TheVickers

I am going home for 2 weeks on Wednesday with my little girl (20 months). My DH is staying here, my niece has just told me that she thinks I will need additonal paperwork or a letter from my lawyer stating that my DH gives his consent for me to take our child out of the country. Apparently there has been a lot of kidnapping cases when one parent has removed the child without the other halves knowledge.

Does anyone know anything about this?

I have contacted Air Transat and they have directed me to the britsh consulate. The are closed til Monday so was wondering if anyone else knew about this?

Ta
Jo x

dingbat

Yes you do need a letter from your husband (bloody cheek if you ask me, but there you go). The letter has to be dated within 48 hrs of travel, it must give your husband's full name, date of birth and two contact numbers in Canada. The letter must state that he gives permission for you to travel with your daughter [Name, date of Birth]on X date to XYZ and to return to Canada on X date with unhindered travel in between. You will be asked for the letter on most occasions as you leave Canada as a woman travelling with kids. I have to carry my court order with me, I get asked so often. My ex, on the other hand, has never once been asked. No one at the other end cares, just have it with you when you board coming back.

Biiiiink

I've never been asked on entering Britain without my son's father, I don't know if that's because they don't care or because Mr B has no parental responsibility there (unmarried, child born pre-Dec. 2003), but I was once asked when re-entering Canada last year.

Surprisingly, for a Canadian immigration official, all I got was a "You know you really should have a letter giving the father's permission" so I smiled sweetly and said yes, I'd arrange that for next time. But I never did and haven't been asked since. I'm about to go the the UK again and I won't bother with a letter, but that's my personal decision, I'm not advising anyone to do that.

I stood behind a male Nigerian PR at the land border last year who was getting a real grilling on re-entering Canada for having no letter to take his son to the US. Canadian Immigration made him phone his wife in Winnipeg and give her verbal consent... so I guess it depends which officer you get and what mood they're in as to whether they ask you.

Is there a law to state that you should have a letter? If so, does that apply where there's no custody/court order, where both parents live together with the child in one household?

Linda P

I recently took my kiddies to visit my parents, hubby had to stay behind to work. I had no problem on the outward journey, but when returning I was questioned by both Gatwick and Calgary.

Gatwick questioned me as to whether they were my children, but Calgary wanted to see a letter from hubby giving his permission for them to leave the county (I had no such letter). I tried to explain that we were not divorced and we had only been on holiday, I questioned why it seemed to be an issue coming back to Canada.....no one said a thing on the way out!!!!!
The man was very nice and courteous. He recommended that next time I bring a letter from hubby....he also added it would be a good idea to have a contact number such as a cell number, so they could contact him if they felt it necessary.

In my opinion this is all total bull.....anyone could write a letter, the cell number means nothing, you could get a friend to act as the hubby!!!

I also do find it insulting that I have to have permission from anyone to take my children on holiday. I really feel for people who are divorced...I imagine it causes lots of conflict.

Linda P

TheVickers

thanks!!!

I have been on the internet and you can fill all your details in on one website and they set the letter up for you. It does say you have to have the form signed by a notary, god, back home it was £50 for one of those old wrinklies to sign a couple of pages!

www.lawdepot.com/contracts/consent/

thanks again, will sort it out tomorrow.

Jo x

dingbat

Yes it does cause horrible issues, especially when the court gives sole custody to one parent due to abandonment by the other years ago. It is an absolute violation of the custodial parent's rights. I travel with three to five kids and I imagine that is why I get asked. I always get asked at YVR - always. LHR and LGW, never.

Linda P

I find it amazing that no one questioned us on the way out.....my daughter was breaking her heart leaving daddy at the gate!!! my son on the other hand was more concerned about the size of the guns the airport police were carrying !!

I asked how official the letter had to be....and was told handwritten would be fine as long as it had a number he could be contacted on.
I then went on the say that my hubby was just beyond the doors waiting to collect us, so his cell would be switch off, so how would that help?
For some reason he did not have any suggestions for this!!!!!

Linda

Biiiiink

Just googled - Canada says they "strongly recommend" a letter, but I haven't got time to look further, so do we take it from that that it's not required?

http://www.voyage.gc.ca/main/before/...ravel-en.asp#2

Canada's sample consent letter - http://www.voyage.gc.ca/main/before/..._letter-en.asp

Linda P

I was told that it wasn't a legal requirement........ just as you said
' recommended '

If this is the case, what can they do if you haven't got the letter??

Linda

JAJ

In that case why not carry a copy of custody documents?

dingbat

I do, I said so in a previous post. I am still asked for a letter however, most recently this past February. I am flying again on Saturday, have the court order all ready as usual.

burton bunch

Taking it then if hubby coming to canada first and then the kids with me i should really look into having a letter with me when we come

Grah

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-col...ber-alert.html

and if you need a reason why?

Cowtown

Or perhaps it just depends on your appearance?

Purley

When I took my granddaughter for a holiday to England, I got a notarized consent from her father and her mother. Nobody asked me for any proof that I was entitled to take a child out of Canada. When we got back to Calgary on the return journey, an immigration officer asked to see the letter. I just showed her and it was fine.

However, it did seem rather ridiculous to me. After all, if I had been kidnapping her, it is not likely I would have brought her back to Canada. I would have thought the place to check would have been before we LEFT the country.