Far be it from me to defend someone I don't know anything about but for goodness sake how could you possibly ever know the circumstances of someone else's situation to make such a judgement?

Any decent father would want what is best for his children - how can you know that he is not defending his right to do just that? Ever consider that Canada might not be the best place for these children to go? I am no fan of the laws regarding children, ex's and consent to move, believe me, but you cannot possibly berate this man in such a way without knowing all the facts!

It may seem a little heartless but as with all relationships the whole story can't be told in a few lines of text. Until the start of this year he didn't see or keep in touch with his kids for 2 years (through choice as no restrictions have ever been placed upon his contact with them), he's now in a new relationship and his partner is pregnant and i expect wants all his baggage sorting out and loose ends tied up, so he rang up saying he wanted to see them again! The kids relationship with their dad mostly exists on MSN though and for that distance doesn't matter.

He's known for 4/5 months now that we're planning to move, and has said from day 1 that he's okay with it, he's had the letter for almost 2 months promising to get it sorted out. A month back he even told me it had been done, then when i rang him and said i'd call to pick it up his story changed!!

The kids are up for the move, there's not much more to be said really!

If you actually read my post then it may become obvious I was being ironic.

Then I apologise unreservedly - however it did not read that way. The emoticon might have helped.

It's true that once your original comment is read with a little sarcasm that the whole meaning changes. That's the tough thing about this forum lark in being able to always convey the true meaning of what we're saying.

Must be my mind then. I read it as sarcastic (complete with rolling eyes ++) and couldn't see why you were all jumping up and down at all.

Me neither... and, being Canadian, I have a genetic inability to understand irony!

Actually I did read it that way and thought it was well put. Then was surprised when people read it so literally, and questioned myself, maybe I was wrong! Glad I wasn't, because I thought your posting summed up exactly what I was thinking.

Hmmm. Well I'm not sure that sarcasm works that well in this format and I certainly didn't pick up on it but I can see it now. Still, they do say that sarcasm is the lowest form of wit!

I didn't say I thought it was clever or particularly witty. shrug.

Sarcasm can also be used to convey contempt.

"Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit" usually heard from those incapable of its proper application and as such suffer a lot from it. I hope I'll retain 'low wit' as apposed to 'no wit'....

Hi everybody

we had this dilemma, had much comms with CHC and other people on forums. We needed to know how I could immigrate with my wife and her 9yr old son, Alex. His father has not wanted anything to do with Alex at all and my wife was never married to the father. There is nothing specific on the immigration pages but CHC gave me this link for visitors and also stated we must have a letter of declaration and any doc's appertaining to sole custody, when we finally try to immigrate. So, if you visit Canada and your'e a sole parent you need proof, a very good read, so use it.

http://www.canada.org.uk/visa-info/visitor/e_visit.htm

We eventually traced the father to Guatamala, Sth America. He'd been told we were looking for him, had a decent phone conversation and he agreed to send us a letter confirming he was ok with us taking Alex to Canada and a copy of his passport photo page with signature. It finally arrived just before the Sandown emigrate show in March.
We went to Sandown specifically to show it to CHC officials. They were quite happy with it, but insisted it should be notarized, we then asked 'how do we do this when the father is in Guatamala and we are in Uk, also the father was going to Mexico then the States and unobtainable and not going to return to th Uk?' The officer then said it was good enough but get a doc which states sole custody.

So, we have a letter of consent and copy of passport photo with signature to confirm his letter signature, from absent father of 9yrs. All we need now is to visit our local solicitor and draw up a letter to state my wife is sole parent at whatever it will cost.

I was also provided with a letter of declaration via another forum member who is a solicitor and had the same probs, he used the following format and you will have to alter slightly for your own use:-

I, 'your name' of 'your full address'

DO SOLEMNLY AND SINCERELY DECLARE as follows:-

1. I am the 'Father or Mother??' of 'child’s name and DOB'.
2. I confirm that I have no objection to 'child’s name' leaving the United Kingdom with his 'Mother or Father??' 'Their name and DOB' to live in Canada.
3. AND I make this solemn Declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true and by virtue of the provisions of the Statutory Declarations Act 1835.

SIGNED AND DECLARED at )
in the County of )
)
this day, the of 2006 )
)
Before me )
)
Solicitor/Commissioner for Oaths )


As regards ages of children. When you are filling in the Imm forms dependant children are to age 22 yrs. So, if still at Uni etc they need to be included whether going with you or not. If they are not dependant then you need a letter from them and/or other parent to say they will not be going and can only apply in the future after cut off age. If you are unsure, the message we are getting from various info outlets is include them, land with you, they then go back to Uk straight away and have up to 3 yrs then to come back to Canada. They will get their Perm res card along with yours.
If you have children that are staying in UK and still dependant (court orders/CSA)you have to show Imm that you are leaving enough in financial provisions for them.
Solicitors shouldn't refuse to write a letter or witness either, end of the day they get their small fee. Its best if you can do it with both parents there obviously. Solicitors are probably not up with the correct info for Immigration matters either, so you need to tell them what you are doing is correct.
On the matter of going to court in another of the posts, I would of thought Immigration would not agree to this decision, it HAS got to be between the parents and if one doesn't want their kids to Immigrate then so be it. As far as I know from when I divorced I had to ask fo permission from my exwife to take the kids abroad, also she was not allowed to take the kids out of the country without my permission. Canadian Imm take very strong views on this.

HTH
David

In that case father never had any parental rights to begin with.


Canada is obliged under its international treaty obligations to respect United Kingdom child custody law.

So if a UK court says a child may go to Canada, Canada must accept that.