An apple a day...

Ethan here! Had my 6 week check up today and I am a healthy boy! Weighed in at 10 pounds and 11 oz and grew 3 centimeters so now I am 55 cm long!! The doctor thought I was cute (which I am) and loved my smile!! Now its time to get my passport and start showing the world my insatiable looks and charm! Here is something interesting that Mommy found on the internet for applying for my Canadian passport and citizenship:

I had a baby in the UK, and basically this was what I did. I had to send my Canadian birth certificate, and apply for a citizenship card for her AND a passport. So, the Canadian High Commission granted her a temporary passport that was valid for one year so that she could travel, and then when I received her citizenship card, then I had to send that and her passport to the Canadian High Commission and they extended her passport for the full three years.

The baby must have their OWN passport, Canada doesn't do children as entries in parent's passports anymore.

As well, for the record, neither does the UK.

If one of you is Canadian, then you can get Canadian citizenship for your baby based on this (you will need your birth cert, AND the baby's LONG form birth cert). The passport takes about 3 weeks to process.

Do you know someone to be a guarantor (must have known them for at least two years in the UK - doctor, dentist etc)? If not, you will need to get a statutory declaration in lieu of guarantor form that you take to a commissioner of oaths and you swear to them for your baby's passport photos. (I had to do this!)

As well, the Canadian passport photos are VERY strict and if you have not done it to the millimeter, they will send the whole thing back!

The places that do the photos, may be hard to find, as there was a recall on the cameras thathad the setting for the Canadian passport photos (too much lead). Basically you can't take your baby to a photo booth.

I submitted my papers for her citizenship in December and had her card back in February, BUT that being said, they do say it can take up to 9 months, hence the temporary passport. Again, that only takes a few days to get that done once you have your documents in place.

So when you apply for the card, make sure to specify to the Canadian High Commission EVERYTHING About your situation, such as that you are relocating to Canada and ask them what they suggest doing. They are really good there. They are reachable by email, and you can ask someone to call you about it because getting through to them on the phone is a nightmare. going in person is best, but since you are in Scotland.it's a bit of a journey!

Your documents for the Canadian citizenship card will go to Sydney Nova Scotia and then be processed there and sent back to you. It only took 2-3 months from when I sent it off, but they do say it can take 9 months as I said earlier.

Each situation is different, and yours is a different situation to mine (we are staying here not going back to Canada *frown*) and so to be honest, it is best if you contact them and ask
them everything. Keep in mind that policies and practices do change and they may say you need another passport for him/her as they might not do extensions anymore. They don't change surnames anymore, you need a whole new passport if you change your surname since your passport was issued.

So again, I can't stress highly enough to speak to them in London about it. I did this 2 years ago, and in 6 months their policies changed about surnames in passports. They know what the current rules are and what the current forms are. They can also recommend someone to do the photographs too. They recommended someone in London, but they might have some choices of approved photographers in your area or at least closer to you than London. They will give you the paper with the measurements and you can take that to a passport photographer and they can cut your photos to size.

Good luck, and congrats on the upcoming arrival