Cohabitation question

[sciencelover]

This may be a stupid question, but I truly don't know how to answer it. I'm a Canadian citizen living in Canada, my fiance is a Portuguese citizen living there. On the form Sponsored Spouse/Partner Questionnaire (IMM 5490) under the part about Living arrangements and financial support it asks about cohabitation. Every time we visit each other we "cohabit" in either his home or mine. Does this count as cohabitation or not?

 

[Sweden]

It depends on how long you are staying together... if you're going for 2 weeks, it's considered a visit, not really a cohabitation. If you're going for 2 to 3 months, then you could fill it out as cohabitation...

then again - you can also explain your situation in an attached sheet, with more details than the form allows, to make sure that CIC gets the full picture of your relationship.
Good luck,
Sweden

 

[Sweden]

Also - you're probably aware of that already, but if you are not living 12 months continuously, you can not sponsor your fiancee - you either have to be married, or to apply as common-law, but to qualify you have to be able to prove that you have lived together for at least 12 months - it can be 6 months in one country and 6 months in another, but it needs to be continuous. There is no such thing as a fiance category.
Good luck,
Sweden

 

[Creampop]

going for a visit... be it 2 weeks or 2 months is not cohabitation according to CIC.

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

5.35. What is cohabitation?
“Cohabitation” means “living together.” Two people who are cohabiting have combined their affairs
and set up their household together in one dwelling. To be considered common-law partners, they
must have cohabited for at least one year. This is the standard definition used across the federal
government. It means continuous cohabitation for one year, not intermittent cohabitation
adding up to one year. The continuous nature of the cohabitation is a universal understanding
based on case law. While cohabitation means living together continuously, from time to time, one or the other partner
may have left the home for work or business travel, family obligations, and so on. The separation
must be temporary and short.

 

[sciencelover]

Thanks for the info!

 

[Isometry]

going for a visit... be it 2 weeks or 2 months is not cohabitation according to CIC.

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

The bolded bit there looks like it's clarifying common-law, not cohabitation. If you were visiting for months at a time, you can probably list it as cohabitation--but attach an explanation, as always!

 

[sciencelover]

This was where my confusion came in, because despite only being together a few weeks when we are, we do everything together, cooking, laundry, cleaning, shopping, fixing things, etc. Everything we purchase in terms of household goods, furniture etc., regardless for which house, is always researched and decided upon together. I have clothes I've purchased there that stay there, and the same for him, as well as personal items. So in that sense we have integrated into each others households.