Immigration process — Intercountry adoption: Prepare for arrival

Your adoptive child’s permanent resident visa allows her or him to enter Canada to become a permanent resident.

When your adoptive child arrives in Canada, he or she will be met by an officer from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).

The child will formally receive permanent resident status in Canada at this point.

The CBSA officer will ask to see the child’s passport or travel documents. Make sure you have them for the child, and that they are not packed in luggage. If you have the documents handy, you can speed up entry into Canada.

If you and your child are travelling without the child’s second adoptive parent (if there is one), make sure you have any documents the CBSA officer may require, such as letters of permission for children travelling with only one legal guardian.

After the child has become a permanent resident, he or she will receive a permanent resident card. You must provide the child’s new address in Canada to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to receive the permanent resident card. You can expect to receive the card by mail about a month later.

After your adoptive child becomes a permanent resident in Canada, you can apply for citizenship on the child’s behalf.