So, im in Canada, and you wouldn't believe how annoying it is to try to reach immigration Canada! i went down to the the head office and they gave me a phone number, which is ALWAYS busy!
so i thought id try here!
has anyone that is Canadian with an Argentine partner had a baby in Argentina? if so, was it difficult to get the baby a Canadian citizen???
I was told by some that it should just be lots of paperwork, which is ok, as long as there are no new rules, like we need to be living in Canada with the baby for X amount of years, which is impossible,
does the baby automatically get the canadian citizen when all the paperwork is done???
Of course if he/she is born in Canada then automatically they will have the citizenship, just weighing the options to see if its just easier that way, although i would rather give birth in Argentina for personal reasons!
thanks for the help!
Hi Shoush -- contact the canadian embassy via email in Buenos Aires (don't bother with phone, they don't answer questions over the phone, but they will respond to emails within 24hrs)
Here's their info:
Consular Section / Section Consulaire / Sección Consular
Canadian Embassy / Ambassade de Canada / Embajada de Canadá
Tagle 2828
1425 Buenos Aires
Argentina
Tel: (54-11) 4808-1086/5
Fax: (54-11) 4808-1111
www.buenosaires.gc.ca
[email protected]
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For a baby born outside of Canada it's easy to get citizenship and passport. It's not loads of paperwork, it's like one form, a photo and then documents you will already have in your possession, a processing fee and then a wait. You cannot apply for a passport until you have a date of travel to Canada. You need to apply for the citizenship card first. It takes up to 14mos to receive the card, but as long as the process has been initiated you can apply for the passport -- I think you can do them in tandem, I can't remember exactly, but I know our baby was born in July, that our citizenship card took 10mos to come through but his passport was issued in Nov (first passport only valid 2 years and his expires this Nov 2013).
You do NOT have to have the baby live in Canada for any period at all. The only rule that has changed is that your foreign-born Canadian citzen can no longer pass on their citizenship eternally. If they want their baby to be Canadian they will have to have taken up residence in Canada at the time of it's birth. This was basically because the govt got sick and tired of 3rd gen Canadians who have never stepped foot in the country suddenly showing up on the radar when the sh$% hits the fan, or when they decide to file for CPP when they never contributed.
Anyway, you can't worry about your future grandkids, just get the paperwork in order for your kid!
Before you can get the Canadian passport, you have to get them their citizenship card. Email the address above and they will send you the necessary forms. This is what they sent me in 2011:
Dear Sir/ Madam,
Children born abroad to a Canadian mother / father*
(*for children born on or after April 17, 2009, the Canadian mother or father must have been born in Canada or must havebeen grantedCanadian citizenship after immigrating to Canada)
You may download form Cit0001 from the following website:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/certif.asp
The application must be supported by the following documents:
[indent=1.5]
1) your child's original birth record (copy of the Civil Registry=s original entry certified by the Civil Registry. >Certificados de nacimiento= are not accepted) and a translation of the certificate into English or French by a sworn translator;[/indent]
2) the mother and/or father's original proof of Canadian citizenship (Canadian birth certificate or citizenship card);
3) 2 photos (see instructions attached);
4) child's DNI , Argentine passport or valid id
5) fee (CAD$ 75 in exact change or the equivalent in pesos) -
Processing time for a citizenship application takes from 12 to 14 months.
The application and other requirements may be mailed to the address below or be submitted in person from Monday through Thursday from 2.00 pm to 4.30 pm.
Sincerely,
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And this, which in retrospect is essentiallly like a FAQ created by me and the consulate!
1) Do I have to apply for citizenship for my child first and then once approved apply for the passport, or can we do both at once?
You can only apply for a passport if you have proof of travel. If you do, you can submit both applications at the same time. Otherwise you must apply for the citizenship first.
2) What Argentine documents will we need to have for the baby before applying for either the passport or the certificate of citizenship -- does the Certificado de Nacimiento suffice or do we need to wait until we have the DNI as well?
We will need original birth certificate + translation and DNI or Argentine passport. The baby will need the Argentine passport to leave Argentina.
3) Do we need to have these documents translated or apostilled before applying? Are there particular translators you use or can we just choose one from the Colegio de Traductores?
Only the birth certificate must be translated, no authentication required. We will mail you a list of translators but you can use any sworn translator.
4) Do we have to wait until we have a date of travel to Canada before we can take out the child's Canadian passport?
Yes.
5) Finally, is there a particular photographer in Capital Federal that you recommend for taking the passport photos? (And should we wait until the child is X days/weeks old before taking the photo?)
We will send you a separate email that contains the instrucions for the photos. No minimun age required.
6) Do I need Form
PPTC 132 (Declaration in Lieu of a Guarantor) as I don't know anyone here in Buenos Aires that fits the category of a guarantor?
Your husband can apply for the passport if he has a guarantor in Argentina. Any parent can be the applicant.
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I have the word docs that had the photo specs on them and addresses where to go, I can fwd that to you too, though they might have updated the list a bit in the past two years.
When you apply for your child's first passport note that it's only valid 2 years and they ding you for it here, costs like 25 bucks more and takes 2 weeks to process. Ours expires in November and I'll be home in October so will get him the replacement when at home, costs less, issued faster, and I think it may even be valid longer.