Calculation time to sponsor common law husband

[Oduma]

Hello all
I am a Cuban with Canadian Citizen - 23 years living in Canada, and I am aware I meet the requirements to be a sponsor.
Can anyone tell me please, if I have the required time to sponsor my common law husband in Canada. I am aware that we need to live a minimum of 1 year together. He has a Visitor Visa, he visited me and we lived together in my house with my mom and my son for 5 months last year, then he went back to Cuba for 6 months due to family problems, I visited him almost every month, 7 and 10 days at a time (stayed with him at his house all the time) He is now here with his Visitor Visa since November of last year. All this time, including the 6 months in Cuba counts for a total of 15 months of living together. Does anyone know if those 6 months in Cuba count? I really want to start the sponsorship process as soon as possible.
I will greatly appreciate your advice.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Hi

No, it will not count. You were living in Canada and he was living in Cuba, so you were not living together.

If you want to apply as common-law, you will need to wait until November, provided you have no breaks in cohabitation between then and now.

If you want to start the process now, you will need to get married.

 

[Rob_TO]

Hello all
I am a Cuban with Canadian Citizen - 23 years living in Canada, and I am aware I meet the requirements to be a sponsor.
Can anyone tell me please, if I have the required time to sponsor my common law husband in Canada. I am aware that we need to live a minimum of 1 year together. He has a Visitor Visa, he visited me and we lived together in my house with my mom and my son for 5 months last year, then he went back to Cuba for 6 months due to family problems, I visited him almost every month, 7 and 10 days at a time (stayed with him at his house all the time) He is now here with his Visitor Visa since November of last year. All this time, including the 6 months in Cuba counts for a total of 15 months of living together. Does anyone know if those 6 months in Cuba count? I really want to start the sponsorship process as soon as possible.
I will greatly appreciate your advice.

The 1 year time in qualifying for common-law must be continuous cohabitation. Also you must both set up a single residence in the same home, so time spent visiting does not count as cohabitation.

Basically if he's been living with you in Canada since November 2015, then you currently have around 5 months of cohabitation and counting. Only once you get to 12 months continuous (so November 2016) will you then be common-law.

 

[scylla]

As others have explained, you'll need to wait until November/December to apply since the 1 year of living together must be continuous. If you want to apply sooner, get married.