Japanese Daughter – Canadian Citizenship in cue. Can she travel on a Japanese passport to Canada?
So, official channels have been unhelpful. As she is guaranteed citizenship through me, it seem she is a citizen awaiting proof, not an applicant for citizenship.
However, the backlog is HUGE and it could take 18 months for her to be processed.
I cannot find any information about the strict legal status in this scenario, and official channels give confusing and noncommittal responses.
Does anyone have any direct experience or possiblity an official answer?
(Canadian father w/ PR. Japanese wife, Son with Dual Citizenship, Daughter with pending citizenship proof).
17 comments
This question is specifically about her traveling to Canada on a Japanese passport while pending proof of Canadian citizenship.
The embassy staff gave a confusing, non-natively unwritten noncommittal, boilerplate answer.
Have you already submitted a application for proof of citizenship? I’ve previously read ([one example](https://www.reddit.com/r/japanlife/comments/y2qd0y/canadian_passing_down_citizenship_to_child_any/isj5p3u/), but I’m sure I’ve seen it more than once) that if you have an application in progress the embassy will provide you with some sort of temporary passport for travel. They didn’t say anything about that?
Edit: [second example](https://www.reddit.com/r/japanlife/comments/tu4oay/getting_canadian_passports_for_kids_and_pr_for/) – it’s called a “Limited Validity Passport” and it appears you need to have applications for both proof of citizenship and a passport under review.
No. As you said she is a citizen, so must enter Canada on a Canadian passport. Good luck.
Also in our case, we just started meeting my parents in the US lol. Better weather and more fun places. Canadian passport/proof of citizenship takes forever, costs a ton, and renewal is a pain as well. We just didn’t bother for our second kid and also let the first kid’s Canadian passport expire.
Have gone twice in the past few years. Both times on her Japanese passport. They didn’t ask anything and there was no issue.
As far as Canada is concerned, she is a dual-citizen so as long as she enters and exits with the same passport nobody has an issue. As far as Japan is concerned as long as she leaves and returns on her Japanese passport then nobody has any issues.
~~[Edit After age 20~22] Since Japan doesn’t officially permit dual nationality, as soon as her Canadian passport comes [officially] she needs to renounce her Japanese citizenship and register as a foreigner in Japan and apply for a dependent visa. Or, do what most people do and keep the Canadian passport in a drawer, live as a Japanese while in Japan and hope Japan never has a crackdown and hope that one day they will officially allow dual-citizenship.~~
[Edit] I stand corrected. The dual nationality situation is more subtle than just keeping quiet that you have another passport.
You may request an emergency visa if you have flights booked already and are still waiting. It’s an extra 100 or more not sure about current prices.
You can use Japanese passport but child will just be on a tourist visa.
I’m not an immigration expert but you can email the embassy in japan. They were extremely helpful throughout the whole process.
If you have a plane ticket purchased it can be fast-tracked. You can apply for the Limited Validity Passport and CCC at once. Call Consular Services at the Embassy. They will guide you through how to apply.
I was unaware of the law when I did this, but my 7th month old son entered Canada on a Japanese passport with his mum (me) who was on a Canadian passport with no issues. I was asked some questions by the customs agent and we were allowed to enter Canada together. It was only after I returned to Japan that I found out this was illegal and that my son should have entered Canada on a Canadian passport.
Ask the embassy about getting a limited validity passport. You should be able to get one within a month. I did this a year or so ago and the embassy was very helpful and I got the passport quickly. You cannot renew it and it’s only good for 2 years though so you’ll have to go through the process of getting a new one from scratch next time, but it’s perfect if you really need to travel soon
Our son has dual FR/JP citizenship, and only has his JP passport for now since paperwork takes a shitload of time in france
We had no trouble going into france with JP passport, french embassy even told us to go that way because then we’d be sure to have a valid passport to travel in case the french one did not arrive in time. Spoiler alert, it wasnt ready on time.
She needs the ccc and the Canadian passport. I went last year with my daughter. Took 2 months. Need documents translated etc. It’s a pain in the ass
Not sure if you’re traveling with or without your wife, but I’ve seen an “authorization to travel” form mentioned in [a previous thread](https://old.reddit.com/r/japanlife/comments/yef5p0/travel_with_kid_but_not_wife_proof_needed/). The form mentioned there is from JAL’s website, so perhaps no harm to check with your airline?
Recommend you to apply for the Electronic Travel Authorization and see the result. It well tell you yes or no.
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/visit-canada/eta.html
FYI – did this in past 6 months and discovered via ETA that in order for my wife (JP) who had Canadian PR but had it expire while living abroad with me to enter Canada she had to renounce her PR. Yes, PR is valid if she lived with a Canadian citizen abroad, but if the card itself expires you’re not allowed back in unless you renew your PR card (only from Canada so impossible), get a travel authorization (3 months via Philippines), or renounce. ETA is what pointed this out to us finally. The websites are not written from as many viewpoints that exist so were useless.
It is illegal for a Canadian citizen to enter Canada on anything but a Canadian passport. A lot of people get away with doing it, but it’s technically a fraudulent entry. Your daughter is already a Canadian citizen so she legally can’t enter without a Canadian passport or other Canadian travel document.
In recent experience, the proof of citizenship took about 5 to 6 months to process, then another month or two to make its way to the Tokyo embassy, though the website showed a 16 month wait. So take the estimated time with a grain of salt. Passport took three weeks or so? Not long anyway, and we had some issues with our application that delayed things.
I have heard if you applied for proof through the embassy you can get the temporary passport fairly easily since they’re well aware the wait time is ridiculous.
I got a limited use 2 yr passport in 25 business days for 100CAD. I also submitted the CCC documents at the same time.
Certificate of citizenship is needed for that passport
That can take months to get. Get it done ASAP. Never lose this doc. Once you have this you can apply for a Canadian passport. You need a Canadian passport to travel.
That said there are cases when you have lost a passport and they can give you a travel doc in emergency situations. But if you have never had a passport then you likely are stuck.
FWIW, my Japanese born Canadian kids have been to Canada several times on their Japanese passports, both with me and by themselves, and it’s never been an issue.