How long does it take to receive Canadian Cit. Card for Baby?

[antda 13]

Technically, they are already Canadian citizens. The journey is to get the identification that helps them prove they are.

Neiks-That's true...They are already Canadian citizens, because they have Canadian parents...

But not from a legal standpoint, I don't think this is the case unless they have the paperwork/cards for such....

Lol..I dare not say to the Canadian border guards that my American-born son is Canadian....unless he has a Canadian citizenship card....

(by the way, if I did say that my son is Canadian, would that be illegal without the paperwork?...hmmm...just curious....but won't try it out...)

Lol...maybe he can borrow my citizenship card that I had as a child...I have no use for such now...(just kidding)....

But yeah, getting American-born children their Canadian citizenship status...

That's another immigration journey...

Ant

P.S. Another question: Can Canadian Citizenship cards be "expired"? Seriously....

For example, my card was given when I was a child, and has no expiry date on it, but can I still use it? Or would it be illegal to use such for land border crossings back to Canada, in lieu of a valid Canadian passport?....Just wondering....for later on down the road..when my Canadian passport expires and I don't have plans on renewing it....As well, can I cross back into Canada with an expired Canadian passport too...a few years later?....

Edited January 9, 2010 by Ant+D+BabyA

[trailmix 77]

Neiks-That's true...They are already Canadian citizens, because they have Canadian parents...

But not from a legal standpoint, I don't think this is the case unless they have the paperwork/cards for such....

From a legal standpoint they are Canadian citizens. You don't actually have to 'file paperwork' to make you a citizen.

For instance, I have dual citizenship. I only documented my U.S. citizenship in 2007, by getting a U.S. passport. In there it states I have been a citizen since birth.

[antda 13]

From a legal standpoint they are Canadian citizens. You don't actually have to 'file paperwork' to make you a citizen.

For instance, I have dual citizenship. I only documented my U.S. citizenship in 2007, by getting a U.S. passport. In there it states I have been a citizen since birth.

Trailmix-Lol..now you got me even more confused!

Aren't American born children supposed to apply for a Canadian Citizenship Card and then apply for a Canadian passport, to prove their Canadian Citizenship that they obtained via their parent being Canadian? Lol..I thought this message thread was about such.....

And how did you have dual citizenship in 2007, but then it states that you've been dual since birth? Huh? Did you obtain US Citizenship through a US parent, or something else?...

Ant (Confused... )

[trailmix 77]

Aren't American born children supposed to apply for a Canadian Citizenship Card and then apply for a Canadian passport, to prove their Canadian Citizenship that they obtained via their parent being Canadian? Lol..I thought this message thread was about such.....

And how did you have dual citizenship in 2007, but then it states that you've been dual since birth? Huh? Did you obtain US Citizenship through a US parent, or something else?...

I have derivative U.S. citizenship.

American born (Canadian) children can apply for a Canadian citizenship card which they would need to then apply for a Canadian passport - but those are fundamentals - things you have to do to prove your citizenship. Not having them does not make you any less of a citizen.

Yes, this thread is about Canadians born out of Canada that have Canadian citizenship, my example was really just expanding on what neiks has stated - basically that your children are Canadian citizens right now today and have been since they were born. You or they can choose to document that if you want to - but whether you do or not does not make them either Canadian citizens or not - if that makes more sense.

I guess you could then ask the question, if you have a particular citizenship and you never document it with the government of that country, does that mean you are not a citizen? Is citizenship something you are born with or is it purely a legal term.

If you are born in a hut in the far north and your Mother never registers your birth, are you not Canadian?

[neiks 19]

Yep, Trailmix is correct. I am a CBSA officer. My second son born in the US is just as Canadian when he was born as my first son that was born in Canada. The citizenship card is just proof for my US born son. If I move back to Canada tomorrow my US born son (even without a citizenship card) is Canadian and has every right as any other Canadian.

The main reason for the Canadian citzenship card is for an easy ID for proof. Years from now he isn't always going to be travelling with his Canadian mommy that carries her Canadian passport and his birth certifcate to make the his Canadian citizenship apparent.

[neiks 19]

Another question: Can Canadian Citizenship cards be "expired"? Seriously....

For example, my card was given when I was a child, and has no expiry date on it, but can I still use it? Or would it be illegal to use such for land border crossings back to Canada, in lieu of a valid Canadian passport?....Just wondering....for later on down the road..when my Canadian passport expires and I don't have plans on renewing it....As well, can I cross back into Canada with an expired Canadian passport too...a few years later?....

Your Canadian Citizenship card doesn't expire. They do need a better system of updating photos on the cards though. I have seen cards of many "seniors" that where issued when they were children. So, short answer, is yes, you can still use your Canadian citizenship card to enter Canada as a Canadian citizen.

[antda 13]

Trailmix..Ahh now it makes more sense...Thanks for further explaining about that too...

That's great too, that you have derivative US Citizenship! Lucky you, that you have US Citizenship this way! No worries about naturalization or anything like that...You're automatically dual American/Canadian! And yes, that certainly makes it easier for you and your spouse too (by the way, is your husband going to be a dual citizen later on too?).

Yes, now I see that the American-born children of Canadian parents are Canadian, regardless of if they have to prove this citizenship or not. It is good that Canada allows for such, and in ways, children like this are lucky to have dual citizenship this way, instantly, by birth.

However, I think this is also a legal thing too, as I think by law they also have to claim their Canadian citizenship (by age 28, I think, from what I've read before). And that by doing such, they will have to get some sort of document to prove their Canadian citizenship, such as by the citizenship card and/or eventually a Canadian passport, for travel purposes.

So on one sense, they are Canadian, but from a legal sense, they are not yet Canadian unless they have the proper documentation.

Lol..funny that you mention the example about the mother in the far north giving birth in a hut (or in an igloo..lol..just kidding...).

From an obvious sense, yes, since they are born on Canadian soil and have ties to Canadian parents, then they are Canadian...

But it isn't until they are registered as Canadian that they can actually be legally Canadian for legal purposes, such as identification, travel, etc.

I give you another example...

I was born in another country (not Canada). However, that country does not allow dual/triple citizenship. And when I became a Canadian citizen through naturalization, I "lost" that birth country's citizenship, and I have no rights in that country anymore, as far as I know (and have attempted to legally renounce such, but couldn't do it yet). Besides, I never did want that country's citizenship anyways, so it makes no difference to me there, except that I run into problems because others think that i have citizenship to this country, but in legal fact, I don't and I have to clarify this with immigraiton and whoever else, which makes it extra confusing. And my son, cannot claim this other country's citizenship, so he is not a citizen of that country either. So being born in a country or having some ties to a country does not necessarily mean that one is a citizen of a country, as steps are needed to protect and maintain this right too, depending on the countries' rules.

Canada is fortunate that way, that it does allow dual/triple citizenship and that it allows decendents to claim citizenship this way too..

Nevertheless, I'm glad that I am still Canadian and now am American. And likewise, my son is Canadian/American too, but needs the legal paperwork later on down the road to prove such.

Lol..Again, I don't think I can legally claim that my son is Canadian when travelling and for other purposes, unless he has the proper paperwork...Though neverthless, he is still Canadian anyways....To me, and to everyone else in the VJ Canada forum..I think...lol....

Ant

I have derivative U.S. citizenship.

American born (Canadian) children can apply for a Canadian citizenship card which they would need to then apply for a Canadian passport - but those are fundamentals - things you have to do to prove your citizenship. Not having them does not make you any less of a citizen.

Yes, this thread is about Canadians born out of Canada that have Canadian citizenship, my example was really just expanding on what neiks has stated - basically that your children are Canadian citizens right now today and have been since they were born. You or they can choose to document that if you want to - but whether you do or not does not make them either Canadian citizens or not - if that makes more sense.

I guess you could then ask the question, if you have a particular citizenship and you never document it with the government of that country, does that mean you are not a citizen? Is citizenship something you are born with or is it purely a legal term.

If you are born in a hut in the far north and your Mother never registers your birth, are you not Canadian?

[antda 13]

Neiks-Thanks for your reply and explaination too. Lol..That's why I asked you about the citizenship card thing...I figured that you would know more, since you are a Canadian border guard!.. (By the way, don't be surprised if I ask you and other vjers more Canadian border crossing questions too....lol....Canada seems so foreign to me now...) And overall, I find that Canadian border guards are quite nice and friendly to deal with, from my experiences crossing over the border back to Canada...I've had no problems at all with them! (Sigh..I wish the American border guards can learn a thing or two from them...lol..)

And yes, now I understand further about how Canadian children born in the US are just as Canadian as Canadian born children, who derived their citizenship from their parents, like in your case with your sons.

As I mentioned before in my previous post, on one sense, they are Canadian, but from a legal sense, they are not yet Canadian unless they have the proper documentation. Lol..surely I cannot cross the border with my US born son and claim him as Canadian, without the proper proof?

So like what you mentioned, a Canadian citizenship card and/or Canadian passport is needed for such legal proof. And yeah, as children grow into adults, they will not be travelling with their Canadian parents either....So this is more of a reason for these children to get such identification.

But in my case, I'm going to let my son decide for himself, when he is old enough, as to if he wants to get this Canadian identification or not, as I don't want to impose something on a minor that is incapable of making such a decision yet (heck, my son can't even make any decisions at 5 months old now..lol..). And whatever he decides, I will help him with that decision too and will help him that as much as I can as a parent.

Thanks too, for telling me about the "outdated" citizenship card. Glad to know that it is still "valid" and that I can still use it for travel and other purposes, despite it not being a birth certificate. I guess I don't have to worry about "updating" that either, as it is not required of me to do such! Lol..funny that you saw seniors with cards that were issued many years ago. Lol..Do they still look the same? (just kidding)..Hmm...I wonder if anyone has ever passed off their card to their children, since the photo matches them instead of the original card holder...(just kidding...I don't think I'll be passing my card off to my "daughter"...which I don't have...lol...). Does the same hold true for passports too? Can one travel back to Canada on an expired Canadian passport and an outdated citizenship card without any problems? If this is the case...then that would sure save me a lot of time and money there! No need to ever renew my citizenship card and Canadian passport ever again!...Hope the other Canadian border guards think the same way too...as I don't want to be pulled into secondary because of this....Lol...Funny how travelling back to Canada seems like a "foreign" country to me now ithat I'm an n American...lol...

Ant

Yep, Trailmix is correct. I am a CBSA officer. My second son born in the US is just as Canadian when he was born as my first son that was born in Canada. The citizenship card is just proof for my US born son. If I move back to Canada tomorrow my US born son (even without a citizenship card) is Canadian and has every right as any other Canadian.

The main reason for the Canadian citzenship card is for an easy ID for proof. Years from now he isn't always going to be travelling with his Canadian mommy that carries her Canadian passport and his birth certifcate to make the his Canadian citizenship apparent.

Your Canadian Citizenship card doesn't expire. They do need a better system of updating photos on the cards though. I have seen cards of many "seniors" that where issued when they were children. So, short answer, is yes, you can still use your Canadian citizenship card to enter Canada as a Canadian citizen.

Edited January 10, 2010 by Ant+D+BabyA

[neiks 19]

Just wanted to update that I got the "acknowledge receipt" from CIC that my sons Canadian citizenship certificate application was recieved. Says on it to expect to receive his certificate within 5-7 months if no further info is needed. I checked online at CIC using my Client ID # but it doesn't look it's made it into the computer system yet. Looks like it takes 5 months for them to acknowledge that it was received and another 5-7 months to get the card. So looks like the whole process is going to take a year to complete.

[trailmix 77]

Just wanted to update that I got the "acknowledge receipt" from CIC that my sons Canadian citizenship certificate application was recieved. Says on it to expect to receive his certificate within 5-7 months if no further info is needed. I checked online at CIC using my Client ID # but it doesn't look it's made it into the computer system yet. Looks like it takes 5 months for them to acknowledge that it was received and another 5-7 months to get the card. So looks like the whole process is going to take a year to complete.

That's a pathetic timeline.

[antda 13]

That's a pathetic timeline.

Lol..It could be worse...Like the USCIS timeline... ......

Which for me still says..."scheduled for interview"....Even though I've been a US Citizen for about 2 months already!....

Oh and it took me 10 months for a green card which I then had to give back and pay a fortune for...

A lot slower than getting a baby born (9 months) and getting a citizenship certificate for my son (less than 10 months I think)...lol.....

Neiks-Good luck with getting the citizenship card for your child...Hope it doesn't take too long for you...

More likely than not, you'll get it in less than a year....Don't think that there are too many people going for Canadian Citizenship this way...

So not too many delays there...as not too much of a demand there...

(hmm...perhaps you can tell them you're a border guard or something...would that help?...lol....)

Ok...As an off-topic..sort of...How long does it take to get a replacement Canadian Citizenship Card? And how much does it cost for a replacement?

Just curious (in case I ever did lose mine..lol...)...

Ant

Edited January 18, 2010 by Ant+D+BabyA

[Team J and B 2]

Neiks - when did you send in the application?

ADBA - replacement is quick. I've had to replace mine twice. I remember it didn't take longer than two months.

Agree with trailmix about the pathetic timeline. What a joke.

Edited January 18, 2010 by Team J and B

[neiks 19]

Neiks - when did you send in the application?

Don't remember exactly but I think it was August.

Just checked my camera and I took his picture for his card in Sept so it probably was end of Sept when I got everything sent away.

Edited January 18, 2010 by neiks

[antda 13]

ADBA - replacement is quick. I've had to replace mine twice. I remember it didn't take longer than two months.

TeamJandB-Lol..Thought you said "ABBA" at first...Then I realized you were referring to me.... Hmm..Interesting nickname though...ADBA....

Interesting too, that you were a naturalized Canadian Citizen too! Wow....(those are rare to find...)

If you don't mind me asking, how come you had to replace your card twice? Did you lose it? Was it because of a name change? Something else?

How was the process for a replacement? Was it difficult to do? How much was it? Two months seems awfully quick....wow.....

Just curious as to how this is done, in case I ever do lose my card....(though nowadays I don't carry it with me...but you never know....). Thanks.

Ant

[antda 13]

Just checked my camera and I took his picture for his card in Sept so it probably was end of Sept when I got everything sent away.

Neiks-You took your own picture for your son? How is this possible? Are you a photographer too? I thought that it had to be taken professionally, and had to be signed by a guarrantor or something like that, kind of like a Canadian passport. I guess not then...Hmm....

As well, are there different photo specifications for the photos for the Cit. card? Lol..For example, are they like Canadian passport specs, or other?

Either way, good luck on your application too.

Ant