british citizen getting married to a canadian citizen

[meth]

Thanks once again.

How do I prove our relationship?

We have met while I was on holiday and we have been dating mostly long distance. I have conversations saved on my phone (what's up application) and skype but no more than that. We talk voice to voice most of the time so I don't really see how we are going to prove our relationship.

I have read that is easier to get married in Quebec, so we are planning to go there, get married and take some pictures and use that as evidence of our relationship. What do you guys think?

 

[Kayaker]

Did you take any pics when you first met and spent time together? Photos are the best evidence. Take pics when you get married, and try to include other people there as well - friends and family. Photos with each other's family, friends, coworkers etc. are also good. CIC wants to see that you two have a relationship that is well known to each other's families and friends.

We also sent screenshots of photos posted on Facebook, check-ins at places where we went together, status updates, relationship status updates (engagement announcement, marriage) etc. The screenshots included comments and likes from many people. This was done to demonstrate what I just said above.

We also sent testimonial letters written by people in our lives who had met our significant other. For example, my parents, his sister, his friends, my friends, his god mother, etc. They each wrote a short letter about our relationship, when they met our significant other, and what they think about us. The letters were not notarized, but they contained contact info.

He also gave me a joint credit card, and also added me to his life insurance, and we sent proof of that.

We sent a photo, appraisal and receipt for my engagement ring.

We sent copies of receipts of places we went to together, hotels we stayed in, our wedding rings, plane tickets visiting each other, passport stamps, etc. etc. etc.

We also took photos of wedding gifts we had received, cards of congratulations, etc.

We also each wrote up a personal statement explaining everything - why we decided to be in a relationship, why we decided to get married (so quickly), why we decided to live in Canada, why we only had a civil marriage, how we were planning a wedding reception the following summer, what our life plans are, etc. etc. etc. The application forms are pretty cut and dry, so this is your chance to put a human face to your story. Don't write "we clicked, and it just all happened." CIC isn't prepared to just take your word for it; it's their job to scrutinize, so you will have to describe your thought process.

We did sent excerpts from our whatsapp conversations, fb chat, skype call logs, copies of cards and letters we had sent to each other, etc., but when we got all our evidence back, they didn't seem to have really gone through it - they came back in the original clips. They probably just saw they were included, and ticked a box. The photos and facebook screenshots seemed like they had been looked at the most.

 

[meth]

Kayaker very good info, thanks.

Just one quick question to anybody who can answer this. I have read somewhere that in order to marry your spouse and apply for the permanent residence, you need to know the other person for one year at the very least.

We have been dating for 7 months now, mostly long distance ( I am moving to Canada asap). Can we get married now and then I start applying for my PR? Or do I need to wait more 5 months in order to get married and apply for PR?

Somebody please advise me.

Thank you.

 

[scylla]

No - you don't need to wait five more months.

 

[taffy7]

Why do you think it is easier to get married in Quebec? I got married in Ontario it was easy and simple. If this is your first marriage, that's all you have to do is go to the registry office fill in a bunch of forms pay the fee and you get a licence in a day or so . You can get married most of the time in the place you requested your licence.

You then apply for your marriage certificate and bingo you can send that in with your application. Be aware it can take up to 6 or 8 weeks to receive your marriage certificate . Order the long form and the short form as their has been some quires on which one they will except. I sent long form and it was excepted but another member sent the long form and it was rejected, they wanted the short form.

 

[Kayaker]

Kayaker very good info, thanks.

Just one quick question to anybody who can answer this. I have read somewhere that in order to marry your spouse and apply for the permanent residence, you need to know the other person for one year at the very least.

We have been dating for 7 months now, mostly long distance ( I am moving to Canada asap). Can we get married now and then I start applying for my PR? Or do I need to wait more 5 months in order to get married and apply for PR?

Somebody please advise me.

Thank you.

People around here say that as a rule of thumb, 1 year of dating before marriage is "normal" in CIC's eyes. But that doesn't mean you should wait. (We got married half a year after meeting in real life for the first time.) What I would do is make sure we have documented proof of the relationship - remember to take photos, introduce your significant other to your friends, family, colleagues, whenever possible, maybe take a pic with them, perhaps get them to write a testimonial letter attesting to your relationship, etc. Just be aware that CIC Might think it was a quicker than average marriage, so explain your reasons in your personal statement.