Common law - do we have enough of documents?

[meiko3886]

Hey! Im from Poland and my bf is from Canada. We are collecting supporting documents for common law application and i wonder if its enough or we should get something more. We are together 5 years,but live together in Canada for 1 year and 9 months. This is list of things we have so far:
1. Joint bank account.
2. Residential tenancy agreement with both our names, flat condition inspection report - signed up by both, proof of payment for one year.
3. Im added in his phone account as authorized contact.
4. Costco wholesale membership agreement.
5. Documents from fitness world showing that we signed up together and cancelled it together after one year, also we were paying for it from one account.
6. Letter to us from Hospital Foundation, where we volunteered.
7. Prove of payment for trip - both names there.
8. Prove of payment for 2 cinema tickets
9. Letters about our relationship from his sister, my mom, our 1 friend.
10. Christmas postcard from landlord, birthday cards from my mom, his sister..
11. 3 postcards we sent to each other.. Letter he wrote to my mom asking her to let me visit him in Canada for first time
12. Lots of pictures from around 5-6 bigger trips in Canada, pics from 2010 when he visited me in Poland, then from 2011 when i visited him in Canada very first time. There are our friends and families.
13. Few screens of Facebook, that show we are in relationships, first pics together posted in 2010. Some screens of Skype.

That's about it! Do we still have to get more documents like life insurance or statutory declaration? Or what we have is enough? Thanks!

 

[Graihn]

Hey! Im from Poland and my bf is from Canada. We are collecting supporting documents for common law application and i wonder if its enough or we should get something more. We are together 5 years,but live together in Canada for 1 year and 9 months. This is list of things we have so far:
1. Joint bank account.
2. Residential tenancy agreement with both our names, flat condition inspection report - signed up by both, proof of payment for one year.
3. Im added in his phone account as authorized contact.
4. Costco wholesale membership agreement.
5. Documents from fitness world showing that we signed up together and cancelled it together after one year, also we were paying for it from one account.
6. Letter to us from Hospital Foundation, where we volunteered.
7. Prove of payment for trip - both names there.
8. Prove of payment for 2 cinema tickets
9. Letters about our relationship from his sister, my mom, our 1 friend.
10. Christmas postcard from landlord, birthday cards from my mom, his sister..
11. 3 postcards we sent to each other.. Letter he wrote to my mom asking her to let me visit him in Canada for first time
12. Lots of pictures from around 5-6 bigger trips in Canada, pics from 2010 when he visited me in Poland, then from 2011 when i visited him in Canada very first time. There are our friends and families.
13. Few screens of Facebook, that show we are in relationships, first pics together posted in 2010. Some screens of Skype.

That's about it! Do we still have to get more documents like life insurance or statutory declaration? Or what we have is enough? Thanks!

Great deal of proof, and it is probably more and better than 95% of apps!

Although, I am pretty sure that you need two letters notarized. Look this up in your country specific guide, but as I am Swedish and had to do it, I am sure you will have to do it also. I assume Poland counts as part of Western Europe!

 

[Ponga]

Great deal of proof, and it is probably more and better than 95% of apps!

Although, I am pretty sure that you need two letters notarized. Look this up in your country specific guide, but as I am Swedish and had to do it, I am sure you will have to do it also. I assume Poland counts as part of Western Europe!

I agree with Graihn...you have plenty of solid evidence.

And, I also agree that you need to have at least two notarized letters from family or friends, validating your relationship.

The Statutory Declaration of Common-Law is optional, but it can only help.

 

[meiko3886]

Thanks! Im very happy to hear that Where i can find country specific guide for Poland? I will have some problems get those letters notarized, coz his sister moved to usa, my mom is in poland, his mom in taiwan blablabla. I hope we will figure something out. I really dont want to be asked for more proofs later on, coz its waste of time.

 

[Rob_TO]

Thanks! Im very happy to hear that Where i can find country specific guide for Poland? I will have some problems get those letters notarized, coz his sister moved to usa, my mom is in poland, his mom in taiwan blablabla. I hope we will figure something out. I really dont want to be asked for more proofs later on, coz its waste of time.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/guides/3902e.pdf
If you are a common-law or conjugal partner, also provide:
• at least two statutory declarations from individuals with personal knowledge of your
relationship supporting your claim that the relationship is genuine and continuing

 

[meiko3886]

Thanks! Now i also noticed i need to get different birth certificate.. In Poland there is full or short kind.
There is one point that says "Send notarized photocopies of all other documents, unless instructed otherwise. Retyped
copies are not acceptable." Does it mean that rental agreement, costco membership agreement or joint account assessment must be original or notarized? Because i mostly have scans of those. Maybe i can ask for extra signature of landlord on rental agreement or extra stamp from bank on their documents..?

 

[meiko3886]

Another question i have is, when do i provide police check? Along with whole application or should i wait till they will ask me (just like medical examination) ? When I entered Canada in 2012 i already provided one..
Thanks

 

[Graihn]

Thanks! Now i also noticed i need to get different birth certificate.. In Poland there is full or short kind.
There is one point that says "Send notarized photocopies of all other documents, unless instructed otherwise. Retyped
copies are not acceptable." Does it mean that rental agreement, costco membership agreement or joint account assessment must be original or notarized? Because i mostly have scans of those. Maybe i can ask for extra signature of landlord on rental agreement or extra stamp from bank on their documents..?

A signature is fine. Scans of those are fine also.

And,

Another question i have is, when do i provide police check? Along with whole application or should i wait till they will ask me (just like medical examination) ? When I entered Canada in 2012 i already provided one..
Thanks

You need a new one. A police check can not be more than 3 months old when they receive your application.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Another question i have is, when do i provide police check? Along with whole application or should i wait till they will ask me (just like medical examination) ? When I entered Canada in 2012 i already provided one..
Thanks

Assuming you are applying outland through Warsaw, the medical needs to be done before submitting the app. The doctor will give you a form that need to be included in the app.

If you send the app without the medical, you risk having it returned as incomplete. If they don't return it, then your app will be delayed when CIC has to request the medical.

 

[Graihn]

Assuming you are applying outland through Warsaw, the medical needs to be done before submitting the app. The doctor will give you a form that need to be included in the app.

If you send the app without the medical, you risk having it returned as incomplete. If they don't return it, then your app will be delayed when CIC has to request the medical.

Sorry I always seem to miss that questions are two parted when using my phone!
Yeah medicals first !

 

[meiko3886]

Oh but im doing the inland application, im in Canada since May 2012.Before i had IEC program,now im on visitor visa. It will end in May 2014,so im also applying to extend it.. and after sending common law application im gonna try for open work permit. Hope it right move.

 

[Rob_TO]

Oh but im doing the inland application, im in Canada since May 2012.Before i had IEC program,now im on visitor visa. It will end in May 2014,so im also applying to extend it.. and after sending common law application im gonna try for open work permit. Hope it right move.

You will only qualify to submit an application for OWP after AIP/stage 1 approval with an inland application. According to CIC site, that is currently taking around 9 months.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Oh but im doing the inland application, im in Canada since May 2012.Before i had IEC program,now im on visitor visa. It will end in May 2014,so im also applying to extend it.. and after sending common law application im gonna try for open work permit. Hope it right move.

I would recommend that you apply outland. With an inland app, it will take 8-9 months just to get first stage approval and the OWP. Warsaw is a very fast office, with a posted processing time of 8 months, which means that 80% of apps are processed by that point. You would most likely have your PR through outland before you even got the OWP through inland.

You are allowed to be in Canada while you submit an outland app.

 

[meiko3886]

I know i would get PR faster if i apply outland. But i have some exams for nostrification of my diploma, so i kinda have to be here. Also i read that after sending inland application,i can also try for open work permit due to my common law. If i can only start working in Canada,im happy already and can wait for PR a little bit. I cant miss any more exams for my nostrification and travel so much,since its so expensive. Anyone knows how long it takes to get open work permit?
Also i have one more question. I have all documents already,just missing police check from Poland. Can i send whole application without it and then send the police check after 3-4 weeks?

 

[Graihn]

I know i would get PR faster if i apply outland. But i have some exams for nostrification of my diploma, so i kinda have to be here. Also i read that after sending inland application,i can also try for open work permit due to my common law. If i can only start working in Canada,im happy already and can wait for PR a little bit. I cant miss any more exams for my nostrification and travel so much,since its so expensive. Anyone knows how long it takes to get open work permit?
Also i have one more question. I have all documents already,just missing police check from Poland. Can i send whole application without it and then send the police check after 3-4 weeks?

Wait for the police check, as they may send back your application as incomplete if you do outland.

I am not sure if I read your post wrong, but doing an inland application doesn't mean that you get an OWP as soon as you send it in and can work. You can work when stage 1 is done, which takes longer than becoming a PR outland.

Also, outland application doesn't mean that you have to be outside of Canada. You can remain in Canada as long as you have a legal status in Canada.