Child Passport Problems

[EEYORERULES]

Ok,I am taking my neice & nephew to disney for their Easter Break. My brother & his wife took the kids up to the passport office Calgary yesterday & they were turned away cause they didn't have the "paper" birth certificates(they had the wallet size ones)for the kids showing that they were their actual parents. They now have to contact the New Brunswick office(kids were born here in NB) to try to obtain these & get them back in time. The lady that waited on them advised they had to be back by March 4th in order to get them. Has anyone else had this problem? As I am taking the kids , meeting them in Toronto & then off to Orlando, we figured it would best to have passports as the kids didn't have photo id. They also advised that my niece's photo was too blurry & would have to be re-done .. how happy was brother after he took the day off work to take them all there .. they live about 2 & 1/2 hours away from Calgary. I am off to Fredericton here in NB to drop mine off this week, will I need the "paper" birth certificate? We are hoping that maybe I can pick up the paper certificates for the kids when I am there & that I can mail it express back to them in Alberta... it just might speed up the process!

 

[cabmom]

Hi, did you check out the website for Canadian passports. As far as I know you've always had to have the long form birth certificate. You should be able to get a long form birth certificate for your brother if you have one day service and you get a letter from him.

Here is a link for you:
http://www.passport.gc.ca/menu_e.asp

Hope this helps you.

Marilynn

 

[sharonh]

I just did my childrens passports and sent the wallet size paper one. I had no problem with it at all. I did have a problem with the picture for one of my older sons. They returned it saying there was to much shine on his face. Well he is a teenaged boy with oily skin. They are being a bite rediculous about the pictures. Even pictures of babies are being returned for smiling etc. Good luck getting it all together, make sure you have proper letters from the parents giving written permission to take them. You might want to check exactly what they require.

 

[EEYORERULES]

Thanks for the info on the website. I went online & found out that these requests can be done here in Saint John where I live at our local service office. I gave them a call & they verified that I could fill out the forms(as I am a relative) at the office & that they would be mailed to my brother in Alberta the next day.I'm not totally sure why they insist on the paper birth certificates as adults can just use the plastic ones.. maybe its a child thing. Hopefully they will have everything back to them in a week or so. We already have the letter stating that they gave their permission for me to take the kids. We called the customs office & found out what exactly they needed in it & they are going to have it signed by their lawyer before we leave. The lady at the passport office even read it & said it was ok to take yet she still required the paper certificate. Sometimes I think they are just a bit too picky!

 

[pooksma]

That's strange. We took our 3 yr old last year and they took his plastic wallet one. That was here in Fredericton though.

 

[Kelly5538]

You probably already know this bit of info, but in case you don't.......

Make sure that you have a notarized letter with you when travelling as well from the parents stating that they know that you are going to Disney with their children. With their signatures and everything - I would guess that most lawyers know the standard info to be on that letter. I go down to Disney with my daughter alone since my husband can't get time off work and I bring that letter with me (stating that he is aware I am going with her). Believe me, they ask for it!!!

:thewave:

 

[grover]

They do say on the passport app that long form birth certs are required.
I too didn't realize that and went in with ds wallet...and to go and apply for the long form.
They told me it is because only the long form lists whom both the parents are.
A hassle I know but I would imagine they have good cause for this-safety of the kids.
Vanessa

 

[maryliz]

I just got passports for my 2 kids in October and they took the wallet size ones no problem. They never even mentioned the other ones. They did tell me that DH needs to get a new one 'cause his is in rough shape, but she said she'd take it this time, but note it in the computer. I think I remember Grover (?) having this problem about needing the long-forms for kids, and when I got the forms, it said that the long-form ones "may" be required. I think it all depends on who you get, in which office, on what day. I kind of wondered if it had anything to do with if the parents were divorced or not? Not sure why it would make a difference but just wondering.

I guess I'll consider myself lucky that they didn't need the others. Sounds more like the gov'ts way to grab more $ from our pockets by demanding that you buy the long-form version.

Mary-Liz

 

[chasbos]

Our oldest DD was born before DH and I were married and she was the only one that I needed a long form birth certificate for. The other 3 we just used the wallet sized ones. I had a huge argument with the person at the Passport office over this - made no sense to me. The governments thinking is that they do not know the parents if you were not married (like being married guarentees who the parents are!) I thought they were looking to make sure DH was her father - but no, it was checking to see if I was her mother because we gave her DH name at birth!

I think the government just does this as a make work project! Never will understand the policies!

 

[SuAnne]

My experience was the same as Chasbos. Since my DD was born before the ex DH and I were married ,I needed to get the long form of her birth certificate. Also because my ex refused to sign her passport application they actually called him to "explain" to him that even though he wasn't required to sign her application they were just letting him know they had an application for her and would process it within 7 days unless he provided a legal reason why they shouldn't process it. In the end it all worked out fine and now I have a long copy of her birth certificateif I ever need it for anything else.

 

[mom_rules]

There is a difference between the wallet sized "registration of live birth" and a "birth certificate". My problem was I had a wallet "birth certificate" for DD but wallet "registration of live birth" for DS. I had to go and apply for a "birth certificate" for DS. It came wallet size as well and I have never had a problem getting a passport for either child with these.

 

[matsterrocks]

Another option is for th ekids to get photo ID at any regestries and take those with birth certificates and od course a noterised letter. Photo ID isn't requiered but since they aren't your kids it might be a good idea.

 

[Betty X]

I guess I'll consider myself lucky that they didn't need the others. Sounds more like the gov'ts way to grab more $ from our pockets by demanding that you buy the long-form version.

Mary-Liz

The federal (Canadian) government is asking you to provide an original document from the provincial (ie Alberta) government. So the federal government is not getting more money by asking you for a long form of a birth certificate. You pay the money for a birth certificate to the provincial government.

 

[maryliz]

The federal (Canadian) government is asking you to provide an original document from the provincial (ie Alberta) government. So the federal government is not getting more money by asking you for a long form of a birth certificate. You pay the money for a birth certificate to the provincial government.

Good point ... Learn something new every day. So my next question would be, when I apply for a birth certificate for my children, WHY would the wallet-size one even be an option, if the "other" government in this country will possibly not accept it as is. Most people I know buy the wallet size one because that's what we all had as children, and when you are travelling, you don't want to be carrying larger pieces of paper that you need to take extra care of.

Or, maybe they should not give you an option ... for one price, get both types of BC's, with no option to buy them separately. The wait time for new BC's is absolutely ridiculous, and it just seems like these govt employees could be better spending their time on new requests, rather than add'l requests for the "other version".

Just my 2 cents ... I''m very grateful that they accepted what I had, and I did not need to go through this extra costly, time-consuming, totally ludicrous step. For those of you that did, I totally feel for you. I'd be on the doorstep of my MPP so fast.

To the OP ... how old are the kids? Photo ID for the kids is not required. I had my kids passports and was specifically told "I don't want to see them, only for the adults" from both customs and airport security officials. My sisters and I have taken each others kids to the US many times with only their BC's and we've never had a problem. We did have a letter from their parents giving us the authority to make medical and legal decisions for the kids while in our care. And this was just something they did up themselves ... no outside agencies involved.

Hope your trip is great!

MaryLiz

MaryLiz

 

[grover]

I should have added that if you have the
LIVE BIRTH REGISTRATION that they give in hosp when your baby was born that you won't need the long form birth cert..of course I could not find mine so I had to pay the extra fee to have the long form processed the same day.
But if I would have had my LBR it would not have cost me anything.
Here is Manitoba this form is done up for every birth..not sure about other provinces.
I don't think the gov does this as a make work project..they probably have very valid reasons for what they need...they just need to be enforcing things consistentanly..but we all know that no matter what the organization (including disney-lol!) that doesn't always happen!!
G in W( who is a gov employee and has enough work that I don't need anyone creating any for me-ha ha ha!)

 

[mom_rules]

Ontario did the registration of live birth-but we could not use it to get a passport-we had to apply for a "Birth Certificate" but it was a little blue wallet size card (flimsy and not laminated).