Custodianship Declaration and Custodianship Service
Index
Introduction
In Canada, minors who are not Canadian citizens can apply for schools and study permits. However, before a minor comes to Canada to study, a parent or a custodian is required to provide a Custodianship Declaration. As a minor who is not a Canadian citizen, a declaration from a parent or guardian is also required while renewing a visa.
The Definition of Minor
Each province in Canada defines s minor differently.
When the applicant stays in Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec or Saskatchewan, the applicant’s age under 18 is a minor.
When the applicant stays in British Columbia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut or the Yukon Territory, the applicant’s age under 19 is a minor.
As long as the applicant is a minor, a Custodianship Declaration is required. It should be noted that age is based on the time of the beginning of term. If the applicant is a minor at the time of applying for the visa, but the applicant becomes an adult at the beginning of the study, the applicant does not need to make a Custodianship Declaration.
Custodianship Requirements
The parents or legal guardians must prove the minor child will have the care and support they need during their stay in Canada. When the parents have a student visa or a work visa, the parents and the student do not need to sign a Custodianship Declaration when the applications are related. In other cases, a Custodianship Declaration is required.
When parents cannot accompany the students to Canada, the guardian must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, and the guardian’s address cannot be too far from the child’s address and the school’s address. The custodians can be quickly. Unlike parents, custodians only need to provide necessary arrangements and deal with urgent matters. For example, some documents in the school that need to be signed by parents can be signed by the guardian, and the guardian is not obliged to be responsible for the student’s study.
Precautions for Minors Entering Canada
- Before a minor travels to Canada to study, a study visa is required in all cases.
- When the parents have a valid study visa or work visa, the minor is not required to provide a school acceptance letter when applying for a study visa.
- Immigrant officers at the border have the right to decide whether minors can enter the country.
Custodian Selection Criteria
- If you have a relative who is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, and the relative lives in the same city as the minor’s destination, it is the best arrangement to have a relative as a custodian. If the relative’s address is close to the school, the applicant can also live in the relative’s home.
- In order to provide convenience for international students, high schools usually allow the principal to act as the student’s guardian and charge a certain fee. Some schools require that they must choose the accommodation arranged by the school if the minor needs a custodian designated by the school. The fee depends on the case.
- Homestay families can also act as guardians of the student.
Guardian Declaration Form
The guardian declaration form is imm5646 (Custodianship Declaration – Custodian For Minors Studying in Canada). The Canadian Immigration Department frequently changes all forms. Please pay attention to whether the form is up to date when obtaining the form.
The first page of the guardian declaration form needs to be filled out, printed out, and signed and notarized by the Canadian guardian in person at a notary office in Canada. Law firms, municipal governments and other institutions have the qualifications for notarization.
The second page of the guardian form needs to be filled out and printed out. The student’s parents or legal guardians must sign and notarize in Native Language and English at a domestic notary office in person. Some notary offices need to translate the form into Native Language before notarization.
Q&A
A：According to the regulations of the Canadian Immigration Department, minor children (under 18 years of age) don’t need to qualify as a fully vaccinated traveller to come to Canada to study. If they’re not fully vaccinated, they may be allowed to come to Canada if either of the following applies:
They attend a post-secondary institution with an approved COVID-19 readiness plan.
They’re planning to study in a province or territory that accepts international students at the elementary or secondary school level.
A：If your child’s study visa application is related to your work visa, the expiration of your visa will affect your child’s study visa. Your child may not be able to continue his/her study. However, if you apply for your work permit and your child’s study permit separately, this will not matter.
Fees
- Have concerns about a Custodianship Declaration? Or looking for a custodian for your child in Canada? Please contact us.
- Gloabl Visa Firm only charges service fees, the fees do not include government fees, translation fees, notarization fees, courier fees and other third-party fees
- The service fee is charged according to the customer’s situation. If the customer’s situation is more complicated, there may be additional fees (refer to customer evaluation)