Child born to a Canadian Citizen outside Canada
- Thread starter S.K
- Start date
How anal retentive are they about us filling in N/A in every little blank space?
Also, my wife was a naturalized Canadian citizen at the time of our kids' birth, so my kids are automatically Canadian citizens. I am a birthright citizen of the US and NOT a Canadian. Do I need to fill out all my own personal information as well, even though my citizenship has no bearing on whether my kids are eligible for citizenship?
For that matter, do I need to fill out all the stuff about my wife's parents? They WERE Canadian citizens at the time of my kids' respective births, but it doesn't matter - my wife's Canadian citizenship qualifies my kids.
Also, my wife was a naturalized Canadian citizen at the time of our kids' birth, so my kids are automatically Canadian citizens. I am a birthright citizen of the US and NOT a Canadian. Do I need to fill out all my own personal information as well, even though my citizenship has no bearing on whether my kids are eligible for citizenship?
For that matter, do I need to fill out all the stuff about my wife's parents? They WERE Canadian citizens at the time of my kids' respective births, but it doesn't matter - my wife's Canadian citizenship qualifies my kids.
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Tried to fill out N/A as much as sanity permitted on my forms.
For the parents info (applicant's grandparents), I did a cover letter that explained for my father that it wasn't applicable (section 8B, father was born in Canada) and for my mother, both checkboxes were no (she was born outside Canada and neither answer applied).
Application was processed relatively quickly (2 months vs. 5 months CIC quoted).
As the father, yes you have to put in your personal information (especially since the child's birth certificate will have you listed on it) regardless of your own citizenship outside of Canada.
Yeah my parents were naturalized Canadians by the time I was born, and I'm a Canadian citizen by birth. I put NA all over the grandparent info because my daughter qualified on me being a Canadian citizen, not my parents (her grandparents). I also included a cover letter explaining that for the purposes of the form, the grandparent questions were not applicable to the applicant since her mother (me) was born in Canada and that was what she was getting her proof of citizenship based on.
Once more, I detest how that portion of the application is worded...probably most of those who work at CIC detest it too since it can be confusing for them as well when adjudicating them, if the applicant's one parent was born in Canada. They really need to add a box for "not applicable" in that part of the application.
Will they accept one set of supporting documents (ie a copy of the mother's Certificate of Citizenship, etc.) for two minor sibling applicants? I know you can send two applications together.
Also, does it matter if a certified copy of one of the supporting documents is "stale dated" or does that just apply to the application itself?
Also, does it matter if a certified copy of one of the supporting documents is "stale dated" or does that just apply to the application itself?
The email should come from Do Not Reply - Ne Pas Repondre <Client-update-mise-a-jour@cic.gc.ca> when your application is received and opened (Acknowledgement of Receipt/AOR). Note that this takes time from the actual delivery date of mail/courier package to CIC/IRCC - the difference was about 3 weeks or so after Canada Post delivered my application to it being opened.
If you've ever interacted with CIC before (e.g. a work permit/study permit or something like that), then your Unique Client Identifier (UCI) should remain the same. I had a UCI from a work permit and included in my application for proof of citizenship was a copy of it listing that. When I finally got the AOR, the UCI is the same. Even if you don't include your UCI they may be able to match you to it based off your name, date of birth, etc.
Until you get that email (assuming it doesn't go to spam) your application won't be trackable. Even when you do, the data in the application status tool is only updated daily, so you may get the email acknowledging reciept on a given day and not be able to track the status on the tool that day (should appear the next day).
Since I included an email on the application form, they did not physically mail me anything (e.g. a physical letter acknowledging receipt) until my application was approved and they actually mailed the Citizenship Certificate.
Based on an application rejected as incomplete from 2009 with my two siblings (only applied again this year by myself), I would recommend that you apply with a certified copy of each relevant supporting document per application, even if the applications are sent together, unless the notary fee is some barrier. If they consider the application incomplete, you will have to wait for them to send it back, get new certified copies per application, and then re-send it to Canada (time + cost), and wait for them to receive it/open it for review again.
As far as the dates of any certified copies, mine were all within 90 days of the time it arrived at CIC CPC-Sydney, but there is no mention of it on the site. The application must be received signed within 90 days of the date listed or it is stale, and the citizenship photos must be dated within six months of the application, but there is no mention of this for the certified copies of supporting documents.
So I just received my entire application back as incomplete (thought is was due to the new photo change)....I forgot to check the two boxes as "NO" under part 11 of the applications (my stupidity, forgot that I was filling it out for the child not myself when answering that question).
So I'm wondering, since the application was never under processing because of the missing check box, will they say the photos previously submitted are now "out-of-date" due to the different size requirements when receiving the application back???? There was no mention about the photos in the letter they sent.
They stamped the application as "received" with the date...does that mean they are sort of "holding" the case file open while waiting for me to resubmit the entire application again, or do I need to fill out a new one with new photos under the new size specifications?
And---if I send it back as is (with the checkboxes checked that I previously left blank)...will they still accept the photos even though they are the "old" size?
So I'm wondering, since the application was never under processing because of the missing check box, will they say the photos previously submitted are now "out-of-date" due to the different size requirements when receiving the application back???? There was no mention about the photos in the letter they sent.
They stamped the application as "received" with the date...does that mean they are sort of "holding" the case file open while waiting for me to resubmit the entire application again, or do I need to fill out a new one with new photos under the new size specifications?
And---if I send it back as is (with the checkboxes checked that I previously left blank)...will they still accept the photos even though they are the "old" size?
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@nyguy2 any thoughts on what I posted above? You seem to know what you're doing around here... 
To add onto my previous post:
I resubmitted the original application yesterday, with a short cover letter explaining what section I had left blank, how the previous one was returned, etc. and returned it with the letter CIC had sent me.
My main concern is the photos, now, and if they will be deemed "unusable" since now they are out of date (because my application was sent back as incomplete after the photo expiry date).
To add onto my previous post:
I resubmitted the original application yesterday, with a short cover letter explaining what section I had left blank, how the previous one was returned, etc. and returned it with the letter CIC had sent me.
My main concern is the photos, now, and if they will be deemed "unusable" since now they are out of date (because my application was sent back as incomplete after the photo expiry date).
I can't say. It's a tremendous pain for me to get the passport spec photos - the nearest place that can do it for me is in the city of NY (45 minute or longer drive plus parking, 75 minute each way train ride + subway), but if you live within NYC itself there are a number of places that can do it (just search yelp for Canadian passport photos). Given the processing time, cost of postage, and risk of a potential return of the application again, my instinct would be to get new photos done to the new specification before sending the application back to CPC Sydney.@nyguy2 any thoughts on what I posted above? You seem to know what you're doing around here...
To add onto my previous post:
I resubmitted the original application yesterday, with a short cover letter explaining what section I had left blank, how the previous one was returned, etc. and returned it with the letter CIC had sent me.
My main concern is the photos, now, and if they will be deemed "unusable" since now they are out of date (because my application was sent back as incomplete after the photo expiry date).
Too late now, I mailed back the original application with the left-out checkbox checked, yesterday. I'm hoping they will take into account the original date of receipt in terms of the photos...if they send a letter requesting new photos (but not the ENTIRE application back), then I'll have no problem getting new ones submitted. I know it may delay the case, but I'm not in any rush to get it.
They stamped the application as "received" with the date...does that mean they are sort of "holding" the case file open while waiting for me to resubmit the entire application again/request a refund? And will the re-submission of the original application still be valid under the original receipt date, or it's treated like an entirely new application altogether?
I don't know. If the application is not stale (more than six months since the date listed with the signature) and the pictures were taken around the time the application was signed, and that was around/before the spec change, I think they'll probably accept the existing photos.
It's not like they put the photograph on the certificate anyways, so I'm sure it's just part of your digital file at IRCC in case you apply for another citizenship certificate or have other interactions with them (for comparison). So tons of people are going to have photos to the old spec.
I think the only reason the spec changed was to make it easier to get the photo done. Now rather than having one obscure photo that most people don't need, any place that can take passport photos can now use the same format for citizenship.
Ah ok that makes sense. I was under the impression the photo would be on the certificate, as is the case in the States. Thanks!
Nah, my father only naturalized within the last five years, so I'm very familiar with the fact that the US certificate has the photo on it (had to get the exact date of naturalization to fill out CIT 0001E for the proof of Canadian citizenship). That made me all the more surprised that the certificate doesn't have the photo on it.
CIC used to issue Citizenship cards with the photos on them along with the certificate but that practice stopped in 2012, now the document that is de facto proof of identity and citizenship is the Canadian passport alone.
I got approved for US naturalization just 5 days ago (my ceremony is in about two weeks)...so I've been going through a lot of "government stuff" these past few months between Canada and the States lol
I'm a bit confused by the fee. I'm applying for a citizenship certificate for my minor children born to a Canadian mother. Is the fee $75?