Adopted stepchild

[Suin]

Hello,
could you please advise, if my husband (Canadian) adopts my kids, will it be any problem to our sponsorship application?
thank you

[Leon]

If your husband is sponsoring you and your kids, it really doesn't matter if he adopts them or not.

[Suin]

thank you for your reply, Leon.
we heard somewhere that as soon as the stepchild is adopted by a Canadian, he could apply for citizenship. The matter is that we included kids into application as accompanying kids, that's why we thought it could be a problem.

can it act as a proof of genuine relationship?

[Leon]

Yes, your husband could apply for the kids citizenships if he adopts them, see http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/adoption/apply-who-cit.asp  I can not really say which is better or worse, faster or slower, less or more paperwork or costly.  You'd have to research each option.  Since you have already applied for the kids as accompanying, maybe it's best to stick with that for now.  There will be no difference for the kids being PR or being citizens.  Your husband can adopt them later and apply for their citizenship right away at that point or you can apply for their citizenship in 3 years when you qualify for yours.

For your husband to sponsor your kids is already quite a bit of proof of a genuine relationship since he will be responsible for them financially for the next 10 years.  Adoption would go a step further but if you already sent other proof of your relationship, you really don't need more proof, do you?

[Suin]

We appreciate your reply in deed.

Please do help to us to get more clear with this situation - if the husband applies to the Canadian court for adopting his stepchildren, what will happen with kids' sponsorship application? The matter is that adoption can take up to half a year, and we expect to hear from the visa office before the court issues its decision. Will it be a problem for the visa office to finalize the application for kids? This question worries us a lot.

thank you very much.

[Leon]

I don't know.  You should ask CIC or an immigration lawyer.  The sponsorship application should keep moving as normal whether he adopts the kids or not.  You are allowed to sponsor your spouses kids and you are allowed to sponsor your own so I don't see why it would matter.