When I started the FSW process, I considered myself single. However, now since I have been issued my COPR letter (but prior to landing!) I have been living with my long-term girlfriend.
The expiry date of the COPR is in November 2015. It shows my marital status as Single.
There was some question over whether we would move together to Canada, hence this is only coming up now at this late-ish stage.
Two Questions:
My question is regards proving that we have been in a long-term common law/spousal arrangement in excess of 2 years. We do not have either a joint rent agreement, nor a joint bank account. We are however on some joint bills (council tax, insurance policies) and share all expenses together, and have mail coming to the same address. We have plenty of documentary proof of foreign travel/hotels together and the like going back 3+ years. Essentially everything except joint bank account/mortgage/marriage.
Does this lack of joint bank/property/marriage cert make the process excessively difficult?
I see somewhat vague lists of documents and a questionnairre form (IMM 5490E) and also the requirement that I re-fill in a lot of the forms I provided during my initial process.
Does 6 months seem long enough for us to do this process? She will need to get Police Clearance docs from 2 countries (South Africa and UK), and do the English language test I believe, and I will have to re-submit the package.
To add to the headache, she has previously been married but separated 5 years, but is not yet divorced.
I realise that once I land at POE and confirm my status as Single, then I cannot later sponsor my common-law spouse. Should all her documents not arrive in time, and my expiry date is not extended, I will lose the ability to immigrate.
Anyone gone through this same "change things at the last moment" process?
The expiry date of the COPR is in November 2015. It shows my marital status as Single.
There was some question over whether we would move together to Canada, hence this is only coming up now at this late-ish stage.
Two Questions:
My question is regards proving that we have been in a long-term common law/spousal arrangement in excess of 2 years. We do not have either a joint rent agreement, nor a joint bank account. We are however on some joint bills (council tax, insurance policies) and share all expenses together, and have mail coming to the same address. We have plenty of documentary proof of foreign travel/hotels together and the like going back 3+ years. Essentially everything except joint bank account/mortgage/marriage.
Does this lack of joint bank/property/marriage cert make the process excessively difficult?
I see somewhat vague lists of documents and a questionnairre form (IMM 5490E) and also the requirement that I re-fill in a lot of the forms I provided during my initial process.
Does 6 months seem long enough for us to do this process? She will need to get Police Clearance docs from 2 countries (South Africa and UK), and do the English language test I believe, and I will have to re-submit the package.
To add to the headache, she has previously been married but separated 5 years, but is not yet divorced.
I realise that once I land at POE and confirm my status as Single, then I cannot later sponsor my common-law spouse. Should all her documents not arrive in time, and my expiry date is not extended, I will lose the ability to immigrate.
Anyone gone through this same "change things at the last moment" process?
