Anyone been without letter of consent?

[madmumof2]

Long time no post!!!

Hi everyone. I'm in a bit of a panic at the moment.

I have 32 days to go and I've been reading about consent letters from all parents.

My eldests dad is not in their lives, I don't know where he is. He is on their bc and has pr.

I can't obtain consent from him as I don't know where he is and I don't have time to get a court order to say I don't need consent.

I'll be on my own with my three children and I'm honestly having nightmares about being denied entry to the us, or exit from uk!!

I have searched and searched and can't actually find one story of anyone actually being denied for this reason but plenty are asked questions which is fine.

I'll have their bc's to prove they're mine and will have plenty of proof I'm only there for 2 weeks.

I'm really looking for reassurance that lots have been in the same situation and have no consent letter and still managed to get to Florida with no issues.

Can anyone who can help at all please share your stories with me?

Has there ever been anyone denied purely because of no consent letter? I can't find anything.

Thank you!!!

 

[2Tiggies]

The letter of consent is a recommendation, but not a requirement by law. I traveled many times into the US as a single parent. They are more concerned about US citizens leaving than international visitors arriving when it comes to this. I believe Canada is a bit more sticky about it than the USA. I had a letter for our first two trips and took copies of my divorce decree which awarded me full custody, but I was never asked for it. After that I just didn't bother. If you have full birth certificates you could take copies of those - the unabridged ones that show you as their parent, in case they don't have the same last name as you. I've never heard of anyone being denied entry to the US without it.

 

[wilkeliza]

No one can say 100% you won't be stopped and asked but at worst I don't think you'll be denied entry into the US you just might get pulled for further questioning. I don't see that happening since I imagine there isn't a foreign alert out the you have kid napped your own children or that you are battling a case of parental alienation just a MIA father. It is suggested but I can't imagine you being denied entry due to it.

 

[madmumof2]

I'll have all of their birth certificates as they all have a different name to me lol

It'll show I'm their mum.

My two eldest are 13 and 11 so they will be perfectly capable of explaining they don't see their dad.

And I'll probably take a consent letter from my youngests dad.

So they definitely cannot legally deny entry based purely now a lack of consent letter?

 

[madmumof2]

No there's nothing like that, he just has never bothered with them and doesn't see them by his own choice.

 

[madmumof2]

Has anyone else been as a single parent and not had problems? Or minor problems with extra questions?

 

[Jets fan]

I took my niece and the immigration guy just asked what our relationship was. I never took a letter and we have different surnames but it was absolutely fine.

Tina

 

[A Small World]

Has anyone else been as a single parent and not had problems? Or minor problems with extra questions?

I went to California with my DD (age10 at the time) with my new partner. Myself and DD went to the immigration desk together and didn't have any problems or queries although she has the same surname as me. I didn't even think about taking her birth certificate or letter from her Dad

 

[timc17]

We never bothered about PC and I can't remember having been asked at immigration. I think as long as you have the same surname as the children (I'm thinking passports here) then there shouldn't be a problem.

 

[disneyholic family]

we took a playmate babysitterish sort of girl with us once (when our kids were toddlers)...
a 12 year old girl...
totally not related to us....(the daughter of friends....she ended up not really helping out at all, but she was a sweetie so it was fine)...
of course, this was years and years ago..
they didn't ask if she was related or anything..
just waived us on through...
and she's not even an american and she was traveling with americans...how weird that they didn't ask...
but again, this was centuries ago...

but as for your situation - if you have the proof that you're their mum and you're able to show the hotel confirmation and return flight tickets if they ask for it, that should be sufficient...
in any case, there's not much more you can do, so worrying about it and driving yourself crazy isn't going to help...

please let us know how it works out..

 

[madmumof2]

No they have different surnames but I'll have their birth certificates

 

[P800aul]

Hi

I must say I never thought of this at all and i don't know if this helps, DW has kept her name when we got married (published PhD so thought it best) and as the children have my name clearly different to hers. The first time we went the DW passport was wrongly for a British Subject not a citizen so we had to go through an interview at the USA end and our 2 x DD (8 and 6 at the time) where with us.

At no point where we asked for any paperwork relating to our children.

Regards

Paul

 

[disneyholic family]

Hi

I must say I never thought of this at all and i don't know if this helps, DW has kept her name when we got married (published PhD so thought it best) and as the children have my name clearly different to hers. The first time we went the DW passport was wrongly for a British Subject not a citizen so we had to go through an interview at the USA end and our 2 x DD (8 and 6 at the time) where with us.

At no point where we asked for any paperwork relating to our children.

Regards

Paul

but you were there too, no?
this is regarding a single parent traveling with children..

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Information from the official source:

https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/de...-one-parent-or-someone-who-is-not-a-parent-or

 

[P800aul]

but you were there too, no?
this is regarding a single parent traveling with children..

Yes I was, however i thought the fact that they questioned the validity of my wife passport, who has a different name, leaving me with two young girls and did not ask for any paperwork, may offer some reassurance to the OP.

The official source above is regarding US children leaving the US, this https://www.gov.uk/permission-take-child-abroad is the UK. It would seem the OP is correct as the Father has PR, consent should be given. The question is has anyone been asked for the paperwork when leaving the UK.. under the circumstances described above for us no

Regards

Paul

 

[Sencybil]

I travelled to Canada and back a couple of years ago with my then 7yo. The family I was visiting were very paranoid and insisted I get a letter from hubby to carry. Wasn't asked for it or challenged at either end on either leg.

However daughter and I went on a package to Turkey together last Easter. Never occurred to me to take anything other than our passports. I did not change my name when I married so our surnames are different. We got challenged at passport control on RETURNING to the uk. Daughter got asked lots of questions - do you always call her mummy, what is mummy's full name, what's your address, have you always lived with mummy? As it was 1am, and 3am for our body clocks, DD was a bit hesitant. She can barely state her full address at the best of times. It annoyed me immensely. Clearly we were both UK citizens returning from a popular holiday destination at the end of school holidays. Nothing overtly suspicious surely? Purely because I didn't adopt my husband's surname. Hugely discriminatory. Just a warning that you could run into challenge, but what were they going to do - deport me back to Antalya?? I think if you just calmly state the facts, there's nothing they can really do to inconvenience you.

Sencybil

 

[Diz22]

My dgs has a different surname to his dad, my son. On frequent trips to US they have never been challenged or asked for ID. Recently flying via Dublin both outbound and inbound my son was asked for proof of relationship. This was not US pre-clearance. Luckily I had taken a copy of his birth certificate.

 

[madmumof2]

Thanks everyone. I'll have their birth certificates with me. Other than that there's not much I can do!

I'm glad to hear it's not usually a problem. They must see this all the time surely?

Hopefully we'll be sent to the kiosks at immigration to save me the worry!