1 Canadian parent 1 chinese parent.. passport?

I"m not sure i' in the right section to be asking but since most people in here already have kids i guess it's the best place to ask

I'm a Canadian my Husband is a Chinese National.. we're having a baby. Now the question of which passport came up.

I prefer a canadian passport because i don't want trouble when i try to visit canada with the baby.

My husband argues that it's not difficult even if the baby gets a chinese passport as long as we have the birth certificate. But better to get a chinese passport until we officially move back to canada so that we don't have to pay outrageous amounts for school daycare.. ect..

I"m not too sure what the rules are and i'm not finding too much info about.. other then how to get a canadian passport.. What i'm really looking for is the pros and cons to getting one over the other.

Help?

(I am based in Shanghai)

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Posted by cara (1682 days ago)

there's no reason why you can't have both. when you have both in china, the chinese gov't only considers the canadian passport as a travel document, nothing else.

i would apply for both, but when filling in applications etc in china, fill in chinese as nationality.

i would choose a canadian passport over a chinese passport any day of hte week. the canadian passport used to be (might still be) the most sought after because not so many countries require visas to visit.

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by alcheng (1682 days ago)

You don't need to worry about getting two passports. Canada recognizes dual citizenship, and since one parent is Canadian, your baby will automatically be eligible for this passport as well. Being that your baby will be born in China, he should get a Chinese passport as well, for whatever local use it might be good for (like travelling in/out of China without needing a visa). Just double check with chinese authorities about having dual citizenship. And do fill chinese as nationality as cara suggests.

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by axptguy38 (1682 days ago)

Agreed with cara and alcheng. Get both. Then again, you don't have to apply for both passports at once. The presence of a passport does not have any impact on citizenship. The passport is only a proof of citizenship, not the citizenship itself.

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by Peggie Wong (1682 days ago)

Your husband is right as he knows the system in China well. Your baby will get all the benefits due to him as a Chinese citizen. As to the Canadian passport, you can always obtain it at your leisure. Your mind should be at ease now, especially with the above confirmations from cara, alcheng & axptguy.

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by notyou (1682 days ago)

Hi, I just want to let you know that if your child is not born in Canada, although he/she will be able to get Canadian citizenship, there is a difference in that your child's children will not be
Canadian unless they are born on Canadian soil.

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by fragrantpeach (1681 days ago)

whats the difference ? between being canadian born on canadian soil and a canadian citizen? a title.?

So basically i apply for the canadian citizenship.. but declare as a chinese citizen... and the baby can carry both passports?
I'm just curious if i get this chinese passport .. how on earth i get the child out of china? When i go visit canada

(I am based in Shanghai)

Posted by cara (1681 days ago)

easy... you exit china on the chinese passport and enter canada on the canadian passport.

the decent rule is the same for many countries. ie. my father was born in UK, i have UK citizenship and passport, although i was born in canada. i also have canadian passport and citizenship. however, because neither of my children were born in UK, they'd have to undergo same immig process as others to attain citizenship.

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by axptguy38 (1681 days ago)

"I'm just curious if i get this chinese passport .. how on earth i get the child out of china? When i go visit canada"

Show the Chinese passport to the Chinese as you leave China. Show the Canadian passport as you enter and leave Canada. Or must the child have some sort of travel permit? If so just use the Canadian passport.


"whats the difference ? between being canadian born on canadian soil and a canadian citizen? a title.?"

Some countries do have classes of citizenship. It is rare though.

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by the goddess kali (1681 days ago)

I ddint know that Chinese allow for dual citizenship. I have a lot of friends here who had to give up chinese passports cos they wanted to get some other nationality.
Or have held onto their chinese passports for other reasons. I have a friend whos married to a UK passport holder, but he applies for the visa to got ot eh UK each time. His chinese passport however permits him to run--/own certain types of buinesses that he wouldnt be able to with a non chinese passport.

(I am based in Unspecified)

Posted by cara (1681 days ago)

they don't technically allow dual citizenship, however, if you DO have other passports, then when in china, they only recognise the "other" passport as a travel document. so, if you needed "emergency" help for something, the chinese would not be inclined to allow you a visit from your consulate/embassy official.

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by axptguy38 (1681 days ago)

Sounds a bit like the US attitude. They don't care about the other passport as long as you fulfill your obligations to the US.

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by alcheng (1680 days ago)

"they don't technically allow dual citizenship, however, if you DO have other passports, then when in china, they only recognise the "other" passport as a travel document. so, if you needed "emergency" help for something, the chinese would not be inclined to allow you a visit from your consulate/embassy official."

Yes this is true.

Canadian citizenship and pp you 'll have to apply at your local Can. embassy. The pp takes about a week and is only good for 1yr. plus an extra 1yr. extension before you need a new one. The citizenship card takes longer, several weeks, and needs to be replaced when baby is a certain age (I forgot but the embassy has all these info). Use this when you enter/exit Canada or other countries that does not need any visas (due to having Can. pp), use the China pp when you exit/return to China.

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by funbobby (1680 days ago)

alcheng, not sure where u got your timings from but they are incorrect. i'm canadian, my wife chinese (Hong Kong passport), and the citizenship app. for our daughter was made in march 08, we are still waiting for her card (were told expect at LEAST 9 months). AFTER you get the citizenship card, you can apply for the passport, which takes at least 15 days and is good for 3 years (you should renew before 6 mths remain on it)...

its all here
http://geo.international.gc.ca/asia/hongkong/immigration/passport_applications_children-en.asp

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by cara (1680 days ago)

yeah, the citizenship card is about 9 months or so. but they can still issue you a passport while you wait for the card. you just submit your "receipt" for the citizenship card with the passport application.

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by funbobby (1680 days ago)

as long as one parent (in this case your child in the future) is a canadian citizen (which she/he will be once your CDN cit. app is approved), they can apply for citizenship for their children (your grandchildren) the same way you are for your child (if that makes any sense at all)...no need to go to Canada to deliver...

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by funbobby (1680 days ago)

actually, after reading deeper into the link, you only need the kid's birth cert. and the canadian parent's proof of cit. to do a CDN passport app...we're gonna get on it now...going home to icy Winnipeg for Christmas so the sooner the better!

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by alcheng (1680 days ago)

funbobby, I too am Canadian, so is my wife and son (born in HK). We did our son's application two years ago and hence didn't really remember how long EXACTLY the citizenship took. That's why I said to check with the embassy.

Don't know how old your daughter is but seems she's older than what was being asked by fragrant peach (going to be a newborn). We did ours a few months after birth, and it's only good for 1yr. + 1yr. extension. IF the embassy has changed rules again, then it's best to check the latest rules.

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by cara (1680 days ago)

usually the first passport is good for one year (if granted BEFORE you get the citizenship card) then you can extend it for one more year AFTER you get the card.

i've just done it with my daughter and did it with my son when he was a baby.

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by funbobby (1680 days ago)

we did ours at 3 months, and maybe the rules have changed..that's why i posted the link...better to refer to the source rather than us yahoos on this site! lol

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by Zorglub (1678 days ago)

Sometimes, you have to prove you have a tourist visa for your final destination before you exit your country, so I'm not sure it's that simple to just use one passport to exit and another to enter, any more than I am sure China allows dual nationality. In case of legal problems, they will definitely ignore your foreign passport, and consider you "belong" to China, which I'm not sure is a good thing.
Having said that it is natural for fragrantpeach's husband to want his child to have his nationality.
I'd recommend you talk to your consulate, they can tell you what other people do in your situation and why.

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by cara (1678 days ago)

if they require a visa for the next country, show that country's passport...

i do it ALL the time with canadian and uk passports, as does my brother, my aunt, my uncle, many of my cousins...

it isn't difficult at all.

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by alcheng (1678 days ago)

"Sometimes, you have to prove you have a tourist visa for your final destination before you exit your country, so I'm not sure it's that simple to just use one passport to exit and another to enter, any more than I am sure China allows dual nationality."

That's the whole reason for using two different passports. Canadian passports don't require a tourist visa for many countries, unlike China passport. Proving you have a "visa" or right to enter another country is done at the check-in counter of the airline only, and of course upon arrival to the other country. Immigration (on exit out of China and entry back) will only need to see the China passport. Upon arrival at the destination, let's say USA, you only need to show your Canadian passport.

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by Zorglub (1678 days ago)

No, I meant exiting China w/ a mainland passport that doesn't have a tourist visa for Canada in it, which it should if the holder only had a chinese passport. I have sometimes been asked to show my visa for my tourist destination as I departed HK (when going to Vientam, for example).

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by cara (1678 days ago)

that's when you can produce your canadian passport. as we said, they view "2nd" passports as travel documents, NOT as proof of citizenship (no matter what is printed in them), so they just show the other, in this case, canadian passport and problem is solved.

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by Katetam (1674 days ago)

my son's citizenship card took Luckily ... only 5 months. They told me I was super lucky. Usually takes 9 months or so...

Then his first passport is 3 years good.

They issue 1 year passport without the citizenship card in cases like you have to urgently travel within the baby's 1st year.

However, they say unless you go back to Canada.... other countries require at least 6 months valid for the passport before entering the foreign country, so the officer told me to calculate the months well before applying for the 1 year passport.... as it is REALLY valid for 6 months for most countries you travel to.

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by miwu (423 days ago)

Hmmm. Indeed I have understood that the chinese don't allow exit on a chinese passport unless you have the visa for a destination you are traveling to. They don't recognize dual nationality, which is an ambiguous term, but i have heard that when they see the foreign passport they will REVOKE your (child's) chinese nationality,

I have heard that some countries DO NOT issue a visa for a second passport of one of their citizens. (eg: issue an 'your second nationality's visa in your child's chinese passport)

I have asked the dutch embassy, they are aware of the situation, and are so friendly to issue shengen visa to our child's chinese passport if we would ask for one.

IT IS IN CHINESE LAW that when the child is born outside China, it CAN get chinese nationality, but only if it DOESN'T already have another nationality. WITHIN China the child will be automatically be Chinese, unless they 'SEE' another nationality, and you risk being stripped of the chinese nationality.

Changing Passports between countries is only possible if you travel directly between two countries you have ntionality in, and both countries don't need visa's for the other country.
OTHERWISE: the stamps of entry and exit will not coincide, and it will be a mess, as china needs visa's for most other countries, the ONLY possibility OTHER then traveling full journey on your chinese passports (in order to keep them stamps consistent) is to travel to a intermediate 3rd country, and travel on the foreign passport from there, but since getting any other visa for a 3rd country is as difficult, and the stay can never be more then x number of days, this is impractical too.

The dutch/european law DOES allow a person with ual passport to enter on chinese passport with a visa, and then 'overstay' the visa, as the person is european citizen also, it will give no problems, except maybe on return again in china getting questions.

I've understood that as a rule traveling should be commenced and ended with the same passport. i had to think for ages to think why, and i can't remember now, but there was some logic to it.

(I am based in Unspecified)

Posted by cara (423 days ago)

in all my years of travelling with dual passports, i have NEVER encountered a problem... at all.... ever.

there is no need to begin and end journeys on the same passport.

(I am based in Hong Kong)