Canada, as one of the developed countries in the world, has good laws to protect the birth of a child. This support also includes foreign babies; Infants with foreign parents without Canadian permanent residence. According to the law of the Canadian government, the children of foreigners who are born in this country are considered Canadian citizens. Therefore, if your child is born on Canadian soil, he can enjoy the benefits of Canadian citizenship.
Birth of a Child Act in Canada
The Canadian Citizenship Act – section 3(1)(a) – states that all persons born in Canada are considered Canadian citizens, regardless of the status of their parents in Canada. Of course, except for foreign diplomats who are not considered Canadian citizens if they give birth to a child in Canada.
Canada and the United States of America are among the most important G7 countries that grant citizenship based on birth in their country
Children of non-residents of Canada who are born in this country, like any other Canadian citizen, enjoy all the rights and privileges of citizenship and many benefits include their status, including:
- The right to live and reside in Canada
- Travel to Canada at any time without the need for a visa
- Use of free health benefits
- Free Education
- Free social benefits
You can give birth to your child in Canada by having a Canadian Temporary Resident Visa (TRV such as a Canadian study visa, a Canadian tourist visa, or a Canadian work visa).
According to Immigration Canada, an average of 380,000 babies are born in Canada each year, of which between 0.1% and 1.0% are children of non-residents. Including one percent, about 3,500 babies are born to non-residents in Canada each year.
Residence of parents through the birth of a child in Canada
The type of visa issued to a mother who wants to give birth to her child in Canada is actually a simple temporary TRV visa and a tourist visa type and is usually valid for 6 months. By using this visa, you can visit your family, friends or travel to Canada, but at the same time visit the hospital and get help for childbirth.
With this type of visa, you cannot use the medical and social benefits that are given to Canadian citizens. You also do not have permission to reside permanently in Canada or apply for Canadian citizenship.
This visa only allows you to go to the hospital, pay for the delivery and give birth to your child. After birth, the child automatically becomes a Canadian citizen and you can apply for a Canadian passport for your child.
Conditions for obtaining permanent residence in Canada through the birth of a child
As mentioned in the previous section, you, as the parent of your child born in Canada, cannot obtain Canadian permanent residence, nor can you become a Canadian citizen. But after your child reaches the age of 18, he can support you as his parent and apply for Canadian permanent residence by applying for a parental sponsorship visa.
Below are the conditions for obtaining a visa for childbirth in Canada, which is the same as a tourist visa, for non-residents:
- At least 18 years old for expectant mothers
- Having a valid passport with at least one blank page that is not the last page
- Not having a criminal record and providing the necessary documents to prove it
- Payment of visa application fees and visa review
- Sufficient funds to cover the cost of temporary stay in Canada
- Sufficient funds to pay for hospitalization for childbirth
- Provide biometric information if necessary
- Conducting a medical examination at the request of the Canadian Immigration Department. This type of visa is usually not required unless you have a high-risk pregnancy.
- Proof of temporary residence in Canada and return to your country after the end of the trip
- Proof of not intending to work or study in Canada.
If you do not meet these requirements, Canadian Immigration will likely reject your visa application.
- Identity documents such as birth certificate, passport, marriage certificate
- Employment documents, employment contracts
- Financial documents and a bank letter proving that you have enough money to travel to Canada and stay at the hospital for delivery.
- Round trip ticket
- Invitation letter from family or friends if any
- Letter of purpose of travel in which you explain your reason for traveling to Canada for the purpose of giving birth.
- A piece of photo 4.5 x 3.5
- Your supporter’s documents, such as their identity documents and financial documents (bank letters, property documents, employment letters, etc.)
- Any other document that shows your connection to Iran and convinces the officer to return you to your country.
Note: If your documents are in Farsi, you must translate them into English or French.
- S1: Provide the required documents for the Canadian tourist visa.
- S2: Create an account on the Canadian Immigration website.
- S3: Answer the application questions and choose the visitor visa from the visa types.
- S4: Pay the application fee and fingerprint fee.
- S5: Make an appointment for Canadian fingerprinting at the Canadian embassy in one of the countries around Iran.
- S6: After receiving your visa, pick up your passport to insert the visa label.
The duration of obtaining a Canadian birth visa
Depending on the workload of Canadian Immigration, you may have to wait anywhere from 1 week to around 5 or 6 weeks for your visa to be processed. For Iranians, more time may be needed.
The immigration office will inform you whether you are eligible for a visa or not. Since you plan to give birth in Canada, you should act early so that if the processing of the application takes longer, you will not be close to the due date. At the same time, be careful that you are allowed to fly and board the plane until 7 months of age.
As non-Canadian parents, the cost of having your child born in Canada is calculated in two ways:
- No insurance
- with insurance
If you are not a permanent resident of Canada and also do not have international insurance, you will not be eligible for the Child Birth Benefit under Canada Health Care for the children you give birth to in Canada. Therefore, you have to pay all the medical expenses related to the birth of your child from your own pocket.
Cost of giving birth in Canada without insurance
The cost of giving birth in Canada for tourists and non-residents who do not have international health care insurance averages between $5,000 and $20,000 Canadian. Of course, this cost is separate from accommodation and food costs and travel costs. Costs can vary based on various factors, including:
- Health care costs in the province where you decide to give birth. Some provinces have higher health costs than others.
- Medical center providing care: hospital or midwife
- Type of delivery: natural delivery or caesarean section.
The cost of giving birth in Canada with insurance
If you are covered by international insurance or have been supported by health insurance due to studying or working in Canada, the cost of giving birth in Canada will be significantly reduced.
Birth costs in Canada with and without insurance for non-residents:
Average cost with international insurance in Canadian dollars Average cost without insurance in Canadian dollars Medical services in Canada
0 100 to 150 Prenatal care, one visit
0 to 300 300 to 500 Fetal screening before birth
0 to 1,000 5,000 to 8,000 Vaginal delivery in the hospital
0 to 1,000 10,000 to 12,000 Caesarean section in the hospital
860 to 2500 2,500 Birth at home with a midwife
Procedures for obtaining a passport for a child born in Canada
Each province or territory in Canada has its own rules for registering information on newborns.
For example, in the province of Ontario, a child’s profile must be registered within 30 days of birth. You can contact local authorities for more information.
After registering your child’s birth and receiving a birth certificate as proof of Canadian citizenship, you can apply for a Canadian passport for the child. You need to do the following steps:
- Fill out the form for obtaining a passport.
- Provide the child’s birth certificate.
- Get two passport photos.
- Introduce a representative. This person can be the doctor who saw the baby in the first days after birth.
- Pay the necessary fees.
- Send the documents to the Canadian Passport Office at: Gatineau QC K1A 0G3, Canada
Maternity leave in Canada for Canadian resident or citizen parents
Maternity leave in Canada is a maximum of 15 weeks. This benefit is only offered to biological mothers. A further 35 weeks are also available as Parenting Assistance scheme benefits for biological parents and parents who are recognized through adoption or legal adoption. This benefit includes both parents.
Cost of birth of a child for Canadian citizens
The cost of the birth of a child in Canadian government centers is free. Canada’s health care system is a publicly funded system. Access to this system is free for citizens and permanent residents of the country. In private sectors, the cost of a child’s birth is at least $200.
Child Support Grants for Canadian Parents
What is Canada Child Benefit (CCB)?
This plan was proposed by the Canadian government in 2016, whereby it was decided to pay a monthly amount to eligible families to cover the costs of raising children under 18 years of age. Canada Child Benefit may include an additional amount to cover the expenses of children with disabilities.
The child allowance plan is exempt from paying taxes and this amount is paid in 12 months from July to the end of June of the following year.
How is the child support allowance calculated in Canada?
Currently, the maximum annual allowance for a child under the age of six is $6,639 and for each child between the ages of 6 and 17, it is $5,602.
If your family’s net income is more than $30,000 per year, this amount will gradually decrease. The rate of reduction will be determined according to the number of eligible children in your family and the net family income (AFNI) as set out in the table below:
| Gradual reduction percentage of CCB | ||
|---|---|---|
| Number of eligible children | Income between 30 thousand and 65 thousand dollars | The amount of income above 65 thousand dollars |
| 1 child | 7% | 3.2 % |
| 2 children | 13.5% | 5.7% |
| 3 children | 19% | 8% |
| 4 or more children | 23% | 9.5% |
For example, a family with a net income of $80,000 and two children under the age of 6 would receive an allowance of $7,220 per year for their children, after deducting a percentage of the CCB amount, which would be $601.66 per month. Paid.
If you are ready to apply for Child Support Allowance, you can file your application through CRA’s Automated Benefits Application. But note that in order to be eligible to receive a subsidy, you must first pay the actual tax related to your business.
In the following cases, you can use the received amounts related to your children’s support allowance:
- Providing for the basic needs of your child
- Saving part of the money in an RESP savings plan
- Paying daily or weekly expenses to your child
- Debts related to maternity leave
It doesn’t matter where your child was born in the world other than Canada; If you are a Canadian citizen, you will pass this advantage to your children like genes, land or property! But there is one important condition: at least one biological or legal parent must be Canadian at the time of their child’s birth. If you can prove your citizenship to the Canadian government, your child or children will benefit from the many advantages of being Canadian.
Of course, Canada has assigned the ability to transfer Canadian citizenship only to the first generation born outside of Canada. This means that grandparents cannot pass on Canadian citizenship to their descendants. But in order to obtain Canadian citizenship for your child, you must prove your citizenship and obtain the so-called Proof of Citizenship: this is your citizenship document.
The cost of obtaining this certificate is 75 Canadian dollars, and according to the website of the Canadian Immigration Department, the process of obtaining this certificate takes up to five months. Of course, in emergency cases, this process can be accelerated.
