question on the date entering common-law relationship

[kate137]

hello folks,

my common-law partner is filling out one of the forms that asks the date we entered into common-law relationship, and we were not sure which date we should fill:
1) The date we moved in together?
or
2) The date when we've been living together for one year?
or
3) The date we signed on the statutory declaration of common-law union?

Thank you!

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Hi

You became common-law one year after you moved in together.

 

[Rob_TO]

From the guide: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/guides/3900ETOC.asp#3900E4

Enter the date (year, month, day) you were married or you entered into your current common-law relationship.
Note: This is the date your status officially changed from being single to common-law, not the date you started living together.


Also the "stat declaration of common-law" form is not a required document. You are common-law after 12 months for immigration and CRA tax purposes, whether you fill out that declaration or not.

 

[TracyCa64]

hello folks,

my common-law partner is filling out one of the forms that asks the date we entered into common-law relationship, and we were not sure which date we should fill:
1) The date we moved in together?
or
2) The date when we've been living together for one year?
or
3) The date we signed on the statutory declaration of common-law union?

Thank you!

I was told to put the day after the one year mark. So we started living together on April 27, 2014, I put my common law date as April 28, 2015. I hope that was right.

 

[krishnalynn]

Also the "stat declaration of common-law" form is not a required document. You are common-law after 12 months for immigration and CRA tax purposes, whether you fill out that declaration or not.

Just going to add that although it's not required, people on this forum have been having it requested later on which delays the process a bit. Probably a good idea for OP to do it anyway. But yeah, it has nothing to do with your actual common-law status as far as dates go.

 

[kate137]

Thank you all for the clarification

 

[TANMEX]

Just going to add that although it's not required, people on this forum have been having it requested later on which delays the process a bit. Probably a good idea for OP to do it anyway. But yeah, it has nothing to do with your actual common-law status as far as dates go.

I think you should enter the date your moved in Together , because CIC will want to make sure you lived together for one Year . you are eligible to apply as common-law if you lived together for at least one Year , CIC will want to see proof of the that one year not the time afterward .

Unless I'm wrong of course

 

[Rob_TO]

I think you should enter the date your moved in Together , because CIC will want to make sure you lived together for one Year . you are eligible to apply as common-law if you lived together for at least one Year , CIC will want to see proof of the that one year not the time afterward .

Unless I'm wrong of course

You are 100% wrong. See the specific instructions CIC directly states in the guide: "This is the date your status officially changed from being single to common-law, not the date you started living together."

 

[kangamoose]

We put the date we moved in together as the date entered into common law, wasn't until later that we realised it was wrong. It is however a consistent mistake we have made as all of my visa applications and visitor extensions have the same date listed. I don't really think its a big issue, we've been living together almost five years and have plenty of evidence of that. I'm sure its a common mistake people make.

 

[km9203]

We put the date we moved in together as the date entered into common law, wasn't until later that we realised it was wrong. It is however a consistent mistake we have made as all of my visa applications and visitor extensions have the same date listed. I don't really think its a big issue, we've been living together almost five years and have plenty of evidence of that. I'm sure its a common mistake people make.

We did this too but only entered the wrong date on 'when did you become common-law' question. Should we contact CIC? The rest of the dates in the app are correct.

 

[doukson2002]

We put the date we moved in together as the date entered into common law, wasn't until later that we realised it was wrong. It is however a consistent mistake we have made as all of my visa applications and visitor extensions have the same date listed. I don't really think its a big issue, we've been living together almost five years and have plenty of evidence of that. I'm sure its a common mistake people make.

Hi Kangamoose, sorry to disturb, are you saying you sponsorship wasn't hampered by putting the date you moved in together rather than a year + after? I just recently sent my sponsorship application and realized I have done the same so am panicking a bit. Thanks for getting back to me if possible

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Hi Kangamoose, sorry to disturb, are you saying you sponsorship wasn't hampered by putting the date you moved in together rather than a year + after? I just recently sent my sponsorship application and realized I have done the same so am panicking a bit. Thanks for getting back to me if possible

Don't panic. IRCC generally doesn't take issue with this mistake.

 

[doukson2002]

Thx Canuck I really appreciate it.
Another question if you do not mind and can please spare the time:

• when I first applied through express entry for my PR from South Africa, I had not moved in with my girlfriend, we have no kids and we were still platonic at this stage. I had hence not mentioned her in my application
• when I received my pr letter, we were still not living together and only by the time I went to Canada when my immigrant visa was about to expire to get my PR and SN, we had been living together for about 4 months. I hence went to Canada for 10 days, got my SN and PR confirmed and went back to South Africa to live with my girlfriend so we could have at least a year of cohabitation under our belt.

In summary my timeline looks something like a PR application as Single;PR confirmation and SN retrieval in the midst of a 4 months cohabitation.
I have since come back to Canada a couple of weeks ago as myself and partner have lived together since January 15th 2017, and that is the date I put as the" date you entered into common-law relationship" for the sponsorship application I just sent. Do you foresee any problems with the case I just described?

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Thx Canuck I really appreciate it.
Another question if you do not mind and can please spare the time:

• when I first applied through express entry for my PR from South Africa, I had not moved in with my girlfriend, we have no kids and we were still platonic at this stage. I had hence not mentioned her in my application
• when I received my pr letter, we were still not living together and only by the time I went to Canada when my immigrant visa was about to expire to get my PR and SN, we had been living together for about 4 months. I hence went to Canada for 10 days, got my SN and PR confirmed and went back to South Africa to live with my girlfriend so we could have at least a year of cohabitation under our belt.

In summary my timeline looks something like a PR application as Single;PR confirmation and SN retrieval in the midst of a 4 months cohabitation.
I have since come back to Canada a couple of weeks ago as myself and partner have lived together since January 15th 2017, and that is the date I put as the" date you entered into common-law relationship" for the sponsorship application I just sent. Do you foresee any problems with the case I just described?

That may result in some questioning in regards to your marital status when you landed but it may not be noticed.

 

[doukson2002]

Thanks for feedback. You mean when I first landed last year for 10 days or a couple of weeks ago?