Our Daughter’s Canadian Passport – The Benefits Of A Canadian Passport

As some of you may already know, we welcomed our third child in Canada on August 10, 2018. We eventually got around to apply for her Canadian passport after months of procrastination. I must say that it was about the easiest and most seamless passport application process I have ever gone through. We submitted the application on December 13, 2018 and we received the passport on December 19, 2018 by mail, even though I was told it would be likely ready by December 31, 2018.

The travel benefits of a Canadian passport are great. We understand that it is one of the most secure and respected travel documents in the world. Canadian citizens enjoy exemptions from the need to obtain visas to visit many countries around the world.

According to the 2018 Henley Passport Index, holders of a Canadian passport can visit 185 countries and territories without a visa or with a visa on arrival, ranking the Canadian passport 5th in the world (tied with Belgian, Irish and Swiss passports) according to the Henley Passport Index.

Additionally, Arton Capital’s Passport Index ranked the Canadian passport 3rd in the world in terms of travel freedom, with a visa-free score of 163 (tied with Austrian, Belgian, British, Greek, Irish, Japanese, Portuguese and Swiss passports), as of 10 October 2018.

So you can imagine how much joy we felt receiving our daughter’s Canadian passport. It was my first time of holding a Canadian passport. We are a family of five and our third child is the only one with dual citizenship (Nigeria and Canada), the four of us are Nigerians and permanent residents in Canada. By law, we can only apply for Canadian citizenship once we clock 3 years of residing in Canada, which would be on August 5, 2019 as we relocated to Canada on August 5, 2016. We are happily counting down to our third anniversary in Canada by God’s grace, which is less than 8 months from now.

To find out how to become a Canadian citizen, visit this website for more information.

We thought to share our application experience in case the information may benefit someone out there. Canadian passports are issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and are the property of the Canadian Crown.

Find below the requirements for applying for a Canadian passport:

Apply for a passport – adult in Canada
To apply for a passport, you must be a Canadian citizen and 16 years of age and over.

How to apply for a child’s passport
Only the following people can apply for a child’s passport:
-one of the child’s parents
-the parent who has custody of the child if the parents are separated or divorced:
all documents (including any divorce judgement) that refer to the custody of, mobility of, or access to the child
-the child’s legal guardian:
all legal documents proving the applicant’s legal guardianship of the child must be submitted
Each legal parent or guardian is expected to sign the application form.

The forms one needs to complete may differ depending on where one is applying from.

1. Complete the application form (the form can be downloaded here)
We understand that Braille instruction booklet or large print form arealso available.

2. Gather all necessary documents and get your child’s passport photo (it is not compulsory to go with the child as the passport photopgrah will be used for the Canada Passport).

Include the following documents with your child’s application form:
-Proof of your child’s Canadian citizenship (long-form birth certificate or citizenship certificate) (original document only). I took our daughter’s long-form birth certificate, it was returned back to me immediately after it was checked.

Two identical passport photos (the name and address of the photographer and the date the photos were taken must be included on the back of one of the photos. Read the full requirements here for more information)

One photo needs to be signed by the guarantor.

Proof of parentage or proof of legal guardianship (if applicable).

All documents that refer to the custody of, mobility of, or access to the child.

Any valid Canadian passport or travel document issued in the child’s name.

Supporting documentation if requesting a change in sex.

All documents must be submitted in either French or English. If a document is in another language, an official translation must be provided.

3. Find a guarantor
When you apply for a passport for your child, you will need to find a guarantor to sign the application and one of the passport photos. The guarantor must have known you (the parent or legal guardian who is applying on behalf of the child) personally for at least two (2) years and must have knowledge of the child.

4. Submit your application and pay your fees

More information can be seen on this website.

We hope this was informative and/or helpful.

Like we stated earlier, we are looking forward to when the four of us will become Canadian citizens too and possess the Canadian passport, which would make us dual citizens of Nigeria and Canada.