common law or marital spouse

[seventeen5552]

Hi all

Has anyone had experience applying with their spouse under this program? My boyfriend (primary applicant) and I will be applying together as common law partner in Nov. Our approved-already friend suggested us to get married to use the marriage certificate to apply, otherwise the chance of rejecting the application will be increased as they will consider our relationship is fake.

We have everything ready, but just not sure if we should still go with this way(if what my friend said is correct, i will let him apply without me but we will still put down me as a common law partner).

Please, if anyone can answer our question, that will save my world.

Thank you.

 

[seton]

Marriage is a little easier to demonstrate, but they do investigate the validity of your marriage as well.

It is not impossible to apply with a common law spouse. The key is to be able to prove what you claim. The document checklist is a great guide, but generally you want things like lease agreements (showing that you lived together), utility bills (with both names or to the same address), mail in general, pictures, evidence of trips together, joint bank accounts, proof that you file your tax returns as common law, and persons who can vouch for the validity of your relationship. These are just some of the examples, but you should have most of these if your relationship is legitimate.

You can also register your common law relationship with the provincial government in some provinces. In Manitoba, you can register your common law relationship with Vital Statistics (provincial authority that also does birth certificates) and they will provide you with a registration document.

 

[seventeen5552]

Marriage is a little easier to demonstrate, but they do investigate the validity of your marriage as well.

It is not impossible to apply with a common law spouse. The key is to be able to prove what you claim. The document checklist is a great guide, but generally you want things like lease agreements (showing that you lived together), utility bills (with both names or to the same address), mail in general, pictures, evidence of trips together, joint bank accounts, proof that you file your tax returns as common law, and persons who can vouch for the validity of your relationship. These are just some of the examples, but you should have most of these if your relationship is legitimate.

You can also register your common law relationship with the provincial government in some provinces. In Manitoba, you can register your common law relationship with Vital Statistics (provincial authority that also does birth certificates) and they will provide you with a registration document.

Thank you so much for your reply, I truly appreciate it!!

we have everything you just mentioned except the tax returns doc. in fact, we have our notice of assessment separately as last yr when we filed our taxes we weren't in common law yet, will this bother? also, i live in Alberta, do you know if we can register common law here?

Thanks again

 

[seton]

Thank you so much for your reply, I truly appreciate it!!

we have everything you just mentioned except the tax returns doc. in fact, we have our notice of assessment separately as last yr when we filed our taxes we weren't in common law yet, will this bother? also, i live in Alberta, do you know if we can register common law here?

Thanks again

If you weren't common law at the time of tax filing, I would suggest filing a Marital Status Change with the CRA (you can do it online), and include either this or a receipt of it as evidence. It will show your intent to declare with the CRA for your next return.

I don't think Alberta has a registry, but I'm not familiar. You could do a Adult Interdependent Relationship contract between you and your spouse, but this is a personal document and not registered with the government. It is however a legally binding document recognized by the province if required. You could include a copy of it with your application.