In past Blogs we have discussed the various issues and requirements around children’s Passports, and the application process for obtaining them. Obtaining a Passport for a child becomes particularly important in situations of separation and divorce, since if one parent wants to travel with the child, then the other parent must usually agree to (or at least condone) the intended plans.
The Government of Canada strongly recommends that even after a valid Passport has been issued, any time there are plans made by one parent for a child to travel outside Canada, whether accompanied by that parent, alone, or with another person (e.g. a relative or family friend or in a group), a Letter of Consent should be obtained from the other parent. For these purposes, a “child” is anyone under the age of majority.
While strictly speaking it is not mandatory, the Letter of Consent serves as evidence that the child has the consent of both parents to travel. It is signed primarily by the individual(s) with the legal right to make major decisions for the child (i.e. the custodial parent or guardian); however, even if it is a parent with sole custody who is travelling with the child, to be on the safe side it is recommended that Letter of Consent be filled out by any parent or other individual with access rights.
The Letter of Consent can be presented upon demand by immigration authorities when entering or leaving a foreign country, or by Canadian immigration officials upon the child’s return. While having a Letter of Consent handy does not guarantee that there will be no difficulties crossing a border, it will likely make the process much faster and easier.
Although there is no standard form, and no official guidelines for its contents, the federal government website now has a interactive on-line form that can be modified and filled out to fit each situation. It is always recommended that the Letter be completed with as much detail as possible.
Finally, the Government of Canada has a useful Frequently Asked Questions page , which sets out the answers to questions arising in various travel scenarios.
At Russell Alexander, Family Lawyers our focus is exclusively family law, offering pre-separation legal advice and assisting clients with family related issues including: custody and access, separation agreements, child and spousal support, division of family property, paternity disputes, and enforcement of court orders. For more information, visit our main site.
