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Information about Canadian citizenship
for War Brides and their Children
Click here to read Joe
Taylor's rebuttal of the section of this CIC document
which deals with Children Born out of Wedlock.
Joe Taylor is the child of a Canadian War Bride and a Canadian
Servicemen. He has been told that he is NOT a Canadian citizen
and he
has appeared before the Parliamentary Committee on Citizenship
and Immigration to speak of his case. As of the date of this
writing (August 19, 2005) Joe is still trying to obtain his
Canadian Citizenship, to which we believe he is entitled as
the child of a Canadian War Bride and a Canadian serviceman.
War brides
On January 1st, 1947, the first Canadian
citizenship legislation came into force. Under the Canadian
Citizenship Act of 1947, women automatically became
Canadian citizens if they met the following two conditions:
1) They were admitted to Canada for permanent
residence before 1947; and
2) Their husbands met one of the following
criteria: born in Canada, naturalized in Canada, or born in
a Commonwealth country and lived in Canada for at least five
years immediately before the marriage.
Women who received citizenship automatically
on January 1st, 1947 because they met the two conditions above
need to obtain a certificate of Canadian citizenship
to prove they are Canadian citizens in order to receive
certain benefits and entitlements from government departments
or agencies.
For example, to apply for a Canadian
passport all individuals born outside Canada (including
war brides) must have a citizenship certificate to prove they
are citizens. Information on how to apply for a citizenship
certificate (proof of citizenship) is provided below.
Children of war brides – born in
wedlock
Children of service men and war brides automatically
became Canadian citizens on January 1st, 1947. The children
received Canadian citizenship because they were born in wedlock
to a father who, at the time of birth, met one of the following
criteria:
- born in Canada,
- naturalized in Canada or
- born in a Commonwealth country and lived
in Canada for at least five years immediately before the
birth of the child.
Unlike war brides, the children of service
men and war brides do not have to provide proof they were
admitted to Canada for permanent residence when they apply
for a citizenship certificate (proof of citizenship).
Children of war brides – born out
of wedlock
Children born before their parents were
married were admitted to Canada as permanent residents. They
did not automatically become citizens and had to apply
to become Canadian citizens. In many cases, the parents applied
for their children to become citizens. In other cases, the children
applied for citizenship themselves when they became adults.
These children would have been issued a citizenship certificate
at the time they became citizens. If they did not obtain
citizenship, it is likely they are still permanent residents
today and can immediately apply for citizenship through the
naturalization process (applying for grant of citizenship).
Remedies for people living in Canada
who are neither permanent residents nor Canadian citizens
It is very unlikely that a war bride
or a child of a war bride who lives in Canada is neither a
permanent resident nor a Canadian citizen. However,
to address these rare instances, CIC has a policy to help
regularize the status of people who are not permanent residents
or Canadian citizens, but were admitted to Canada under the
assumption that they were legally entitled to enter and remain
in Canada. More information about this policy can be found
here:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/manuals-guides/english/om/2002/cp/cp02-09e.html.
Questions about citizenship status
If a person is not certain whether or not
he or she is a citizen, it is recommended that the person
apply for a citizenship certificate (proof of citizenship).
If records show, or if the information and documentation provided
confirm that the person is a citizen, Citizenship and Immigration
Canada (CIC) will send the person a new citizenship certificate.
If records show the person is not a Canadian citizen, CIC
will send a letter explaining the steps needed in order to
obtain Canadian citizenship. For more information, please
contact the Citizenship and Immigration Canada Call Centre
at 1-888-242-2100 (toll-free).
How to obtain a citizenship certificate
(proof of citizenship):
Information about applying for a citizenship
certificate (proof of Canadian citizenship) can be found on
the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website here:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/citizen/certificate-info.html
The application form for a citizenship certificate
can be downloaded here:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/applications/certif.html
Documents required for war brides:
Women who arrived in Canada before 1947 and
received citizenship automatically on January 1st 1947 because
they were married to a Canadian citizen need the following
documents when applying for a certificate of Canadian citizenship:
- birth certificate (issued by government
authorities in country of birth)
- marriage certificate
- husband’s Canadian birth certificate,
certificate of naturalization or citizenship certificate,
or birth certificate from a Commonwealth country
- proof of admission to Canada as a landed
immigrant (immigration document or passport used when originally
entering Canada). If you do not have proof of admission,
you can download an application here:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/applications/certcopy.html.
- two pieces of personal identification,
such as a driver’s licence and a health insurance
card
- other documents, such as marriage certificate
and or legal name change certificate (if applicable).
- all documents must be originals or certified
copies.
Documents required for children of war
brides:
- birth certificate showing father’s
name and child’s name (issued by government authorities
in country of birth)
- parents’ marriage certificate
- father’s Canadian birth certificate,
certificate of naturalization or citizenship certificate,
or birth certificate from a Commonwealth country
- two pieces of your personal identification,
such as a driver’s licence and a health insurance
card
- other documents, such as your marriage
certificate and or legal name change certificate (if applicable)
- all documents must be originals
or certified copies.
Completed applications should be mailed to
the address shown in the application guide along with the
appropriate fees, signed photographs, and supporting documents.
Envelopes should be clearly marked “War bride”
or “War bride child” to ensure appropriate
handling of the application. CIC will contact you if more
information is needed to process your application.
For information on obtaining foreign documents
such as foreign birth or marriage certificates, contact the
embassy of the relevant country.
Some useful links for obtaining foreign birth
certificates and marriage certificates:
England:
http://www.gro.gov.uk
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/pathways/familyhistory/gallery1/civil.htm
France:
www.service-public.fr
http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/particuliers
Netherlands:
www.government.nl
www.nationaalarchief.nl
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