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Common Law application How much Evidence to Include

jonnypage

Member
Oct 29, 2015
12
0
As the title suggest I am curious as to how much information to include. Joint bank Accounts , Bills , Photos , Conversation Transcripts , Letters from friends and family stating being a couple etc. I found lots of very useful Posts like the following http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/how-we-organized-our-commonlaw-pr-application-t204369.0.html but I am unsure if these are still valid given the immigration documents have changed.
 

EmmaBambi

Full Member
Jan 27, 2015
29
1
Canada
Category........
Visa Office......
Ottawa
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
Med's Done....
24-06-2016
Interview........
17-8-2016
LANDED..........
17-8-2016
I just got my PR through Common-law Sponsorship Aug 2016 and let me tell you, I sent absolutely everything I could, along with about 150 photos dating back from 2012 when I met my partner. (My full application was about an inch thick)

You really need 12 months of evidence to prove you live together, like rental agreements, joint utility bills, joint bank accounts, etc. If your relationship is longer than 12 months like you have been together for 2 or 3 years, then show things that prove you have been a couple for more than 12 months like tickets to see concerts, shows or games, tickets to show you have visited places or been on vacation, plane tickets etc. I sent screenshots from all our time-stamped Skype conversations for the time I went back to the UK. I, personally sent about 4 letters from friends/family, and none of them were notarized, but that's simply because getting letters notarized was expensive and I wasn't working at the time :)

Hope this helps you!
 

canuck_in_uk

VIP Member
May 4, 2012
31,553
7,205
Visa Office......
London
App. Filed.......
06/12
jonnypage said:
As the title suggest I am curious as to how much information to include. Joint bank Accounts , Bills , Photos , Conversation Transcripts , Letters from friends and family stating being a couple etc. I found lots of very useful Posts like the following http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/how-we-organized-our-commonlaw-pr-application-t204369.0.html but I am unsure if these are still valid given the immigration documents have changed.
No, that advice is not really valid anymore. With the old application, the requirements for proofs was much more vague, which lead to people submitting massive applications with lots of unnecessary stuff. Some people would include hundreds of pages of chats and would later see in their GCMS notes that most of it was simply shredded.

Just follow the checklist and you will be fine.
 

Hurlabrick

Champion Member
Sep 4, 2016
2,358
575
Ottawa, ON
Visa Office......
London
App. Filed.......
23-06-2016
AOR Received.
12-07-2016
File Transfer...
23-08-2016
Med's Done....
08-06-2016
Passport Req..
21-12-2016
VISA ISSUED...
24-12-2016
LANDED..........
11-04-2017
Chiming in.

The new checklist and CIC on-line completion guide specifies 'how many' and number of pages, max no of photos etc. Follow that guide, do NOT send in everything you have / the kitchen sink! If they want more information, they will ask for it.
 

jonnypage

Member
Oct 29, 2015
12
0
Hurlabrick said:
Chiming in.

The new checklist and CIC on-line completion guide specifies 'how many' and number of pages, max no of photos etc. Follow that guide, do NOT send in everything you have / the kitchen sink! If they want more information, they will ask for it.
I have looked for any info regarding this on the CIC site and I cannot find any? Can you point me to the right place on the CIC site?
 

canuck_in_uk

VIP Member
May 4, 2012
31,553
7,205
Visa Office......
London
App. Filed.......
06/12
jonnypage said:
I have looked for any info regarding this on the CIC site and I cannot find any? Can you point me to the right place on the CIC site?
It's right in the guide and checklist.