前幾天有個陌生的朋友突然私訊我說先生與小孩入境YVR的時候被請到小房間去, 他已經等了一個多小時, 還是盼不到人。
一開始是問我說, PR的小孩要來念書是否一定需要在境外申請到學簽才能入境?我說, CIC是這樣規定, 但因為也可以在境內申請學簽, 所以因為沒有學簽而被請到小房間不太尋常, 應該不是這個原因。
接著我問先生的PR是否有任何居住義務上的問題?沒有, 是報到未滿一年的PR, 持有有效的PR Card, 所以問題應該也不在先生上頭。
我問是否有另一父母的旅行同意書? 也有
過了一分鐘, 他說CBSA要打電話給小孩在台灣的母親, 這下才揭開為何會被請到小房間去...
該家庭狀況是
太太是加拿大公民, 先生透過配偶依親移民取得PR, 先生過去曾有一段婚姻, 一個小孩。 小孩在原本的依親申請中列為不隨行子女, 但後來父母雙方協議跟著父親來加拿大念書, 這次入境就是打算長住
於是我就問是否有親生母親的旅行同意書加上護照影本, 或者父親有法院文件證明父親有100%監護權? 對方說不是100%監護權, 但有親生母親的旅行同意書且有公證, 但沒有對方護照影本。
我說那不用擔心, 推測是因為父親是PR但小孩不是, 所以引起CBSA的注意, CBSA應該是為了小孩是否是在所有監護人充分理解下與父親同行而需要進行小孩身分確認, CBSA遇到這個狀況當然會比較小心謹慎, 既然有充分的文件, 就只是需要一些時間來確認而已。
果不其然, 還在討論的過程中, 就傳來說CBSA滿意父親出示的所有文件, 終於放行了。
事情圓滿解決了, 但我還不能領便當...XD..
接下來, 從這次事件延伸, 我們來看看, 當有小孩隨行的時候應該要做哪些的準備?
其實加拿大政府都已經幫各位父母打點好了, 所以需要的文件注意事項等等都在下面這個網址, 且他還有很完整的FAQ可以提供更多的指引
https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/children/consent-letter
裏頭有一個可依照每一次旅遊狀況客製化的旅行同意書產生器, 只要輸入該次旅遊的相關資訊就會產生出一封很完整的旅行同意書, 再由不一起旅行的父母或監護人簽名, 並依照不同出遊性質可以考慮要不要做公證等等。
下面幫大家整理一些重點
1. 沒有任一加拿大法律規定一定要攜帶旅行同意書, 但有準備可以降低邊境官員(加拿大或外國) 對於小孩身分的疑問, 以及了解同行大人陪伴小孩的正當性
2. 同行大人建議持有所有不隨行父母(監護人)的旅行同意書
3. 因為小孩的護照沒有父母的資訊欄位, 所以建議要攜帶小孩的出生證明影本
4. 每個小孩狀況不同, 所以若有需要, 旅行同意書視情況建議在有證人的情況下簽署並且公證
接下來這點是我個人的建議,
6. 建議簽署同意書的監護人一併提供其護照影本, 而同意書的簽名要與其護照上頭的簽名一致。若沒有護照, 則可以改提供有姓名, 照片, 出生日期, 簽名的證件, 例如北美的駕照, 這是一個簡單證明同意書是由該護照持有人所簽的方法。
重要的FAQ:
Q: What documents should a child carry when travelling abroad, apart from a Canadian passport and consent letter (if applicable)?A: Since parents are not identified on a child’s passport, we recommend that the child carry a copy of the long-form (or parental information) birth certificate, which clearly indicates the parents’ names. The long-form birth certificate is not a mandatory travel document, but it may help to establish the relationship between the child and the accompanying parent and/or the parent signing the consent letter.
For more information on the long-form birth certificate, contact the government of the province or territory where the child was born.
Check with the destination country’s embassy or consulate in Canada regarding additional documentation that may be required, including divorce papers, custody court orders or a death certificate (if one parent is deceased).
Q: Is a consent letter mandatory?
There is no Canadian legal requirement for children to carry a consent letter. However, a consent letter may be requested by immigration authorities when entering or leaving a foreign country, airline agents or Canadian officials when re-entering Canada. Failure to produce a letter upon request may result in delays or refusal to enter or exit a country.
Q: If neither parent is accompanying the child, should they each sign separate consent letters, or can they provide a single letter with both of their signatures?
Either separate letters or a single letter may be acceptable. However, if both parents choose to sign separate consent letters, we strongly recommend that both letters be witnessed by a notary public.
Q: Can a parent fax or email a scanned copy of the letter to the accompanying person?
Although there is no Canadian legal requirement for children to carry a consent letter, we recommend bringing the original letter, as border officials will be less likely to question its authenticity.
Q: If the other parent is not in the picture and obtaining a consent letter is impossible, what other documents can be carried?
If there is a court order stating that the whereabouts of the other parent are unknown and granting the accompanying parent full/sole custody, we recommend carrying a copy of that document.
If a court order has not been issued, we recommend consulting with a lawyer to consider taking legal action.
If the other parent was granted access rights by a previous court order, but has not exercised those rights in a long time and is now unreachable, we recommend consulting with a lawyer to consider obtaining an up-to-date court order.
In either case, we recommend carrying a copy of the court order.
If in doubt, be sure to consult with a lawyer, as each situation is unique.
Q: If the child is a naturalized Canadian or permanent resident and immigrated to Canada with only one parent, does the parent who lives abroad need to sign a consent letter?
We recommend carrying a consent letter signed by the parent who lives abroad. The signing of the consent letter may be witnessed by anyone who has attained the age of majority (18 or 19, depending on the province or territory of residence), including a consular officer at any Canadian government office abroad (fees apply).
If it is impossible to obtain a consent letter from the parent who lives abroad, we recommend carrying a copy of a court order granting full custody to the parent in Canada and stating that the other parent has no rights over the child.
If a court order has not been issued, we recommend consulting with a lawyer, as each situation is unique.
Q: If a Canadian child who holds another citizenship travels to the other country of citizenship without one or both parents, will the consent letter offered on this website be accepted by that country’s immigration authorities?
The consent letter offered on this website may or may not be considered sufficient by a country’s immigration authorities, as some countries impose their own entry/exit requirements on minor citizens.
For example, a child with Costa Rican-Canadian citizenship requires a legally certified consent letter, translated into Spanish and signed by one or both parents, plus a special permit issued by Costa Rican authorities, in order to depart from Costa Rica.
Be aware that a foreign country may automatically deem a child born in Canada to be one of its citizens if one or both parents are citizens of that country. As a “deemed citizen,” the child may be subject to the same entry/exit requirements as other citizens of that country.
We strongly recommend that parents consult with an embassy or consulate of any country where their child may be a “deemed citizen” and enquire about travel documentation and other entry/exit requirements before travelling to that country with their child.
You may find additional information under “Entry/Exit Requirements” in the Travel advice and advisories for your destination country, our Dual citizenship page and our booklet Dual Citizenship: What You Need to Know.
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