Operational Bulletin 385 – February 13, 2012

The Instructions to Create a Global Case Management System (GCMS) Application for the Sponsorship of Unnamed Children for Adoption and Sibling Adoption Applications

Summary

This Operational Bulletin (OB) provides various instructions to officers. It instructs them on the process for creating a file in the Global Case Management System (GCMS).

Officers would need to create files for:

• Applications to adopt unnamed children and,
• Sibling adoption applications

Issue

The authorities introduced the new Generic Application Form (IMM 0008) for all family class applications recently. This new form came into effect on July 18, 2011. Typically, adopting parents applying to sponsor adoptive children use this form.

These adopting parents need to submit the new Generic Application Form (IMM 0008). In addition, they also need to submit the Application to Sponsor a Member of the Family Class and Undertaking (IMM 1344). Only upon the submission of both these forms, would the authorities consider their application complete.

Situations could arise where some adopting parents might not be in possession of all the details for the children they plan to adopt. For example, at the time of application, some adopting parents might not know the full name or the date of birth for the children they plan to adopt.

In this situation, the adopting parents would still need to submit the IMM 0008 form. The officer creating the application in the Global Case Management System (GCMS) would use this form.

Background

The authorities have mandated that all applications to sponsor under the family class would need to contain an IMM 0008 as well. This directive comes into effect from July 18, 2011.

This directive represents a shift in the way applicants submitted certain family class sponsorship applications to the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-M). Typically, applicants submitted these applications to the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-M) for sponsorship eligibility assessment for:

• Parents
• Grandparents
• Other relatives
• Adoptions and,
• Orphans

In the past, applicants only submitted the IMM 1344 A and B forms. In particular, they submitted these forms for all non-priority family class sponsorship applications. In some cases, applicants needed to submit various supporting sponsorship documents. They would submit these supporting sponsorship documents to the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-M).

The Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-M) would typically take a sponsorship eligibility decision. Thereafter, it would direct the applicants to submit the IMM 0008 and any supporting documents. Applicants would need to submit these documents to the visa office.

Under the revised process, applicants need to submit both the forms simultaneously. This is necessary because it enables officers to create the necessary files in the Global Case Management System (GCMS). The submission of both the forms will serve to streamline revised process.

However, situations could arise where applicants submit an IMM 1344 without submitting the IMM 0008. In this scenario, officers would need to return the file to the sponsor. The sponsor would need to complete the forms and re-submit them.

Officers might require additional information on the introduction of these new forms. To obtain more details, officers would need to refer to OB 325-B and OB 326.

The Instructions

Situations might arise where adopting parents want to sponsor unnamed children. In this scenario, the adopting parents (or sponsors) would need to:

• Follow the instructions for the sponsorship of children who are not yet identified in Appendix A of the instruction guide and,
• Complete the IMM 0008

The adopting parents (or sponsors) would need to provide as much information as possible in this situation. In some cases, it is possible that the name of the child will be unknown. Therefore, adopting parents (or sponsors) of such children would need to leave the name field blank.

Officers would need to create unnamed children applications. They could do this in the Global Case Management System (GCMS). They could do this by using the information included in the IMM 0008 form. Typically, they would receive this form along with the sponsorship application. The following table specifies the manner in which officers could create applications for these children. 

Upon identification of the child, the sponsor bears certain responsibilities. For example, the sponsor would need to notify the appropriate visa office accordingly. The visa officers would receive the notification from the sponsor. Thereafter, the visa officers would then proceed to update the name of the child. They would update the name of the child in the application they originally created in the Global Case Management System (GCMS).

Sibling Adoption

Situations might arise where a sponsorship application is still pending for one unnamed child that sponsors or adopting parents want to adopt. However, at this stage, the sponsor receives a notification that:

• The birth resulted in a multiple birth or,
• There are other siblings available for adoption

Therefore, in these situations, the sponsors or adopting parents might want to adopt the second or more children. In this scenario, the sponsors or adopting parents would need to complete a separate IMM 1344 for each child. Then, they would need to submit these IMM 1344s to the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-M). They would also need to submit the required documents to the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-M).

On the envelope, the sponsors or adopting parents would need to write SIBLING ADOPTION. This would facilitate the cross-referencing of the new application(s) with the existing one.

In addition, sponsors or adopting parents would need to pay all the relevant fees for all additional new applications.

The Contacts

Officers might require further information on any of the procedures outlined in this OB. For obtaining this information, officers would need to contact the Operational Management and Coordination Branch. They could do so by writing in to OMC-GOC-Immigration@cic.ga.ca.

Officers might also need to refer to various new forms, the corresponding instruction guides and supporting documentation. The authorities would provide a specific internet location for all these documents at the CIC website. Officers would be able to review the following files at one specific internet locations:

• All new forms
• All corresponding instruction guides and,
• All supporting documentation

The authorities aim to create this central internet location by October 14, 2010.

Source: Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC)