by Douglas Chalke,
published:
syndicated: 1 | total views: 5830 |
word count: 1015
laesbarhedsindex readability score: Difficult Readability
on the net: http://www.sunriseadoption.com
CANADA, Jul 08 — With all the new rules which Canada and the US Homeland Security have been creating about crossing the border it is getting confusing for adopting parents (including as of June 1, 2009, the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative). In an attempt to clarify these rules we have written the following. Please keep in mind that each experience may differ since border guards can apply the rules differently. Fortunately they had their adoption papers with them
W
ith all the new rules which Canada and the US Homeland Security have been creating about crossing the border it is getting confusing for adopting parents (including as of June 1, 2009, the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative). In an attempt to clarify these rules we have written the following. Please keep in mind that each experience may differ since border guards can apply the rules differently. There are 3 main groups of adopted children whom these rules affect:
1. Child born in Canada;
2. Child born in USA; and
3. Child born overseas;
(i) in countries requiring a visa to visit the USA;
(ii)countries for which no visa is required for the USA
Applicable rules will also depend on whether you want to travel before or after your child acquires Canadian Citizenship and a Canadian passport. Lets look at each category and identify the rules and the problems.
1. Child born in Canada
New rules for entering the USA by driving across the border (June 1/09) require a passport or other similar I.D. (for details see http://www.getyouhome.gov/html/eng_map.html). There is an exemption however for children under 16 who can travel with only a birth certificate. The USBorder Protection website states,
"U.S. and Canadian citizen children under age 16 arriving by land or sea from Canada, Mexico, or the Caribbean need only present proof of citizenship, such as an original or copy of his or her birth certificate, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, a Naturalization Certificate, or a Canadian Citizenship Card." Press Release
The problem however is obtaining a birth certificate when there is an Adoption placement at birth. The Vital Statistics Departments of most Canadian Provincial Governments do not want to issue 2 different birth certificates for the same individual. (one in the birth name, and the later one in the adopted name). As a result you cannot now usually obtain a birth certificate in an adoption until the Adoption Order has been received by the Vital Stats Branch (or other Provincial agents.)
To solve this problem the Canadian Passport Office has allowed adopting parents to obtain a limited term passport in the child's adopted name. The passport is usually good for a year, and by that time the child's Adoption Order has been granted. To facilitate this, the Birth Parents should sign permission for the adopting parents to obtain a passport and to travel across the border (preferably at the same time the Adoption Consents are signed.)
The process of obtaining such a limited passport is becoming increasingly complex. It may be that in some provinces that it simply will no longer be possible.
Adopting parents usually obtain this limited passport in the event that they are going to attend a family wedding or vacation in the USA (or Europe) before the Final Adoption Order and new birth certificates in the adopted name have been issued. In other words a Canadian Passport can be issued in these situations even when the birth certificate is not available to the adopting parent.
If the adopting parents do have a birth certificate for the child however then the new USA rules (as of June 1, 2009) will allow a Canadian child under 16 years old to enter the USA without a Canadian passport.
2. Child Born in USA
A child under the age of 16 years old born in the USA (an American Citizen) who is adopted by a Canadian family can enter Canada with valid I.D. Most of the time that means a birth certificate, however occasionally other identifying information will suffice. Ideally the child should have a U.S. passport and most airlines will not fly a child directly into Canada without the child holding a valid U.S. passport.
In the event that an American child is in Canada and needs to return to the USA to obtain a US passport (required for the Canadian Permanent Resident Visa process) the child can return to the United States on a birth certificate if under the age of 16 year old.
3. Child born overseas
A child born overseas who is in Canada to be adopted (i.e. Korea, Philippines) or who has already been adopted overseas (almost every other country) will already have a passport from their country of origin. In addition they will eventually obtain a Canadian passport. What happens during the time from when the child arrives in Canada and when the child obtains a Canadian passport?
(i) Visa required for USA
Citizens of many countries require a visa to enter the USA (and the fact that the child is being adopted by a Canadian family does not change this) you should apply at the US Embassy in Ottawa or a local US Consulate. Remember to do this; adopting parents have reported receiving a heavy fine from US border authorities in addition to the child being refused entry. (ii) Visa not required for USA
If you are traveling to the USA before your child has obtained a Canadian passport and are traveling solely on the child's overseas passport then you should probably take all the paperwork you can to try and explain the situation to the US border guard. If you are adopting through a licensed adoption agency a letter from the agency director may be of help. Caution
The information given above will assist in crossing in to the USA with your adopted child, however border guards have individual discretion to interpret the rules.
Whether traveling into Canada or into the USA, adopting parents report different experiences with different border patrol officers. You may have all the same documents with you that permitted some other child to enter the USA and yet your child is refused entry (or you are given a hard time at the border before being permitted entry). One of our families had adopted twins from China and the children were traveling on their Canadian passports and were taken into a secondary questioning room at the US border for 90 minutes of questioning before they were allowed to enter the USA. Fortunately they had their adoption papers with them.
If you have had an experience crossing the US border with your adopted child which could benefit other parents please let us know and we will update this article.
Communicate directly with Douglas Chalke, the author of this article. Ask questions, send suggestions, comments, engage in conversation, or perhaps you would like to submit a project.
Click Here to ask a question, send a comment, or proposal.
Asian women command premium prices for egg donation in U.S
It’s technically called an egg "donation." But if you’re a young Asian woman, donating your eggs to an infertile couple can fetch enough cash to buy a use
Competition to get into good schools, colleges and universities seems to be getting more and more fierce these days. Pressure to perform well in exams has risen in a corresponding manner. More pressure inevitably raises the potential occu
In our modern days, parents will always appreciate any extra help. Parents who move around with their kids all the time should search a baby stroller travel system which can really help them.
We are all anxious for the arrival of the baby. Parents have prepared almost everything for that little special person that will complete their lives. But are they really prepared for the baby?
Organizing a home is something that you should carefully do to ensure that you get your most desired results. This is the main reason why you need to keep in mind a few essential factors once you start your home organization project. Here are a few o
A baby cot is a paramount thing for every nursery and if you are a very active parent and lead the life of a traveler in accordance with your personal desire or because your business involves much traveling, the best thing you can get for your little
First by reading this topic everyone will think that what is a cooking game?
Lets look at what a cooking game is. When a small girl is being given some toy
food items like banana, brinjal, tomato, grapes etc. the child starts playing.
But, when
On the Internet there are many free cooking games for kids, but are they as fun as the real thing? It doesn’t matter if you have children that are fussy eaters or if your children will eat just about anything that is in front of them, cooking is some
New to dress up games? Then you absolutely must play more until you’re an old pro. As a beginner, a list of essential games might be just the thing to point you in the right (most enjoyable) direction.
Christmas is a harbinger of prosperity, joy, and togetherness. It’s a festive time to adorn a house, a yard or surroundings. People celebrate the occasion with great enthusiasm all over the world in different modes. The concept
Barb and Maxine work for a large corporation whose profit for the last quarter was $400 million. Both women are new moms, currently at home caring for their children. Barb will be at home for 52 weeks and will receive 85% of her regular salary. Maxin
Prior to the earthquake in Haiti that country had many orphans, estimated by various sources as between 50,000 and 380,000. Since the tragedy in January the number has increased, but no one knows yet by how many thousands. The CBC estimates the
What does the future of international adoption hold for children and adopting parents? There are disturbing signs that the world is turning away from intercountry adoptions as a method of family formation. From a political standpoint, many
With all the new rules which Canada and the US Homeland Security have been creating about crossing the border it is getting confusing for adopting parents (including as of June 1, 2009, the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative). In an attempt to clar
With advances in computer technology and DNA science, it seemed likely that a way would be found for the far-flung children of China to find their birth families. That day seemed far off in the future. However that day
Syndication
tweet
PDF version
Printable version
Publisher HTML version
Discussions (0)
Email Article
Post New Comment