How can the sponsor be allowed to enter the Landing Interview at the airport?

[Adal]

Hello everyone,

My mother is finally landing as a permanent resident soon. I am her sponsor as part of the Parents Sponsorship program for family members.

As you may know there is a process to complete with Immigration Canada at the airport when you arrive to Canada.

She is not fluent in English or French (her native language is Spanish), so I am wondering if there is a way for me to be allowed to enter into the airport and accompany her during the initial Landing Process with Immigration Canada, in order to ease any possible issue with the language ??

Is there a way to request this to CBSA or Immigration Canada or any other organization?

I've been searching a lot online and can't find anything useful on this topic.

Have you any information or idea on how to accomplish such thing?

Thank you all in advance

 

[CDNPR2014]

no, there is no way to request this since the landing is done in the immigration area at the airport, and if you aren't flying with her, you will not be able to enter that area.

when she gets to the immigration window they will either:
1) have an officer who speaks spanish complete the landing procedure with her
2) ask her if she has family waiting for her, and find you to help with translating.

 

[zardoz]

Your only alternative is to fly out to meet her at her departure airport and fly back together. Even that might not work if you are not allowed into Secondary inspection.

 

[Buletruck]

Give her your phone number and a note explaining the situation in French or English. Call the airline and arrange for some assistance for her when she arrives. (Edited for horrendous grammar and spelling)

 

[canadianwoman]

I agree with the above poster who said to give your mother a note in English or French explaining that she speaks Spanish, but that she has family waiting for her in the airport if they need someone to translate. You should be at the airport waiting for her. You could also call the airport and ask if they have something set up for this kind of situation. Vancouver's airport has a desk right outside custom's that can help with a multitude of languages.

 

[Adal]

Thanks a lot to all of you for the help and advice.

I will for sure be at the airport and she already has the note in English and French.

Anyway I will try to contact the airport (YUL, Montréal), to see what the options are.

I will post my findings, maybe this can help others.

@rlcdeleña. I am not quite sure what you mean. If you refer to my mother, maybe my wording was not clear enough, then I would say that technically speaking she is not yet a PR, she has the Immigrant visa on her passport, she will become a PR the moment she lands and completes the due processing with Immigration at the airport. If you are talking about me, then I would say that doesn't matter (both Citizens and PRs can sponsor their parents as part of the Parents Sponsorship Program http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/sponsor-parents.asp)

Thanks again.

 

[Adal]

Update:

I called Immigration and citizenship and they explained CBSA is the one responsible for this process at the airport. They recommended me to provide my mother with printed instructions to show at the airport with:
- request to process her arrival for landing confirmation (to avoid agents from granting her access to the country with no special processing. in other words, to make sure her landing confirmation is properly processed)
- full postal address of the place she is planning to live (in order to mail the Permanent Resident Card)
- my name and phone number (in case they need to contact me)

They explained that everything is already in the paperwork and agents at the airport don't need much information.

They insisted that this is not an exceptional scenario at all, as agents at the ports of entry are used to deal with immigrants that don't understand English or French. I would say so, but maybe because I know very unpleasant cases is that I am concerned about this topic (I know for a fact that things don't always go well at all at the airport, but I won't digress)

I asked her if there is any other thing to do at that point so I can prepare my mother accordingly (I mean on top of the address for the Permanent Resident Card), and she said no. I mean, there is no SSN or Health Card application or anything else? She said no.

Then I called CBSA. They explained me there is always somebody able to server as Spanish interpreter at the Montreal airport. And I should not worry about it at all (so I don't know what would happen with other languages). The only things she needs to have with her is her passport with immigrant visa and her Permanent Residence confirmation papers.

 

[MilesAway]

You will have to apply for a SIN and health card later, but that can be done after landing, and you can accompany her. I went with my wife to get her SIN, even though my wife speaks good English.