- Good morning Atty. I was just browsing the net and came across to your site. I am concerned about my child’s nationality.
I gave birth on October last year.My father’s child is a Canadian citizen and I am a Filipina.
In her birth certificate she is a Filipino. And we are planning to migrate to Canada.Can we apply for a dual citizenship for my child here in the Philippines or in Canada?Please reply.Thank you in advance.Sincerely,
Mrs. E.
Ans: Your child has dual citizenship by birth. A Filipino citizen having been born with a Filipino mother and as Canadian citizen having born with a Canadian citizen father .
What you can do is to make representation with the Canadian embassy and to register the birth of your child as Canadian citizen . For this purpose, you have to present the original NSO authenticated birth certificate of child and proof of the Child’s father’s Canadian citizenship, such as the citizenship card and his Canadian passport, among others.
Once, the Canadian authorities are convinced that the child is Canadian being an offspring of Canadian citizen, the Canadian embassy may upon application and request, issue Canadian passport to your child which will entitle the child to enter and live Canada as Canadian citizen.
As a child with dual citizenship, you may also secure your child with a Philippine passport. There is no need to apply for dual citizenship for your child as far as Philippine law is concerned considering that in the birth certificate of the child, his/her citizenship is clearly Filipino.
In my view, the application of Republic Act No.9225 otherwise known as the Dual Citizenship Retention Act, is more appropriate to former natural-born Filipino citizens, who have acquired foreign nationality after their birth and with the passage of the RA No.9225, wish to retain or reacquire his or her Philippine citizenship.
However, in the case of your child this is not so. At the time of her birth, she has already a dual citizenship at birth,as a Filipino and Canadian citizens under the laws of the respective countries and without having to overt acts in securing her foreign nationality.
Looking forward you’ll find the above in order. Thank you for being part of the “Batas Pinoy Global Community”.
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