Citizenship and Immigration Canada
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Frequently asked questions:
International adoption

Immigration process

Citizenship process


Immigration process

  1. What is a permanent resident visa?
  2. Can I bring my adopted child to Canada before the permanent resident visa is issued?
  3. How does adoption affect the child’s relationship with her or his biological parents?
  4. How long will the adoption process take?

Citizenship process

  1. Will my child automatically be entitled to a Canadian passport once citizenship is granted?
  2. How long will it take to get a Canadian passport for my child once citizenship has been granted?
  3. Why are some citizenship applications finalized in Canada and others at visa offices overseas?
  4. If the adoption can be finalized only after my child has arrived in Canada, can citizenship still be directly granted?
  5. I am a resident of Quebec and I will need to bring my child to Canada for the adoption to be examined by the Quebec courts before it is completed. Will I need to wait for the Quebec court decision before citizenship can be granted to my child?
  6. Will my adopted child arrive in Canada sooner because of C-14?
  7. Canadian adoptive parents can still apply for permanent residence (immigration) for their child rather than Canadian citizenship. What are the advantages to this approach?
  8. If I apply for permanent residence (immigration) or Canadian citizenship and my application is refused, what options do I have?
  9. Is the criteria for a grant of citizenship for an adopted child different from the criteria for permanent residence?
  10. Are the fees the same whether I use the permanent residence (immigration) or citizenship process for an adopted child?
  11. Does C-14 change the way that provinces/territories process adoption applications?
  12. I wanted to adopt a child from Guatemala but was told that there was a moratorium on adoptions from Guatemala due to child trafficking. Does the moratorium apply for citizenship applications as well and are there other countries from which I cannot adopt?
  13. I have applied to sponsor my adopted child for permanent residence (immigration) and I want to apply for citizenship instead. Can you switch my application?
  14. Can I submit an application for a citizenship grant even though I have a permanent residence (immigration) application active?
  15. How do I get an application?
  16. When will the option of applying for a grant of citizenship for my adopted child be available?
  17. I have already received permanent residence for my child and want to apply for citizenship. What should I do?
  18. How long will the citizenship adoption process take?