Leaving Canada with a minor?

[phabric]

My DD and her girl friend who has a 2 year old, will be travelling to Disney. The 2 year name has the mother's last name and has own passport. Does she need anything else to fly to the Disney from Toronto?

 

[amberg@eastlink.ca]

passport is fine, i take along the kids birth certificates just incase but have not been needed. i think they only time anything arises is if there is a custody issue, as in a dispute.

 

[bdoyledimou]

If the father is around, she should get a permission to travel doc filled out and signed just in case.

If the father is not, she should get a notorised copy of the order of custody and carry that with her.

 

[phabric]

The father is not around and their is not custody papers.

 

[Northstar]

The father is not around and their is not custody papers.

Was the father around to sign for the child to get a passport? If he wasn't around at that time, there must have been some kind of paperwork to let the mom get the passport without the dad... bring that.

She could end up being turned back at the border, or at least given a right sharp grilling, trying to take a 2-year-old over an international border without a notarized letter from the other parent. There's much more likely to be scrutiny when the child is so young, and when there's noone traveling with your group who could be assumed to be the dad (sometimes they just assume you're a complete family if you look like one).

 

[connorsmom911]

Just putting my 2 cents in. I have both a custody agreement and passports, and the 2 times I have taken my kids across the border, I have obtained a very detailed notarized letter, signed by their father. My kids are 7 and almost 3, one time I travelled with both, most recently just myself and the older one.

I'm sure it varies where you cross, and which border agent you happen to get, but both times all I've done is shown the passports, answered the question about where we are going, and was waved on. They never even asked about custody or travel letter!

Better to be prepared, but don't be surprised if they don't ask!

 

[Kat&Dom]

You should get have a notorized letter of permission from the father - if it is not possible to get one from him, you can get permission from the courts to take a minor out of Canada.

About 75% of the time, I am asked to show my Custody papers coming back into Canada. I have never been asked to show anything leaving Canada but coming back in - customs and immigration wants to see that the child has permission to leave Canada.

If your girlfriend is going to be the sole parent - she should get sole custody with a clause stating that she can travel outside of Canada without the written permission of the father. Just Sole Custody is not enough - you need to have that travel clause in order to avoid getting letters of permission in the future. This is what I did with my ex - I got it written into the Custody agreement so I never have to worry about travelling - I just carry the Custody Order with me all the time.

 

[M_T]

Sorry if i'm stealing your discussion but we are taking our 2 nieces (13 and 11) to Disney. We are getting the parents to sign a document (notarized) that we are travelling with their kids. They also have nexus cards to cross the border and we are flying out of Buffalo.
Is there anything else we could do to prepare for a border crossing or boarding in Buffalo ?

thanks
mt

 

[bdoyledimou]

Sorry if i'm stealing your discussion but we are taking our 2 nieces (13 and 11) to Disney. We are getting the parents to sign a document (notarized) that we are travelling with their kids. They also have nexus cards to cross the border and we are flying out of Buffalo.
Is there anything else we could do to prepare for a border crossing or boarding in Buffalo ?

thanks
mt

FYI to utilize Nexus all members of the party must have the card (this bit me the first time i tried to cross the boarder with the family and I had Nexus but they didn't).

Passport/birth certificate notarized letter.. you should be set!

ETA -- okay just looked and the nexus cards CAN be used in Liue of a passport.. yo ujust can't use the nexus LANES unless everyone has one ....

 

[M_T]

You had me scared with the first part
I'll just make sure I stay clear of the Nexus lanes.

FYI to utilize Nexus all members of the party must have the card (this bit me the first time i tried to cross the boarder with the family and I had Nexus but they didn't).

Passport/birth certificate notarized letter.. you should be set!

ETA -- okay just looked and the nexus cards CAN be used in Liue of a passport.. yo ujust can't use the nexus LANES unless everyone has one ....

 

[LovesHerTaurus]

Is the father listed on the birth certificate or is that area left as unknown?

If father is listed you MUST have a notarized letter as well as copy of custody paper.
If he is dead you actually must have a copy of the death certificate.

If father not listed, you must get a notarized letter from a lawyer stating that she has custody as the only parent.

Passport Canada who issues them has their own set of rules than border guards.

Trust me - single parent, default custody nothing in writing. No father ever involved. Passport Canada said I could probably get a passport. US Immigration buddy said I might be able to leave Canada, and even get into the US but may be denied re-entry into Canada!

We didn't even try - my fiancee just adopted the girls early

 

[phabric]

My DD and her girl friend who has a 2 year old, will be travelling to Disney. The 2 year name has the mother's last name and has own passport. Does she need anything else to fly to the Disney from Toronto?

I talked to DD's friend. The 2 year old does not have the father's name on birth certificate, father is not in the picture at all. She had no problem getting a passport.

 

[sjsjbrook]

The father is not around and their is not custody papers.

Clearly to get a passport you had to deal with this issue and both parents are required to sign the passport. So bring the documentation you used to get the passport.

You can get a noterized letter from a lawyer or stating that you have sole custody of the child.

My child traveled with her dad when she was 12 and he wasn't asked to show the letter in Toronto, but was in the states. She also has traveled to england with her grandmother, and she was asked in england when she arrived for the papers.

That said, when I have traveled with my children, I have never been questioned and my children have a different last name than me. Of course I have only traveled to Disney with them.

 

[Queenofallthings]

Good morning, my daughter has always had her own passport but when we travel (we have travelled to WDW every year since she was 6) I take along her birth certificate and where it has father's name, her certificate says 'NOT STATED". Her birth certificate is the only legal document I need to supply because of that. There is no custody papers etc. They informed me at the passport office when her certificate has father's name not stated they cannot ask for any other documents. Once when we were travelling to North Dakota for the weekend the US Custom's agent asked for legal papers and I handed her the birth certificate and she said "that's perfect, thanks for being prepared". I've never had a problem, ever.

Hope that helps!