Non-Accompanying Family – How They Affect You

There is often the misconception that, when filling out an application, your family members who are not joining you in Canada are irrelevant to your application. This is, however, not the case.

There are two options you may choose when considering whether to include your non-accompanying family members in the process or excluding them entirely.

The first option is when you want your non-accompanying family member; this could be a spouse, common-law partner, or dependent child, to be able to retain their eligibility. This means that, although they are not accompanying you right now, they may want to do so in the future and therefore wish to have their option open to them.

If this is your situation, then your non-accompanying family members must meet the medical requirements and not be inadmissible, similar to the requirements you and your accompanying family members must meet before being eligible to enter Canada. If this case, if your non-accompanying family member is found inadmissible, you may be found inadmissible as well.

If you are in a situation where your non-accompanying family is your legally separated spouse or a child who is not under your custody, you may sign a Non-Accompanying Family Member Declaration where you would indicate that you do not wish these persons to retain their eligibility. This will leave you free to come to Canada and your non-accompany family members will not affect the success of your application, as they will not have to go through any examinations or tests.

If you need additional information regarding how non-accompanying family members may affect you or how you can overcome this problem, at Akrami & Associates, our knowledgeable legal professionals will be able to offer you the options you may have in whatever situations you find yourself. Call us today to see what options are available to you.