4. Apply as soon as possible

You should apply for the Canada child benefit (CCB) as soon as you’re eligible.

For example, this could be when your child is born. Or, if you’re a , after you’ve been living in Canada for 18 months.

When you apply for the CCB, you can apply for payments you were eligible for up to 11 months before your application.

For example, if you apply in August 2016, the earliest month you can claim is September 2015.

So if your child was born in July 2015 and you don’t apply until August 2016, you won’t get the CCB payments that you could have gotten for July and August of 2015.

Getting CCB from over 11 months ago

If you’re trying to get payments you were eligible for over 11 months before you apply, you must include documents that show you were eligible for the entire period. These documents include:

  • proof of citizenship or immigration status for you and your partner, if you have one, such as a , birth certificate, or passport
  • proof that you lived in Canada the whole time you’re claiming, such as a lease, utility bills, or bank statements
  • proof of birth for each of your children
  • proof that you’re the
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