Yes. When you create the autoresponder, during the "Confirmation" step, there are two options:
- Include imported subscribers
- Include current subscribers
Option 1, if set to "yes," will send your autoresponder to subscribers you import manually (what you're talking about). They will receive the AR based on the time/date they were added (e.g. "one day after import")
Option 2, if set to "yes," will send the autoresponder to subscribers who are already on that list.
Hope that helps!