Mrs. B.

Hi everyone, hopefully someone can help me here as I'm pulling my hair out trying to sort this. My hubby got a job in Canada so we are moving in the next month or so........... So himself and our 3 kids were going to travel on his LMO. I have Canadian citizenship (via decent as I wasn't born in Canada) so I'm going to sponsor them all when we get there. My eldest 2 kids are entitled to citizenship because they were born before 2009 (laws changed since then so my youngest is not entitled to it) I already knew this but what I didn't know was that my boys may be refused entry into the country because of this. I have tried to look up info on the CIC website but I cannot find anything and the consulate officer has said its a tricky one, but couldn't give me an answer. I was told 6 months ago that I could do it all from Canada once there, now I'm told I should do it now, but it takes 6-12 months and as we are going in a short time I need to sort it asap. Is it possible to apply for them and be in receipt of application but have it sent to our Canadian address? Can anyone help or is there anyone in a similar position?

christmasoompa

Can you even travel on your husband's LMO if you are Canadian citizens? I didn't think you could get a visa if you were citizens?

For your children, proof of citizenship will take a year or so, but this might be useful reading - http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resourc...2009/ob154.asp

HTH.

Mrs. B.

I wont be travelling on my husbands LMO as I am a Canadian citizen. My children and husband are not. So my children will travel on his LMO but because 2 of my children were born before 2009 they are entitled to be citizens. The consulate said today that because of this they may be refused entry into Canada. Or that I may be required to have a return ticket for them. Thanks for your info, I am still very confused about the whole thing so I think a good nights sleep and another phone call tomorrow is in order.

christmasoompa

That was my point, that I didn't think they could go as dependents on a visa if they are citizens?

Best thing to do imo is apply for their proof of citizenship as a matter of urgency, obviously it won't be through by the time you leave but at least if you've applied then it's underway.

And they are unlikely to have any issue entering Canada imo, plenty on the forum have done exactly that with Canadian citizen kids. You'll just need to show proof that they are citizens and that you've applied for their certificate registrations, and personally I wouldn't put them as dependents on your husband's TWP application, as that is a point against them being citizens (if they were citizens, why would they need a visa etc).

Good luck!

Mrs. B.

They are not yet citizens tho, they are just entitled to be citizens which I have not yet applied for. Its all so stressful, took me an hour to get through to anybody today and she more or less told me nothing and to look on CIC which I did and couldn't find anywhere that I could further info. So you think I should just apply for their citizenship and have proof that I have done so? They will still have to go on my husbands LMO tho wont they as they will not have citizenship through for another year or so? I was going to sponsor my husband and youngest child once we were there. As I heard you cant have 2 applications in process at the same time. Sorry I'm tired now so I hope I am making sense

christmasoompa

No, you're applying for their proof of citizenship, they already are citizens by virtue of the law.

Think of it this way, if you had a baby in the UK they'd be a UK citizen from birth right, even if you hadn't applied for a passport for them? The passport is just the proof of citizenship, not the actual citizenship itself, and that's what you need.

Apply for their proof of citizenship, yes. At least then you can show an immigration officer that it's in process.

As I said above, I don't think they can go on his application as a citizen can't get a visa. Just as you don't need a visa, neither do they - they are a citizen just like you, but they just don't have the paperwork to prove it yet.

You can, that's no problem. Ideally you'd have sponsored them before leaving the UK, but you can go with it underway - again, it would be better from the immigration officer's point of view to have it in process. I think that FL (our 'pet' CBSA officer on the forum) says that you should get past the first stage i.e. sponsor approval, and then shouldn't have any problems being admitted to Canada if you can show you've done that.

HTH a bit, don't panic! Just get it all underway and then you can go and wait for it to be processed in Canada, imo they're very unlikely to refuse your children entry although hopefully FL will see this thread and tell you what you need to minimize that risk.

Good luck.

Mrs. B.

Oh my god, thank you, that all makes perfect sense (haha finally I get it) totally did not know that information. Thank you so much again!!! This site is truly wonderful for helping each other!!!

JAJ

Are you absolutely sure that you were Canadian before the 2009 law change? Were you born on or after February 15, 1977? If not, then it could be a more complex issue.

However, you should know that as soon as the youngest is granted PR in Canada, he or she can immediately be granted Canadian citizenship. No residence requirement for children under 18 with PR + a Canadian parent.

Canada does not (yet) have a law requiring Canadian citizens to use Canadian passports. So as long as they have visa-waiver passports, they can use these to travel to Canada. If their passports require visas, then it would be more complex as Canadian citizens can't get visas, normally. What's their nationality?

Mrs. B.

I was born in 1976, got my citizenship in 2008. Thank you for your reply, there is so much I don't know about it all. That's good news about my youngest. My older children were born in Ireland and because I am married to a kiwi, they both have new Zealand and irish citizenship. What is visa waiver passports?

Siouxie

Any passport belonging to a person who comes from a visa-waiver country - in other words, anyone who doesn't need a visa to enter Canada as a visitor.

The full list of countries is in the 2nd part of this list: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/visas.asp

UK, Ireland and New Zealand passport holders are all visa exempt.

Mrs. B.

Excellent news! Thank you - But I will still need proof of citizenship for them wont I? We are living in new Zealand at the moment and the consulate does not deal with this kind of thing. So I have to go via the Sydney Australia office which only deals with enquires via email. Havnt heard back from them yet

Siouxie

You use this application package for the Citizenship Certificate(s): http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/informa...ons/certif.asp

General info:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/citizenship/proof-how.asp

The application is submitted to Sydney, Nova Scotia.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Case Processing Centre–Proof
P.O. Box 10000
Sydney, Nova Scotia B1P 7C1

Current processing times is 6 months from receipt of acknowledgement.

If you wished to enter Canada before you receive confirmation of Citizenship of your 2 elder children, I believe you could bring your Citizenship Certificate, your childrens' birth certificates and proof of application for Citizenship Certificates for them and enter on their UK passports.

Mrs. B.

Thank you so much for this information, just one more question - how current is that link that you provided? I thought that the citizen photos required a signature strip on them? Has it changed?

Siouxie

You are most welcome.

That is a direct link from the CIC website and as such is current.

For photo specifications see this reference from the Citizenship Application guide: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/informa...ospecs-cit.asp

Mrs. B.

Hi me again, can you tell me if 'certificate of proof of Canadian citizenship' and 'application for a Canadian citizenship certificate' are the same thing? Will try my best not to take too many stupid pills tomorrow