ENGLANDIA

We have been here 3 yrs now and plan to apply for Canadian citizenship in the next couple of months.
My wife and 3 childrens passports will be expiring in Nov 2010.By getting Canadian citizenship do we have to apply for a Canadian passport or do we only just keep the British passport.

iaink

It doesnt matter. Canadian passports are a lot cheaper, but need to be renewed every 5 years. A UK passport will get you in the quick line when entering the UK, but slow you down entering the US...

Just because you have a Canadian citizenship card doesnt mean you have to have a canadian passport, I travelled with a UK passport and canadian citizenship card as proof of status here for a while, I just didnt fancy bending over and paying over $200 for a UK passport when the time came to renew.

ENGLANDIA

If we don,t renew our British passports in Nov and instead apply for Canadian passports can we still get British passports 5 yrs along the line.
How much is a 5yr renewal for British Passport and Canadian passport please ?

iaink

You will still be british, so yes.

Adult CDN passport is $78 from memory, compared to $224(US) to send off to washington for a (ten year) UK one.

Gail

If you haven't applied yet for your citizenship it is unlikely that it will be through by Nov so you will have to renew the British ones anyway. Everyone I know who has applied (Ontario) has waited over a year before even sitting the test

MR MOM

Just sat my test Jan 18 2010 having applied for citizenship Oct 2008 so about 15 months and thats straightforward with no snags application. If you want to travel in the next 18-24 months I would suggest renew your Brit passport, for sure.

iaink

Good point about the timing issue... I dont know too many expats happy to not have a passport of one sort or the other ready to go.

ENGLANDIA

We need to go back to visit family and friends so i,m just gonna renew my British passport in Nov for 10 yrs.My kids are 9 , 11 and 13 yrs of age -can i renew theirs for 10 yrs as well ?

misplacedheidi

No, kids are only for 5 years - they change I guess and it's a good excuse to get more money from us.

JAJ

Which is why many who are entitled to two or more choose to keep them active ... it means there is always access to one when the other is being renewed or sent away for a visa to be put in.

Ikatita

yes, and one passport is always current, while the other is away being renewed...

-- I also try to keep both our passports current.

--and, having a current passport when applying for a new one keeps having to find other proof/evidence of citizenship minimal (that applies to my German nationality, somehow the government assumes that anyone who hasn't held a passport in a while has lost their citizenship, and proof of citizenship then is this huge complicated lengthy process -- meaning that you won't have a passport for a while).

Relocateme

You have the choice of getting Canadian passports or using your British...I always travel with both...I just renewed ( Oct) sending off to Washington D.C...used to send to Ottawa but now the process has been centralized.
The total to renew mine was $281 dollars Cdn..which included the cost of the passport itself, the exchange rate, sending return courier fee, postage and cost of the photos....if there are five in your family..could mount up a bit..

the Canadian ones I believe are under a hundred, check to see if there is a family passport deal...if you decide on the British passport, call your place of photography ahead..I went straight to my local Walmart but was told they did not do pics for British passport..ended up calling and driving around the city wasting an afternoon..
One time I was glad I had packed my Cdn expired in my case since upon arriving at the Air Canada counter on a one way ticket back to Canada on my British passport the clerk did not want to let me through...good job I dug it out of the bag to prove citizenship..phew...straight to the lounge after that

I was impressed with the service from Washington and the new passport came to the door well within the time frame stated on the form..

CanadaJimmy

You have to wait a year for the citizenship test? Jeez. My passport expires towards the end of 2015 so after I get my PR by 2011 (providing all goes well) things are going to be cut rather finer than I expected.

Anyway, welcome to Surrey ENGLANDIA! I'm there too

Bad1

It is still cheaper than running with both isn't it??
(I wish I had seen this before I renewed or even got my first Canadian passport)
British/Canadian passports I mean.
"Better late than never"

Bad1

But if one travels primarily to the U S and if you have to go while the passport(s) British (Mine) or American (Wife) is being renewed you can drive down on your Canadian citizenship card right??