Embassy of the United States Ottawa, Canada

Overview

The U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Canada accept applications for Consular Reports of Birth Abroad (CRBA) for children under 18 born in Canada or elsewhere outside the United States; and currently residing in Canada.

Please note:

• Applications for Consular Reports of Birth Abroad require the parent's and the child's personal appearance at a U.S. consulate or embassy. Please select the link of the US post in Canada where you intend to submit your application for post-specific information on public hours for applying for a report of birth and whether an appointment may be required.
• 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.

Checklist

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.)

Please note:

• 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 where 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.

1. Child's official provincial birth record, showing complete information on the parents.
   Note: Some posts can only accept an original Registration of Live Birth bearing the impression seal of the Vital Statistics office. This record is kept on file with Vital Statistics and a certified photocopy bearing the impression seal of the office can be issued. This document tells us whether there have been any amendments to the record. The child's certificate of birth is not always acceptable. Please refer to your "post specific" instructions when you receive your application forms, for acceptable birth record instructions.
2. 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.
3. Proof of parents' identity: Photo ID.
4. Child's ID (showing the child’s full name and date of birth (i.e., U.S. passport, health care card, student I.D., or school report card). If the child already has a U.S. Passport, it must be signed by the parent. The Social Security Administration does not accept "Foreign" passports.
5. Previous CRBAs for other children in the family.
6. Original civil marriage certificate of parents.
7. Documentary evidence of termination of any previous marriages of either parent (i.e. divorce decree, death certificate, etc.), if applicable.
8. 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.
9. Canadian Immigration Record of Parent(s), showing original entry date into Canada.
10. 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.
11. Complete Form DS-2029 (50KB PDF). Do not sign.
12. Complete Application for a Social Security Number (Form SS-5-FS). Children 12 years of age and older must appear in person with the parent signing.
13. If you wish to apply for the child's passport, the child must appear in person with the parents signing. Submit two color photographs. The photos 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.
14. 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 16. Payment may be made by cash, money order or credit card. Personal checks cannot be accepted.

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.

More Information

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