd July 2017
Delivered to CIC: 7th July 2017
AOR: 26th July 2017
Approval: 25th August 2017
Application marked "complete": 31st August 2017
Receipt of certificate: 9th September 2017

Applied for passport in-person: 14th September 2017
Mail out date: 20th September 2017
Receipt: 21st September 20176 Before 10:30AM (FedEx Priority Overnight was used, and I got an email alerting me of the shipment because I am enrolled in FedEx Delivery Manager). This was part of the standard $260 CAD fee for a 10 year passport mailed to the United States, and I did not apply for the passport with urgent/expedited processing.