Consulate General of the United States Toronto, Canada

All citizenship applicants are seen by appointment only. Book an appointment when you have assembled all the following, required documents. For general information on citizenship and nationality please visit Travel.State.Gov.

Consular Report of Birth Abroad (FS-240)

U.S. citizen parents may transmit their citizenship to a child born outside of the U.S. Please make an appointment and apply in person, entering at 225 Simcoe Street. Please expect two hours or more of initial in-person processing by the parent(s) and a total of 4 weeks before receiving the documents.

Documentation

Please note that all documents submitted must be original records, bearing the official seal of the issuing authority. Copies of documents certified by notaries cannot be accepted.

• Applications for Consular Reports of Birth Abroad require the parent's and the child's personal appearance at a U.S. consulate or embassy.
• You may also apply for a U.S. passport for your child (in lieu of a consular report of birth abroad) at a passport acceptance agency in the U.S. if that is a more convenient alternative.
• The State Dept. maintains an online database of Passport Acceptance Facilities in the U.S.
• A list of appropriate documents that can be presented to prove the child's claim to U.S. citizenship is included in the instructions on the back of the DS-11 passport application.

The following information summarizes key provisions of U.S. law regarding the transmission of citizenship by a U.S. citizen parent or parents to their children born in wedlock outside the United States. (Please note that separate transmission requirements apply for children born outside of wedlock. Contact the U.S. Embassy or Consulate nearest you for further information if this is the case.)

• If both parents were U.S. citizens when your child was born, he/she may have acquired U.S. citizenship at birth, if at least one parent resided in the USA prior to the child's birth.
• If your child was born on or after 11/14/86, and only one parent was a U.S. citizen at the time of the child's birth, the child may have acquired U.S. citizenship at birth if the U.S. citizen parent was physically present in the USA for periods totaling five years prior to the child's birth, at least two of which were after their 14th birthday.
• If a child was adopted by an American citizen(s), or if the U.S. citizen parent has not met the physical presence requirement, then the child cannot be issued a Consular Report of Birth Abroad. Please refer to the Child Citizenship Act of 2000 for further information on how to document your child as an American Citizen.

Checklist

• Child's official long-form provincial birth record, showing complete information on the parents. The child's certificate of birth is not always acceptable.
• Evidence of U.S. Citizenship of Parent(s) at Time of the Child's Birth. U.S. Passport; Certificate of Citizenship/Naturalization; Consular Report of Birth Abroad; or a U.S. Birth Certificate bearing the impression seal of the Vital Records Office and the date of filing.
• Proof of parents' identity: Photo ID.
• Original civil marriage certificate of parents.
• Documentary evidence of termination of any previous marriages of either parent (i.e. divorce decree, death certificate, etc.), if applicable.
• In some cases the U.S. citizen parent may be asked to complete an Affidavit of Parentage and Physical Presence at the time of Application.
• Previous CRBAs for other children in the family.
• Evidence of physical presence of parent(s) in the U.S. Some examples of evidence of physical presence may include accredited school and university transcripts, employment records, utility bills, etc. Acceptance of this evidence will be at the discretion of the consular officer, and depending on the circumstances, the consular officer may ask for additional material.
• Complete Form DS-2029 (50KB PDF). Do not sign.
• If you wish to apply for the child's passport, the child must appear in person with the parents signing. Submit one color photograph. The photo must be recent (taken within the past six months), identical, 2 inches x 2 inches; Full face, on a plain, light (white or off-white) background. Vending machine photographs are not acceptable. You will also need to complete the appropriate passport application form.
• Fees: US$100 for the Report of Birth. If you also wish to apply for a passport, that fee is US$105 for a five-year passport for persons under the age of 16 or $135 for children over age Payment may be made by cash, U.S. dollar bank or postal money order, or credit card (Visa or MasterCard only). The Consulate DOES NOT accept debit cards or personal checks. Please note that your credit card will be charged in U.S. funds.
• Prepaid, Canada Post Xpresspost envelope. Please DO NOT purchase the “Pack” size envelope. Only one envelope per family or group is required. Put your information in both the "To" and "From" sections. We can only return issued reports of birth by mail to an Ontario address.

Applicant over age 18, who wish to apply for U.S. citizenship and resides in Ontario, will use the DS-11 form to apply for a passport. The applicant must make a birth abroad appointment and apply in person with us at the consulate, bringing the above documents (but not the DS-2029). The American citizen parent should accompany the applicant to their appointment and fill out an Affidavit of Parentage and Physical Presence (PDF 133K) If the American citizen parent is deceased, the applicant should bring the original death certificate. The same proof of the parent(s)' required physical presence in the U.S. before the child's birth must be submitted.

If a U.S. Citizen Parent Cannot Transmit Citizenship to a Child Born Abroad then that child may receive U.S. citizenship from a U.S. citizen grandparent by following these procedures, only within the U.S. and through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. For reference, the State Department also maintains a website on intercountry adoptions.

More Information

For more information on reporting a birth abroad, please consult the State Department.