Quick Nexus question about dual citizen infant

[VeeNDee 44]

I'm working on filling out Nexus applications for myself, my husband and our daughter (who was born in the US). It asks if she has any citizenships besides American. Well, she's Canadian through me. However, it asks for documentation to prove the other citizenship and I don't have that yet. She's only 7 months old and I've been planning to do it but I hear it takes over a year to get!

So my question is... do I NEED proof of my daughter's Canadian citizenship to get Nexus, and wait for over a year, or can I just not mention her Canadian citizenship since I don't have proof of it...? If that makes any sense.

I don't want to mess up her application but I also don't want to have to wait a full year before Nexus! Sick of having to listen to my daughter cry over an hour straight in a border lineup!

Edited May 15, 2014 by VeeNDee

[rshree 16]

If I were you, I would not mention anything about Canadian citizenship of your daughter.

By having at least one Canadian parent, she is "eligible" to be a Canadian but still you need to "apply" for her Canadian citizenship certificate.

Good Luck with your Nexus process. I am a frequent Nexus user as well & it is just a breeze!

[JenandDon 3]

There is no way around proving citizenship when applying for Nexus/Global Entry. Must be able to prove...

[Lemonslice 4,885]

If I were you, I would not mention anything about Canadian citizenship of your daughter.

By having at least one Canadian parent, she is "eligible" to be a Canadian but still you need to "apply" for her Canadian citizenship certificate.

Good Luck with your Nexus process. I am a frequent Nexus user as well & it is just a breeze!

If you are a citizen by descent, then you are... with or without papers. Way easier to get the certificate if you want to "use" your citizenship (to live in Canada, get a passport, etc.), but you are a Canadian before you get it.

See: http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-29/page-2.html#h-3 - does not say "person born outside Canada who applied for ..."

Persons who are citizens

• 3. (1) Subject to this Act, a person is a citizen if

  • (a) the person was born in Canada after February 14, 1977;

  • (b) the person was born outside Canada after February 14, 1977 and at the time of his birth one of his parents, other than a parent who adopted him, was a citizen;

    [...]

[VeeNDee 44]

Hmm... I think my takeaway is I should phone and ask someone, although I rarely trust what they say since I've had some really ignorant CBP officers dealing with my car import and K1 visa activation in the past. But hey, it's worth a shot I guess. If I find something out I'll update you.

Just hoping someone else had been in this situation before with experience

[GermanCanadian89 7]

I would like to be kept updated about this for sure!

I'll tell you this much... I'm German citizen by default as well, but I didn't say anything to anyone since I don't have proper documents to supprot that all, and I didn't want the headache..

[VeeNDee 44]

I would like to be kept updated about this for sure!

I'll tell you this much... I'm German citizen by default as well, but I didn't say anything to anyone since I don't have proper documents to supprot that all, and I didn't want the headache..

I'll keep you posted. We just applied for her passport yesterday and it should take about 4-6 weeks to get one from the sounds of it. I don't think she needs one for Nexus but I needed some type of picture ID to use for applying for proof of her Canadian citizenship. It's crazy to see her cute little 7 month self in the picture and think she'll still be using that passport at 5 years old with the same picture!

Tomorrow I am going to work some more on Nexus. I am having trouble finding the right number to call to ask them that type of question since it doesn't seem to fall under the FAQ and it's not a technical online question.

[hikergirl 277]

I'll keep you posted. We just applied for her passport yesterday and it should take about 4-6 weeks to get one from the sounds of it. I don't think she needs one for Nexus but I needed some type of picture ID to use for applying for proof of her Canadian citizenship. It's crazy to see her cute little 7 month self in the picture and think she'll still be using that passport at 5 years old with the same picture!

Tomorrow I am going to work some more on Nexus. I am having trouble finding the right number to call to ask them that type of question since it doesn't seem to fall under the FAQ and it's not a technical online question.

http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/prog/nexus/menu-eng.html

There’s a 1-800 number at the bottom for residents of the US.

[VeeNDee 44]

http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/prog/nexus/menu-eng.html

There’s a 1-800 number at the bottom for residents of the US.

Thanks hikergirl. I called the number and the lady informed me that since I don't have documentation to prove my daughter's Canadian citizenship, even if she is eligible to get it, that I don't need to include it in my application. She said we could bring her eligibility up when we are there for our interview. She didn't seem concerned. Basically if we couldn't prove it, they wouldn't accept it anyway.

Unfortunately she told me once I do get proof that I have to go in person to the enrollment center to add it to my file. GAH! That means we can't even use the Nexus then since we'd have to go in and add it to her account. Apparently you can update your existing documents on the phone but you cannot add new documents online, on the phone, or mailing in, and have to present them physically in person at an enrollment center.

This situation makes me not want to apply for proof of her Canadian citizenship. Gah!

I'm currently trying to get organized- waiting on her passport (should be another 3-5 week wait), then I will add that info to her Nexus application and apply for all 3 of us at once. They told me we could schedule the interview together as a family if phoning to book it.

Now just trying to decide-should I apply for her Canadian citizenship as soon as I get her passport/picture ID and hope it arrives before the Nexus interview so I can add it in person then? (Doubtful since I hear it's 6 months+ processing time). Should I apply for it after the interview so that when I am there I can say we haven't applied/don't have proof of it? (I don't think that's an issue from what that lady said though). Should I wait till she needs it far in the future to avoid going to the enrollment center?

Meh, if we have future kids this is going to mean many trips to the enrollment center. I thought the point of Nexus was to save time crossing, not waiting in line to add documents every so often! I will have to update my citizenship to US in the next few years too.

Grumble, grumble....

Edited May 27, 2014 by VeeNDee

[NikLR 13,227]

Honestly it's not hard to add documents to the NEXUS card and you can still use it before you do so. Any CBP office should be able to do it (according to the NEXUS CBP officer at the Calgary Airport who said DIA CBP were just being lazy.)

[Krikit 1,164]

It's super easy to add the documents during a walk-in visit. All they do is enter it into the system and make a copy. I was in and out in 5 minutes. You can still use the NEXUS card in the meantime. I had the same concerns so I called and they told me not to worry about it.... just to drop in the next time I'm in the area.

[lilacvioletiris 11]

VeeNDee, I was wondering the same thing. Waiting my babies passports to come back. Ugh taking infant passport photos, now that was a hoot. I think I took about 100 photos of my son Edward before I got one where he was looking straight at the camera with eyes open, mouth closed, both ears visible. My son William only needed 3 photos and I had one that was perfect. My DH and I have NEXUS and we definitely want our sons to have it too because I can't imagine long border waits with TWO screaming infants in the car. Taking their photo at the NEXUS enrollment center will be interesting as well. I guess I will cross that bridge when I finally get my boys U.S. passports.

Edited May 30, 2014 by lilacvioletiris

[VeeNDee 44]

It's super easy to add the documents during a walk-in visit. All they do is enter it into the system and make a copy. I was in and out in 5 minutes. You can still use the NEXUS card in the meantime. I had the same concerns so I called and they told me not to worry about it.... just to drop in the next time I'm in the area.

That's good to know coz I've heard horror stories about people who forgot to change an expiry date on their license and lost their NEXUS. Just makes me paranoid! I apparently Google too much.

VeeNDee, I was wondering the same thing. Waiting my babies passports to come back. Ugh taking infant passport photos, now that was a hoot. I think I took about 100 photos of my son Edward before I got one where he was looking straight at the camera with eyes open, mouth closed, both ears visible. My son William only needed 3 photos and I had one that was perfect. My DH and I have NEXUS and we definitely want our sons to have it too because I can't imagine long border waits with TWO screaming infants in the car. Taking their photo at the NEXUS enrollment center will be interesting as well. I guess I will cross that bridge when I finally get my boys U.S. passports.

Hey lilacvioletiris- ugh double the paperwork for you huh!

So as of today I've finished all 3 of our Nexus applications. Waiting to hit submit once we get our daughter's US passport in the mail so I can include it in the file.

While filling out the Canadian citizenship paperwork I noticed it asks "if one of the applicant's parents was born outside of Canada, was one of the Grandparents a Canadian citizen at the time of the birth?" and am not sure why it cares. She should get citizenship through me- why does it matter where her grandparents were born? For what it's worth my parents are Canadian citizens but were not born in Canada (I was born in Canada though). I wonder if they just didn't update the application since the recent change to the citizenship through grandparents type thing.

Edited June 1, 2014 by VeeNDee

[Krikit 1,164]

That's good to know coz I've heard horror stories about people who forgot to change an expiry date on their license and lost their NEXUS. Just makes me paranoid! I apparently Google too much.

I updated what I could online (my address) but I wasn't able to update my new drivers license information so that's when I called.

[VeeNDee 44]

Got my daughter's passport this week and just submitted all 3 of our Nexus applications! Woohoo! Here's hoping for speedy processing. I'm also finishing up the citizenship paperwork. Need to get her picture taken for Canadian passport photos next time we're up in Canada and then we're good to go with that application too.