How do I apply for the Canada Child Benefit?

Two paths. The automated path: tick the Automated Benefits Application box when you register your baby's birth with the province, and CRA opens the file automatically, with the first deposit about 8 weeks later. The manual path: file Form RC66, which takes about 11 weeks, used if you missed the ABA box, are a new resident, or live in Nunavut.

How long does CCB take to start after a baby is born?

About 8 weeks via the Automated Benefits Application (the box you tick on the provincial birth-registration form), or about 11 weeks via Form RC66 if you apply manually. Both timelines assume both parents have filed their most recent tax return.

What do I need to apply for the Canada Child Benefit?

Your Social Insurance Number (and your spouse's), proof of birth for the child, and confirmation you are a resident of Canada for tax purposes. New residents also attach proof of immigration or citizenship status and a Form RC66SCH with their world income for the period before they arrived. The automated path pulls proof of birth from the provincial registration, so you supply nothing extra.

Do both parents need to file taxes to get CCB?

Yes. CRA calculates CCB from Adjusted Family Net Income, so both spouses must file a return (the stay-at-home parent files a $0 return). If either spouse has not filed, the benefit pauses until they do.

When does the first CCB payment arrive?

Once CRA assesses the application, the first deposit lands on the next regular payment date — the 20th of the month — and includes any amounts owed back to the month after the child was born or arrived. After that, CCB pays monthly on the 20th.

How do I set up direct deposit for the CCB?

Add or change your banking details in CRA My Account under "Arrange my direct deposit," through the MyCRA mobile app, or by giving the information to your financial institution. Without direct deposit, CRA mails a cheque, which takes longer to arrive.

How do I apply for CCB in Nunavut?

Nunavut is the only jurisdiction that does not participate in the Automated Benefits Application, so Nunavut residents must apply with Form RC66.

How to apply for the Canada Child Benefit

There are two ways to start the Canada Child Benefit after a child is born or arrives in Canada — the automated path (faster, and the one most new parents use) and the manual path (still works, takes a few weeks longer). Both lead to the same place: a monthly tax-free deposit, calculated from your family income, that keeps flowing for as long as you have a child under 18 and keep your taxes filed.

This page walks both paths, the documents you need, what happens once CRA has your file, when the first payment lands, and how to make sure it arrives by direct deposit instead of a mailed cheque.

The two application paths at a glance

Automated Benefits Application (ABA) — about 8 weeks. You consent at birth registration; the province sends your details to CRA and the file opens itself.
Form RC66 — about 11 weeks. You apply directly to CRA. Used when you missed the ABA box, you are a newcomer, the child is older, or you live in Nunavut.

The automated path — about 8 weeks

When you register your baby's birth with the province, there's a box you tick consenting to share the information with the Canada Revenue Agency. This is the Automated Benefits Application (ABA). CRA receives the data, opens the file, and the first CCB deposit typically lands within 8 weeks of birth registration.

You don't need to do anything else. No CCB form. No separate proof of birth — the province confirms it for you. As long as you (and your spouse) have filed your most recent tax return, CRA has everything it needs to calculate the amount.

Where the ABA works

Every province and territory except Nunavut. So BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI, Newfoundland and Labrador, the Northwest Territories, and Yukon all participate.

The manual path — Form RC66, about 11 weeks

If you missed the ABA box, you're a new resident, your child is already a few months or years old, or you live in Nunavut, you file Form RC66 — Canada Child Benefits Application. CRA processes it in about 11 weeks. Same outcome, just slower.

You can submit Form RC66 by signing in to CRA My Account (the fastest manual route) or by mailing the paper form to your tax centre. If you mail it, attach copies — not originals — of any supporting documents.

What you need to apply

Whichever path you use, CRA is checking three things: who the child is, who the caregiver is, and whether you're a resident of Canada for tax purposes. Have these ready:

Social Insurance Numbers for you and your spouse or common-law partner.
Proof of birth for the child (the automated path pulls this from the provincial registration, so you only need it on the manual path).
Proof of residency — for most families this is simply your filed tax return. CRA confirms residency from your return.
Both parents' most recent tax returns filed. CRA can't calculate the benefit until it has the income figures.

Newcomers to Canada — Form RC66SCH

If you or your spouse recently became a resident of Canada, you also complete Form RC66SCH — Status in Canada and Income Information alongside Form RC66. It asks for your immigration or citizenship status and your world income for the part of the year (and the two years prior) before you became a resident. CRA needs that pre-arrival income to set your Adjusted Family Net Income correctly for the first benefit year. Attach proof of your status, such as a permanent resident card or a work or study permit.

What happens after you apply

CRA assesses the application and, once it's approved, mails you a Canada Child Benefit notice. The notice states your monthly amount, the benefit period it covers, and how the figure was calculated from your Adjusted Family Net Income (AFNI). If anything looks off — a missing child, the wrong income, the wrong marital status — the notice tells you what CRA used, so you can correct it.

Your amount is recalculated every July, when CRA rolls the benefit year forward using the prior year's tax return. That's why filing on time each spring matters: a late return pauses the payments until both parents file.

When the first payment lands

Once the file is assessed, the first deposit arrives on the next regular CCB payment date — the 20th of the month — and it includes any retroactive amount owed back to the month after the child was born or arrived. After that, CCB pays monthly on the 20th (shifted earlier when the 20th falls on a weekend or holiday). See the next 12 CCB payment dates for the exact schedule.

How to add direct deposit

Direct deposit is the fastest way to receive the CCB — the money lands in your account on the payment date instead of waiting on a mailed cheque. Set it up in one of three ways:

CRA My Account — sign in and choose “Arrange my direct deposit.”
The MyCRA mobile app — add or update your banking details from your phone.
Through your financial institution — many Canadian banks can enrol you for CRA direct deposit directly.

The same account you use for CCB is the one CRA uses for the quarterly Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB), so you only set it up once.

Things that trip families up

Both parents must file annual taxes to keep the benefit flowing. The stay-at-home parent files a $0 return.
Changes in marital status (separation, or common-law for 12+ months) need a Form RC65 update or a My Account notification.
New arrivals to Canada need to attach proof of immigration status and pre-arrival world income on Form RC66SCH.
Shared-custody arrangements with 40–60 parenting time trigger a 50/50 split — CRA reviews and divides the benefit between both parents.

Common questions

How do I apply for the Canada Child Benefit?: Two paths. The automated path: tick the Automated Benefits Application box when you register your baby's birth with the province, and CRA opens the file automatically, with the first deposit about 8 weeks later. The manual path: file Form RC66, which takes about 11 weeks, used if you missed the ABA box, are a new resident, or live in Nunavut.
How long does CCB take to start after a baby is born?: About 8 weeks via the Automated Benefits Application (the box you tick on the provincial birth-registration form), or about 11 weeks via Form RC66 if you apply manually. Both timelines assume both parents have filed their most recent tax return.
What do I need to apply for the Canada Child Benefit?: Your Social Insurance Number (and your spouse's), proof of birth for the child, and confirmation you are a resident of Canada for tax purposes. New residents also attach proof of immigration or citizenship status and a Form RC66SCH with their world income for the period before they arrived. The automated path pulls proof of birth from the provincial registration, so you supply nothing extra.
Do both parents need to file taxes to get CCB?: Yes. CRA calculates CCB from Adjusted Family Net Income, so both spouses must file a return (the stay-at-home parent files a $0 return). If either spouse has not filed, the benefit pauses until they do.
When does the first CCB payment arrive?: Once CRA assesses the application, the first deposit lands on the next regular payment date — the 20th of the month — and includes any amounts owed back to the month after the child was born or arrived. After that, CCB pays monthly on the 20th.
How do I set up direct deposit for the CCB?: Add or change your banking details in CRA My Account under "Arrange my direct deposit," through the MyCRA mobile app, or by giving the information to your financial institution. Without direct deposit, CRA mails a cheque, which takes longer to arrive.
How do I apply for CCB in Nunavut?: Nunavut is the only jurisdiction that does not participate in the Automated Benefits Application, so Nunavut residents must apply with Form RC66.