Adoption???

[melouttamegacity]

My fiance and I are planning to get civilly married in the Philippines in August. He has an adopted brother who is turning 6 this year. My fiance is the breadwinner of his family; he basically supports his entire family financially. His father works on and off at a low paying job, and his mother is unemployed. I feel his parents won't be able to support themselves without my fiance, and I would love to take in his little brother. We will be sending some money every few months for his parents, but since they are both able-bodied we feel that they should learn to take care of themselves and get proper jobs.

Initially I thought I would be able to sponsor his brother at the same time I sponsored my fiance, but I'm told that I can't do this unless their parents are deceased.

What are my choices? The only choice I can think of is to ask his parents to give up their adoptive rights and have my fiance adopt him.

If we do this, what are the chances of getting his brother over here? I've heard horrible adoption stories, and I just want to know what I'm up against. Also, if I sponsored both my fiance and his brother (who would then be his adoptive son), would that slow the process of getting my husband over to Canada?

 

[canadianwoman]

Your fiance could adopt the child (if allowed in the Philippines), and you could then sponsor both of them. I think it would add to the processing time, though. If you adopt the child as well, it is a long, complicated process that requires the involvement of your provincial government.
CIC is concerned about 'adoptions of convenience', where it looks as if someone has adopted a family member just to get them into Canada. So you have to proof that your fiance and the child have a real parent-child bond (or that he intends to develop such).

You could also just sponsor your husband. Meanwhile, he could set the adoption wheels in motion, and then later you two could apply to sponsor the child. If you do this (instead of just adding him to your husband's application), make sure you try to develop this parent-child bond: stay involved in the child's life, take an active role in his education - not just the interest any aunt and uncle would show. Proof of money sent for his education or to take care of him will be helpful.

 

[melouttamegacity]

We definitely will keep a relationship with my fiance's little brother. He looks up to my fiance like a father. It has always been that way. My fiance has been supporting his entire family financially since he was 18. This includes his parents, his older brother and this little guy. It shouldn't be hard to prove that.

Still, it sounds like it's going to be a long process.