form 5540

[jay7777]

I need some advice on this issue. I am helping wife put together her forms as she is sponsoring me for a pr. On form IM5540 it asks her mother's name and address and birth date. I asked my wife's brother for this information and he thinks I should put her step mom's information in this section and not her real mother name. The reason he said I should do this is because my wife was issued her pr card the same time as her father and step mother (they all came to Canada together). My wife's brother thinks that because her real mother still lives in China and has never been to Canada there is no record of her on file so we should just use her step mother's name which the Canada immigration has on file.

My thinking is we should use her real mother's information on this form and not include anything about her step mother. Am I wrong in thinking this? Could they return the application if I use the stepmother's name?

 

[Kieath]

Did the step-mother legally adopt her? Even so, my guess would be put the bio-mom. The worst thing you can do is purposely mislead them in any way, and it's far better to be honest rather than take that risk (which really wouldn't have much of a reward if any anyways). Canada might not have any info of her bio-mom written, but that doesn't necessarily mean it won't pop up later on (maybe through police certificates, or during a background check it might pop up that the step-mom mentioned your wife was a step-child ect.)

I've read an instance on this forum of someone having their application returned because they spelled their mother's name wrong, so it does seem like they check out these things. If it came down to it, you could prove that she's the step-mother, while you'd be in trouble if they asked for further documentation and you said she was the bio-mom. Even if it does cause some delays, it's far better to risk that then being permanently barred because you lied on the application.

 

[mikeymyke]

Do what I do as a failsafe, write the real parents on that form, but use a separate sheet of paper to make a note saying that the names on the form are the biological parents, but my stepparent's info is _________________.

 

[Kieath]

Replying to add that I absolutely agree with mikeymyke, and that an extra note would be your smartest bet.