Additonal proof

[Holidaylove]

Hi Everyone,

Got the email this morning for additional proof. They asked us to send anything we had to convince him of our relationship. And it was up to us to prove this to him.

Has anyone had any experience with this?
Any suggestions on what to send???

Your input would be greatly appreciated

 

[matthewc]

Read the lists in OP2 sections 5.25, 5.26 and 5.35.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/manuals/op/op02-eng.pdf

Send everything you can, including a letter detailing the course of your relationship - how you met, fell in love, got married (or lived together if common-law), your shared beliefs, values, goals together in life, etc, photos from different times over the course of your relationship, correspondence.

Also, include at least two notarized statutory declarations from people who know your relationship and can attest to your relationship being genuine and continuing.

You have a lucky opportunity to improve your case before they decide whether or not to interview, or simply refuse your case. Use it well.

 

[Holidaylove]

Thanks for your response. I totally Agree that we are lucky we have an opportunity to prove our case further rather then imidiate rejection

We did apply under conjugal status, we knew it wasn't an easy one and that we could be faced with bumps along the way. ( I know everyone is thinking that we are crazy and there is no way we would be approved) however we are staying positive that we can. As our situation was difficult and confusing, even to us sometimes hahaha

Initially we sent notarized declarations, etc. Should we just send it all again plus more letters and photos?
I was going to add a letter from my father which we initially didn't. My partner had asked for my hand in marriage however my dad said he would only allow it after my partner was out of the military.

So I guess it's back to the collection process once again. If anyone thinks of anything else all suggestions are appreciated

 

[abedelia]

Holidaylove,
Would you mind sharing with the forum, are you married to your sponsor? Do you have a sense about why they are requiring more information?
I am just curious because I submitted my application a month ago and have had some doubts about whether or not we included enough evidence. We have been in a relationship for 10 years and had a traditional wedding, etc. with lots of photos, etc. but I stupidly didn't include one of our wedding invitations (I had a few extras I could have put one in). Also, we registered ourselves as a domestic partnership with the city we lived in a year before we got married and I didn't include that certificate. I don't know what I was thinking. I had a lot of other documents, but I don't know why we didn't just put everything. I am worried now. It seemed to clear to me that we are in a real, long-term relationship and that our marriage is real but I know they have to be convinced and I am worried now about that.

It's hard because they say "send everything" but that is not easy to do--we couldn't have possibly printed out every single email, phone bill, card, plane ticket, etc. that has resulted in communication between us or travel together. Over 10 years, we have not saved all of those things--not even close! But I wish we had put all of the things that we did have....

This is a tough process. Good luck to you!

 

[lrow]

Hi abedelia

Regarding the proof of marraige . Isnt Marraige certificate sufficient ?
In my case we both are working in canada from past 6 months. Still the Visa officers would require more proof ?

Detail about me .
S/W dev from India. Came on Work permit with my Wife . We both started working and am applying for PR Now after 6 months of stay in Canada.

 

[Holidaylove]

HI abedelia,
In answer to your question we are not married. We applied under conjgal partnership. we were never able to meet common law since my partner was in the Military. We were not unable to meet marriage specification however my dad said he did not give his blessing until my partner was discharged from the military. My partner gave his notice to the military however full discharge takes a year in the UK. We had letters from his commanding officer stating that fact and that military housing was not available to people who had resigned. So even if I chose to go live with him I would have had to live in a different city and we would again not be able to meet common law standards. The commanding officer also provided a list of places that my partner had been to in the last year and it clearly shows that he had not been in one place longer then 2-3 months to establish a life. It gets more complicated and confusing so i won't get into to much details. We knew this wasn't an easy route to go but we are confident we can prove our case.

In the IO's email he wants more proof showing we have maintained a relationship for 1 year. Even tho it's been 2 years and we had emails etc from when we met.

I hope we can get all the information he needs to put his concern to rest
I am sure we will be able to do this. However, it is very frustrating but I am thankful for the opportunity rather then rejection


to matthewc
Thank you for the link. It was very informative And I guess I will be spending another weekend yet again on more immigration paperwork.. The story of my life for the last 8 months.

 

[sbwv09]

I tried to send a sample of everything there was 'too much' of.. a few emails a year since 2003, a few months of phone bills as a 'sample' of how often I call, some letters, etc. I have a bunch of hotel reciepts because we 'meet in the middle' but not all of them because I didn't keep them all. I hope it's enough along with all the pictures from 2005 on (I had a fire and lost a lot of stuff, and included that information). I'll also have letters from our mothers and the wedding announcement from the paper (city hall wedding). I'm still looking for an envelope big enough to hold everything though!

 

[lrow]

Hi abedelia

Regarding the proof of marraige . Isnt Marraige certificate sufficient ?
In my case we both are working in canada from past 6 months. Still the Visa officers would require more proof ?

Detail about me .
S/W dev from India. Came on Work permit with my Wife . We both started working and am applying for PR Now after 6 months of stay in Canada

 

[sbwv09]

Even if you're married, you need proof of your relationship like photos, call and chat logs, letters and emails, etc.

 

[chelley]

Holidaylove

how did you explain the not being married portion... hopefully you just didn't... that will make it easier to prove conjugal... if you gave any indication that you are intending to get married (following father's blessing, military discharge, ect ect) the I/O will likely simply say apply after you marry as spouse... the wait isn't fair, but if you are intending marriage, you are by their terms a "fiance" and they do not have a fiance status in canada...

if you didn't explain it, from my understanding you'll be better off... you need to show emotional, social and financial interdependence... emotional is simple... proof that there is love, the regular proof of a relationship is what you need here... social isn't too hard, if you discuss life, you know each other's families (or at a minimum your relationship is known by each others friends/families).. copies of msn convos, emails, letters from friends/families ect, that show your lives are connected... finanical is a bit harder, joint accounts, having him as beneficiary on any policies you may have, western union stubs ect...

i imagine much of this you've already produced, but any efforts that you can get to supply more would help...

good luck

 

[Holidaylove]

Hi Chelley,

NOpe we didn't even try to explain. We were more focused on proving we couldn't meet common law. Which we have. You are correct. We have provided joint bank accounts, 10 letters from friends and family. Photos, travel documents, wedding invitations.etc etc

We are working on getting more reference letters from friends, family, employers, people we have visited together. I went and met his family back in NOv, so travel documentation from there, things we did in London/Liverpool. Going to print off facebook conversations. I am going to go the bank and ask them to write us a letter stating when we opened our accounts and what kind of accounts we have. MOre photos. We are going on holidays in May so copies of that. And his brother came to visit us for a month as we are both back in canada now.
AHHH just frustrating, feels like we are starting all over again... I dont' know how much more we can provide other than inviting the IO to come stay with us for a week. HAHAHAH

Do you think writing letters explaining things we know about eachothers family is a good idea???

 

[sbwv09]

I figure, particuarly in the conjucal class situation, the more the better! It couldn't hurt.

 

[matthewc]

Conjugal class changes things a bit. Make sure you read the sections in OP2 about the conjugal class. You're right to make every effort to show that you wanted to apply as common-law, but couldn't. If they know you intend to marry, and there's nothing stopping you, then that's sufficient to refuse you in the conjugal class.

 

[Holidaylove]

Matthewc

I read the conjugal class in the link you provided. I think i have a pretty good idea of things we need to send now
Feel alot better then I did this morning. I think I am not even going to mention marriage since we haven't done it thus far.

I am guessing the IO is obviously torn on what decsion to make. Otherwise he would have rejected us right away rather then giving us another opportunity to give him proof
Staying optemistic that we are going to be able to get him the things he needs. In his email he just stated that he was concerned we hadn't been in a relationship for 1 year continuous and that he wanted us to prove to him we had. So that to me implies he can see we dont' meet common law and he just wants us to show commitment. He did ask that in our proof that we send him a letter from the military stating when they became aware of me as his partner. I dont' think this should be a problem as his platoon sergeant was on holidays with him when we met

 

[BeShoo]

Regarding the proof of marraige . Isnt Marraige certificate sufficient ?
In my case we both are working in canada from past 6 months. Still the Visa officers would require more proof ?

It's not enough to simply show that you have a legal marriage. They need to establish that it's not a "marriage of convenience" entered into for immigration pruposes. Besides being legally married, you need to show that your marriage is "real" because otherwise it would be too easy to pretend to be a couple while the marriage was on paper only.