Do you know what the title is talking about?
Ask me a few days ago and I'd tell you, I have no clue.
If you're a Canadian living abroad and happen to have children with your spouse (let's say they are Canadian too for example) - and you need a passport for the child - well, you need to now fill out a PPTC116 form.
This is all based on a very recent experience and involves the Canadian Embassy in Helsinki - all possibilities are endless depending where you live and your personal situation.
Okay now that I have that little "disclaimer" out of the way - let's chat about those forms.
When our first son was born, we did not have to fill out either of those PPTC forms.
We did however, have to make sure that the first page of his passport application said it was for a child born ABROAD.
This year, after realizing we have a trip planned for next month outside of Finland - we decided the youngest needs a passport ASAP. Oh and his residence permit application will have to be submitted soon too! Oops.
I sent in the Passport and the Canadian Citizenship application for him and got a phone call from the Embassy stating that I need to fill in a PPTC form and send in my Passport and birth certificate, along with my husband's.
Oh - no problem.
I then get the emailed copy of the form to fill out - asked a friend to print it for me and the following day was advised that the form has been updated (magically over night of course) and I should fill out the new one.
Both of them were labelled PPTC445. Fine.
My friend printed the "updated" version and I filled it out and noticed that it asks for the "Certificate Number" from both parents. What number is it referring to?!
So I called the lovely Canadian Embassy - and they advised me that the actual Consular is away at the moment but the one in charge (whom we've been in regular contact with) is available. Fine - let's get this thing figured out!
She advised me that there should be a "PPTC116" written somewhere on the paper. I advised her no there wasn't. My friend checked her email and both emails had an attachment stating "PPTC445"...she suggests I must be able to see it and I read her the form title and she said it must have been the other email.
Well, after bickering a bit and firmly telling her that NO I do not have the appropriate form - she advised me she'll send it right away and that the "Certificate number" only applies if we, as parents, became Canadian Citizens after immigrating to Canada for some time.
Considering me and the husband are both born in Canada - this clearly did not apply.
I was un-sure of our actual dates of travel so I put down "August 1" and she asked if I could send her the flight information...we're not flying - we're taking a boat to Sweden some time - and have yet to book the tickets.
Well, because we left this sort of last minute (yes definitely our fault - I admit that!) - the Embassy requires we prove we are travelling or require a Passport for the child for residency purposes.
Yeah - I know. How dumb is that (2nd) part?!
OF COURSE we need a Passport for our child who is technically a Canadian born abroad and if we (including the first child) need a residence permit to live here - he would too!
When I pointed out the stupidity in that statement (as politely as possible) - she suggested I go to the Police to get a written document from them confirming this to be true.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!
I told her flat out that it's obvious any child with an automatic tie to their parents' home country's citizenship would require a passport - she said it might be possible for me to write something.
This just keeps getting un-professional every single time she made a suggestion. Of course anything I write (without any sort of legal or professional status other than "Mom") is not going to be justified as an acceptable piece of proof that my baby needs his passport so he can continue living in Finland.
UGH!
So I just told her - we'll book the tickets and we need the passports by this time - end of discussion.
I love how our CANADIAN Passports and Canadian birth certificates are not enough - you have to waste our time (both actual and processing time for the passport to be made) with this silly piece of paper. Thanks for doubting not only us but Canadians everywhere....and of course - your own system...
Way to go Canada.
Hope this helps you Canadians living abroad with babies!
Ask me a few days ago and I'd tell you, I have no clue.
If you're a Canadian living abroad and happen to have children with your spouse (let's say they are Canadian too for example) - and you need a passport for the child - well, you need to now fill out a PPTC116 form.
This is all based on a very recent experience and involves the Canadian Embassy in Helsinki - all possibilities are endless depending where you live and your personal situation.
Okay now that I have that little "disclaimer" out of the way - let's chat about those forms.
When our first son was born, we did not have to fill out either of those PPTC forms.
We did however, have to make sure that the first page of his passport application said it was for a child born ABROAD.
This year, after realizing we have a trip planned for next month outside of Finland - we decided the youngest needs a passport ASAP. Oh and his residence permit application will have to be submitted soon too! Oops.
I sent in the Passport and the Canadian Citizenship application for him and got a phone call from the Embassy stating that I need to fill in a PPTC form and send in my Passport and birth certificate, along with my husband's.
Oh - no problem.
I then get the emailed copy of the form to fill out - asked a friend to print it for me and the following day was advised that the form has been updated (magically over night of course) and I should fill out the new one.
Both of them were labelled PPTC445. Fine.
My friend printed the "updated" version and I filled it out and noticed that it asks for the "Certificate Number" from both parents. What number is it referring to?!
So I called the lovely Canadian Embassy - and they advised me that the actual Consular is away at the moment but the one in charge (whom we've been in regular contact with) is available. Fine - let's get this thing figured out!
She advised me that there should be a "PPTC116" written somewhere on the paper. I advised her no there wasn't. My friend checked her email and both emails had an attachment stating "PPTC445"...she suggests I must be able to see it and I read her the form title and she said it must have been the other email.
Well, after bickering a bit and firmly telling her that NO I do not have the appropriate form - she advised me she'll send it right away and that the "Certificate number" only applies if we, as parents, became Canadian Citizens after immigrating to Canada for some time.
Considering me and the husband are both born in Canada - this clearly did not apply.
I was un-sure of our actual dates of travel so I put down "August 1" and she asked if I could send her the flight information...we're not flying - we're taking a boat to Sweden some time - and have yet to book the tickets.
Well, because we left this sort of last minute (yes definitely our fault - I admit that!) - the Embassy requires we prove we are travelling or require a Passport for the child for residency purposes.
Yeah - I know. How dumb is that (2nd) part?!
OF COURSE we need a Passport for our child who is technically a Canadian born abroad and if we (including the first child) need a residence permit to live here - he would too!
When I pointed out the stupidity in that statement (as politely as possible) - she suggested I go to the Police to get a written document from them confirming this to be true.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!
I told her flat out that it's obvious any child with an automatic tie to their parents' home country's citizenship would require a passport - she said it might be possible for me to write something.
This just keeps getting un-professional every single time she made a suggestion. Of course anything I write (without any sort of legal or professional status other than "Mom") is not going to be justified as an acceptable piece of proof that my baby needs his passport so he can continue living in Finland.
UGH!
So I just told her - we'll book the tickets and we need the passports by this time - end of discussion.
I love how our CANADIAN Passports and Canadian birth certificates are not enough - you have to waste our time (both actual and processing time for the passport to be made) with this silly piece of paper. Thanks for doubting not only us but Canadians everywhere....and of course - your own system...
Way to go Canada.
Hope this helps you Canadians living abroad with babies!
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