Sponsoring Child Born in USA

[AP]

Hi,

My wife and I became PRs in 2009 and after landing we had our first child who is 18 months now. Now, in 2011 we are planning to move to Canada. I was wondering if someone could tell me the process to sponsor a child born in the US? I understand a US citizen can stay in Canada without visa for 6 months. The processing time in CIC's website isn't clear about dependent children living inside Canada. For dependent spouse living inside Canada it is 9-10 months. If it is the same for child too does that mean I'll have to send my son out of country before he gets his PR?

Thanks & Regards,

AP

 

[RobsLuv]

Your child does not have to be outside of Canada to be eligible to be sponsored for PR - but one of you has to be residing in Canada in order to be eligible to sponsor him. You're right that CIC no longer posts timelines specific to dependent child processing, but I suspect it's still less time than a spousal ap takes. Your concern will be whether or not the child will be allowed to accompany you to Canada, and that just depends on the discretion of the officer assessing his entry at the port of entry.

If he is admitted, he's eligible to stay for up to six months - but chances are, in your situation (if you're honest on entry about the situation) he will be documented on a Visitor Record that you'll be able to apply to extend from within Canada if his PR hasn't come through before his visitor status expires. Just submit it so that it's received by CIC before his status expires, and include proof that you have submitted a PR application on his behalf and it should be fine.