Common-law Sponsorship after barely 1 year

[Deleted member 802445]

Hey guys,

I'm currently living in Indonesia with my gf and in late August it will mark our 1 year of cohabitation. The thing is that I have to come back to Canada in mid September so we'll have been living together consecutively for 1 year and 3 weeks total. How big of a red flag is it?

Our relationship is genuine and I'd like to stay here longer but I'm running out of money since I cannot work here. I was on a school scholarship for 1 year which helped me financially but we still had to use my savings and her salary to supplement us. Our plan is to apply for common law as soon as I get back to Canada and then hopefully live together in Canada.

Also, since common law isn't really a concept in Indonesia, we don't really have much proof. All we have are utility bills that we paid cash under our names in an alternating manner, eg. one month her name and the next month my name. We've been trying to get a letter from the owner of the apartment we're renting but it isn't very successful, at best we'll get it but it won't be notarized. The lease is under her name but her official address is still at her parents' house. The address on my visa (KITAS) is our apartment so we can use that as further proof. We also plan to include letters from her parents and some friends saying that they know we've been living together the whole time. What else could help our case?

Thanks!

 

[canuck78]

Hey guys,

I'm currently living in Indonesia with my gf and in late August it will mark our 1 year of cohabitation. The thing is that I have to come back to Canada in mid September so we'll have been living together consecutively for 1 year and 3 weeks total. How big of a red flag is it?

Our relationship is genuine and I'd like to stay here longer but I'm running out of money since I cannot work here. I was on a school scholarship for 1 year which helped me financially but we still had to use my savings and her salary to supplement us. Our plan is to apply for common law as soon as I get back to Canada and then hopefully live together in Canada.

Also, since common law isn't really a concept in Indonesia, we don't really have much proof. All we have are utility bills that we paid cash under our names in an alternating manner, eg. one month her name and the next month my name. We've been trying to get a letter from the owner of the apartment we're renting but it isn't very successful, at best we'll get it but it won't be notarized. The lease is under her name but her official address is still at her parents' house. The address on my visa (KITAS) is our apartment so we can use that as further proof. We also plan to include letters from her parents and some friends saying that they know we've been living together the whole time. What else could help our case?

Thanks!

The 1 year 3 weeks isn’t the issue your proof is likely to be a problem. Letters from family members will no be good enough. You need concrete proof. Mail in your name with the address in it, bills with your name on it and the address,leases in both your names, etc. You also have to have the proof from the start date and throughout the 1 year. Did you only spend 1 year in Indonesia? Were you dating before that?

 

[Deleted member 802445]

The 1 year 3 weeks isn’t the issue your proof is likely to be a problem. Letters from family members will no be good enough. You need concrete proof. Mail in your name with the address in it, bills with your name on it and the address,leases in both your names, etc. You also have to have the proof from the start date and throughout the 1 year. Did you only spend 1 year in Indonesia? Were you dating before that?

Are online orders good enough proof for mail?

We literally didn't receive any mail except for any online shopping that we did. It's also impossible to do any joint anything together (bank account, lease,etc) as we're not married yet.

We've been dating for around 2 years already, I came to visit her twice before coming to live together. I'm only in Indonesia for 1 year because my study visa expires in August. Actually we're going to Thailand in 2 weeks so I can come back on a tourist visa and it's officially over 1 year, not 364 days.

 

[canuck78]

Are online orders good enough proof for mail?

We literally didn't receive any mail except for any online shopping that we did. It's also impossible to do any joint anything together (bank account, lease,etc) as we're not married yet.

We've been dating for around 2 years already, I came to visit her twice before coming to live together. I'm only in Indonesia for 1 year because my study visa expires in August. Actually we're going to Thailand in 2 weeks so I can come back on a tourist visa and it's officially over 1 year, not 364 days.

Online order will definitely help. You can only give what you have. It is helpful that you dated for a year before. Hopefully you also visited in person.

 

[Deleted member 802445]

As a side note, we don't want to get married in Indonesia as my religion is not accepted there and my girlfriend would possibly like to convert to my religion before we marry, which is impossible to do in Indonesia.

 

[StephanH]

As a side note, we don't want to get married in Indonesia as my religion is not accepted there and my girlfriend would possibly like to convert to my religion before we marry, which is impossible to do in Indonesia.

Marriage is not the question now... Get your common law outland application rolling ASAP, it takes time to gather all documents and fill out all applications without any mistakes.

 

[Deleted member 802445]

Marriage is not the question now... Get your common law outland application rolling ASAP, it takes time to gather all documents and fill out all applications without any mistakes.

I filled out every form already. I just need to double check everything, get her police certificate and get our proofs/letters in order. I'm just worried that only living together for 1 year technically qualifies for common law but might not satisfy an immigration officer.

 

[StephanH]

I filled out every form already. I just need to double check everything, get her police certificate and get our proofs/letters in order. I'm just worried that only living together for 1 year technically qualifies for common law but might not satisfy an immigration officer.

If you could prove it then you won't have issues, get an affidavit from the landlord that you have been living there with your partner for a year already, anything you could get a hold on with your/her name with stuff that was mailed to you, get friends to write a letter that you have been living there with your partner from date to present. Make sure you have 20 pics, chat logs, tickets bought together if you traveled together.... If you could prove that your relationship is genuine you'll be just fine. Make sure you tell them what is your plan when returning to Canada, how will you provide for her? Are you looking for work now in Canada, what type of work will you do once you get there. Since LICO is not a prerequisite for PR/spousal applications but you still need to convince the officer that you/partner are not going there to leech on the system.

 

[chocococo]

My common-law spouse and I only had the lease in common. Utilities were included, so no bills for that. However, our personal phone bills showed the same address. My spouse used school certificate showing the address, I used tax slips showing my address, we also got an affidavit letter from our landlord saying how long we had stayed there, and that the lease was under both of our names.

 

[Deleted member 802445]

If you could prove it then you won't have issues, get an affidavit from the landlord that you have been living there with your partner for a year already, anything you could get a hold on with your/her name with stuff that was mailed to you, get friends to write a letter that you have been living there with your partner from date to present. Make sure you have 20 pics, chat logs, tickets bought together if you traveled together.... If you could prove that your relationship is genuine you'll be just fine. Make sure you tell them what is your plan when returning to Canada, how will you provide for her? Are you looking for work now in Canada, what type of work will you do once you get there. Since LICO is not a prerequisite for PR/spousal applications but you still need to convince the officer that you/partner are not going there to leech on the system.

An affidavit is notarized, right? Likewise, do the letters from friends and family need to be notarized too? All I read about notarizing letters is about past requirements but nothing in the new guide talk about it.

Once I'm back in Canada, and at the moment we'll apply, I'll be unemployed but looking for a side job while studying. My parents will provide a letter of financial support saying that they'll take care of us for the first few months once she arrives. I also have enough savings in my TFSA for 6+ months. We'll also be applying for Quebec, which I think is more lenient on the financials.

 

[Deleted member 802445]

My common-law spouse and I only had the lease in common. Utilities were included, so no bills for that. However, our personal phone bills showed the same address. My spouse used school certificate showing the address, I used tax slips showing my address, we also got an affidavit letter from our landlord saying how long we had stayed there, and that the lease was under both of our names.

Our phones are prepaid as that is usually the norm in Indonesia so no bills with addresses for that. The only official document that ties her to the address is that the lease is under her name and half the utilities bills in her name, half in my name. All my visa documents are under that address. I hope that the immigration officer will consider that living together before being married is not accepted in Indonesia. That's why it's so hard to get proof of cohabitation.

We also have various kind of tickets (plane, train, bus) from travelling together that shows both our name. I think our biggest hurdle will be to prove common law, the genuineness of the relationship should be easy in comparison.

 

[StephanH]

An affidavit is notarized, right? Likewise, do the letters from friends and family need to be notarized too? All I read about notarizing letters is about past requirements but nothing in the new guide talk about it.

Once I'm back in Canada, and at the moment we'll apply, I'll be unemployed but looking for a side job while studying. My parents will provide a letter of financial support saying that they'll take care of us for the first few months once she arrives. I also have enough savings in my TFSA for 6+ months. We'll also be applying for Quebec, which I think is more lenient on the financials.

An affidavit does not need to be notarised, it needs to be signed by the person who wrote it and a witness. An affidavit is basically a letter that a person writes and swears that the information given is true. So, try to have your landlord write an affidavit stating that you have been living at her apartment with your current partner from date to current. Also, have a friend do the same, the more proof the better.

Letter could be some thing like this:

My name is "________" and I'm the landlord at "_________" I hereby verify that "YOUR NAME" Canadian passport "YOUR PASSPORT NUMBER" and "YOUR PARTNER'S NAME" Indonesian passport "________" are my tenants at my property located at "PROPERTY NAME, ROAD, APT #, CITY, PRV, COUNTRY" have lived here since "FROM to NOW"

Please contact me at my cell number "LANDLORD NUMBER" or land line "_____" if you have any further questions.
.............................
Sincerely,

sign here

"YOUR LANDLORD NAME and SIGN"
....................
Owner, Proprietor,

sign here

YOUR LANDLORD NAME and SHE SIGNS"
...........................
Witness,

sign here

(WITNESS NAME and MUST SIGN)

It would also help if she could also provide a copy of her ID that shows her signature.

 

[Deleted member 802445]

An affidavit does not need to be notarised, it needs to be signed by the person who wrote it and a witness. An affidavit is basically a letter that a person writes and swears that the information given is true. So, try to have your landlord write an affidavit stating that you have been living at her apartment with your current partner from date to current. Also, have a friend do the same, the more proof the better.

Letter could be some thing like this:

My name is "________" and I'm the landlord at "_________" I hereby verify that "YOUR NAME" Canadian passport "YOUR PASSPORT NUMBER" and "YOUR PARTNER'S NAME" Indonesian passport "________" are my tenants at my property located at "PROPERTY NAME, ROAD, APT #, CITY, PRV, COUNTRY" have lived here since "FROM to NOW"

Please contact me at my cell number "LANDLORD NUMBER" or land line "_____" if you have any further questions.
.............................
Sincerely,

sign here

"YOUR LANDLORD NAME and SIGN"
....................
Owner, Proprietor,

sign here

YOUR LANDLORD NAME and SHE SIGNS"
...........................
Witness,

sign here

(WITNESS NAME and MUST SIGN)

It would also help if she could also provide a copy of her ID that shows her signature.

Thank you so much Stephan.

Should I also get an affidavit (+ ID copy) from every person that writes us a letter or it isn't necessary? I'm guessing even if it's not necessary it might still help prove we didn't write the letters by ourselves.

I might be able to convince our landlord to re-do the lease with both our names on it. Would that be a wise idea or would that be considered fraud? The main reason he didn't want to do it at the beginning was because he didn't trust a foreigner if something happened to the place and that since we aren't married it was useless to put me on the lease for him. I think he warmed up to the idea now so if it can help us I'll definitely ask him but I don't want to submit any fraudulent documents.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

An affidavit does not need to be notarised, it needs to be signed by the person who wrote it and a witness. An affidavit is basically a letter that a person writes and swears that the information given is true. So, try to have your landlord write an affidavit stating that you have been living at her apartment with your current partner from date to current. Also, have a friend do the same, the more proof the better.

Letter could be some thing like this:

My name is "________" and I'm the landlord at "_________" I hereby verify that "YOUR NAME" Canadian passport "YOUR PASSPORT NUMBER" and "YOUR PARTNER'S NAME" Indonesian passport "________" are my tenants at my property located at "PROPERTY NAME, ROAD, APT #, CITY, PRV, COUNTRY" have lived here since "FROM to NOW"

Please contact me at my cell number "LANDLORD NUMBER" or land line "_____" if you have any further questions.
.............................
Sincerely,

sign here

"YOUR LANDLORD NAME and SIGN"
....................
Owner, Proprietor,

sign here

YOUR LANDLORD NAME and SHE SIGNS"
...........................
Witness,

sign here

(WITNESS NAME and MUST SIGN)

It would also help if she could also provide a copy of her ID that shows her signature.

An affidavit is pretty much the exact same thing as a Statutory Declaration and must be sworn before a Notary Public or a Commission of Oaths. Otherwise, it is just a letter.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Thank you so much Stephan.

Should I also get an affidavit (+ ID copy) from every person that writes us a letter or it isn't necessary? I'm guessing even if it's not necessary it might still help prove we didn't write the letters by ourselves.

I might be able to convince our landlord to re-do the lease with both our names on it. Would that be a wise idea or would that be considered fraud? The main reason he didn't want to do it at the beginning was because he didn't trust a foreigner if something happened to the place and that since we aren't married it was useless to put me on the lease for him. I think he warmed up to the idea now so if it can help us I'll definitely ask him but I don't want to submit any fraudulent documents.

You don't need to notarize your other letters or provide a copy of their ID.

If you can get the lease re-done, do it. As you were both living there, paying rent and the landlord was aware of that, it is not fraudulent.