Sponsoring parents
 

Our son is looking to sponsor my wife and myself to join him in Vancouver as Permanent Residents. However, I am dismayed by the volume of detail CIC are requesting.

To provide details of addresses and activities back to our 18th birthdays would mean recalling details back to 1956. Do they really expect that people's have the ability to recall such details going back 54 years? We could accurately go back to 1976 but prior to that it would be a question of approximate dates and incomplete addresses. Would this be acceptable to CIC?

A further, potentially more difficult problem would be the requirement to obtain a police report from every country where we have lived for 6 consecutive months. My wife spent 2 periods, each of about a year, in Norway between 1961 and 1965. She is unable to recall the dates or even guess at the addresses. Additionally, between 1974 and 1976, whilst in the RAF, we lived in Germany. Again the dates and addresses are very sketchy. I would expect that if we cannot recall dates and addresses we would not be able to request a police report.

Has anyone experienced similar difficulties? If so, I would be grateful for any advice you can give me.

Re: Sponsoring parents
 

Would it be possible for you/your wife to check employers/address details through NI numbers you may have had in those countries? I'd imagine tax/NI contribution records would have to be held for longer than 50 years.

Re: Sponsoring parents
 

You would think that, but they will only provide for the last 6 due to data protection act.

I'm thinking of sponsoring my parents when i get to Canada, so this seems incredible having to date back to your parents 18th birthdays!

Re: Sponsoring parents
 

I think people would struggle going back to their 18th birthday.
Companies close down and people throw a lot of old information away thinking there never going to need it again.
What kind of information do they ask for apart from employment?

Re: Sponsoring parents
 

As I would be applying under the Family Class providing evidence of employment is not an issue. The requirement is to supply all addresses and details of all activities since the age of 18.