Canada is one of those few countries that gives assured citizenship to children born in Canada. If citizens living in Canada have been recognized to have children, then those children may get Canadian citizenship automatically. But just because a child is born in Canada, it doesn’t allow anyone to live in the country and become a citizen of Canada. If you want to acquire Canadian citizenship, there are easy legal processes to attain Canadian residency with a born child in Canada. However, the process of proving that the child is Canadian-born is lengthy.
If a Child is a Canadian Citizen
Canadian citizens if born in Canada, have children born outside of Canada, then those children automatically become Canadian citizens at birth. While if a child is born outside of Canada, post-April 2009, to a parent born outside of Canada and inherited the citizenship of Canada through one of their parents, is not to be treated as a Canadian citizen.
Canadian Passport for a Child
If a child is born in Canada and Canadian families who wish to travel home need to know the process in advance. To obtain a Canadian passport for a Canadian-born child, the application process needs to get started as soon as the birth of a child takes place because the entire process takes more than a year.
How to apply for a Child’s Canadian passport?
First and foremost, proof that a child is born in Canada or is Canadian is required, to apply for a Canadian-born child’s passport. The application for proof of citizenship needs to be submitted to the local or regional Canadian Consulate. When a Canadian citizenship certificate gets issued after an application is processed, you can apply for a passport.
Furthermore, in case you need to travel to Canada without obtaining supporting proof of citizenship, you can do so by getting an Emergency Travel Document for a child born abroad.
If A Child is Not A Canadian Citizen – What To Do?
A foreign-born child cannot acquire Canadian citizenship if the parents are born outside of Canada and inherited their citizenship from their parents.
The only way to apply and get Canadian citizenship is to stand eligible for sponsorship. As getting a Permanent residence through sponsorship will take you to the process of Canadian citizenship.
If a child becomes a Permanent Resident after the age of 18, then before applying for Canadian Citizenship, they will need to live in Canada for a minimum period of 3 years.
Requirements for Child Sponsorship; a child must:
- Be 18 years of age or older
- Be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident, or
- Intending to return to Canada or a person registered under the Indian Act of Canada
- Be able to provide for your basic needs and those of your dependent child
- Be able to prove the relationship to your child
- Not have a criminal record or a prisoner or in default of a previous sponsorship undertaking
Article Tags: Canada Immigration Guide