Firstly, this forum is excellent! Has been very helpful as my boyfriend and I embark on preparing our common-law sponsorship application for PR in Canada. As we move through the paperwork we’ve come across several questions where we've read conflicting answers. Sorry for the length…
Background: I am a Canadian citizen and the sponsor. My boyfriend is Australian and there are no dependents or other family members attached to the application. We are applying outland via the Sydney Australia office. We have been together since September 2009 (I lived in Australia for the first year and half of our relationship, we did long distance for 9 months with a 5 week visit in between and he has been living in Canada since September 2011 through the working-holiday program.) We have been living together since he arrived in September 2011. His current work permit doesn’t expire until September 2015.
1: What date do you put as the date you entered a common law relationship? Would we put September 2011 or September 2012 (one year after we had officially been living together)?
2: Since my boyfriend is here on a valid work permit, he has a UCI number. Just to clarify, UCI are like our SIN’s and always stay the same? Just wondering if he should be noting this number on his application?
3: I think the answer is NO but…In the applicant package of paperwork, we are wondering whether I, as the sponsor and the common law partner, need to fill in IMM 5669 (schedule A – background/declaration) and IMM 5406 (additional family information)? It states the principal applicant, their spouse or common law partner must complete a copy, but since I am a Canadian citizen and the sponsor, do I need to? Is it safer to include?
4: Below is an initial list of supporting evidence which we feel adequately proves our relationship is genuine! (There may be a few items I’m missing – I’m writing from the top of my head)
(a) Does it seem adequate?
(b) Is there a particular order you’d recommend structuring?
(c) Our plan was to have Section A: Sponsorship Documents + additional documents; Section B: Applicant Documents + additional documents; and Section C: Supporting Evidence. My questions is whether we should package all our supporting evidence together and refer to it in our documents or should we separate based on when evidence is requested (i.e. IMM 5490 asks if you are in a common-law relationship- how do you answer that? Refer them to the supporting evidence section? List all the items you’ve included as supporting evidence? Seems redundant…)
- Personal letters from the sponsor and from the applicant
- Personal letters from each of our parents and a mutual friend we both knew before we met (friend letter to be notarized)
- 2 statutory declarations notarized from friends
- ~ 50 photos showing progression of our relationship and including photos with us both with groups of friends and family
- Copies of our leases
- Copies of tenant insurance
- Statements of joint savings, chequing and credit card account
- Copies showing that we are both beneficiary on things like our life insurance, private pension
- Copies showing that my partner is listed as my common-law partner/spouse on my work medical/dental plan and with our provincial medical plan
- Copies of my correspondence with friends in Canada that mention my partner (since I was living in Australia for the first year and half of our relationship)
- Proof of how we stayed in touch when we were long distance (record of skype chats, phone records, facebook messages)
- Copies of all our travel together including itineraries, boarding passes, reservations
- Mail addressed to either or both of us at our address
- Identity documents showing same address (driver’s license)
- Copies of share utilities accounts – showing that we each pay for expenses
Background: I am a Canadian citizen and the sponsor. My boyfriend is Australian and there are no dependents or other family members attached to the application. We are applying outland via the Sydney Australia office. We have been together since September 2009 (I lived in Australia for the first year and half of our relationship, we did long distance for 9 months with a 5 week visit in between and he has been living in Canada since September 2011 through the working-holiday program.) We have been living together since he arrived in September 2011. His current work permit doesn’t expire until September 2015.
1: What date do you put as the date you entered a common law relationship? Would we put September 2011 or September 2012 (one year after we had officially been living together)?
2: Since my boyfriend is here on a valid work permit, he has a UCI number. Just to clarify, UCI are like our SIN’s and always stay the same? Just wondering if he should be noting this number on his application?
3: I think the answer is NO but…In the applicant package of paperwork, we are wondering whether I, as the sponsor and the common law partner, need to fill in IMM 5669 (schedule A – background/declaration) and IMM 5406 (additional family information)? It states the principal applicant, their spouse or common law partner must complete a copy, but since I am a Canadian citizen and the sponsor, do I need to? Is it safer to include?
4: Below is an initial list of supporting evidence which we feel adequately proves our relationship is genuine! (There may be a few items I’m missing – I’m writing from the top of my head)
(a) Does it seem adequate?
(b) Is there a particular order you’d recommend structuring?
(c) Our plan was to have Section A: Sponsorship Documents + additional documents; Section B: Applicant Documents + additional documents; and Section C: Supporting Evidence. My questions is whether we should package all our supporting evidence together and refer to it in our documents or should we separate based on when evidence is requested (i.e. IMM 5490 asks if you are in a common-law relationship- how do you answer that? Refer them to the supporting evidence section? List all the items you’ve included as supporting evidence? Seems redundant…)
- Personal letters from the sponsor and from the applicant
- Personal letters from each of our parents and a mutual friend we both knew before we met (friend letter to be notarized)
- 2 statutory declarations notarized from friends
- ~ 50 photos showing progression of our relationship and including photos with us both with groups of friends and family
- Copies of our leases
- Copies of tenant insurance
- Statements of joint savings, chequing and credit card account
- Copies showing that we are both beneficiary on things like our life insurance, private pension
- Copies showing that my partner is listed as my common-law partner/spouse on my work medical/dental plan and with our provincial medical plan
- Copies of my correspondence with friends in Canada that mention my partner (since I was living in Australia for the first year and half of our relationship)
- Proof of how we stayed in touch when we were long distance (record of skype chats, phone records, facebook messages)
- Copies of all our travel together including itineraries, boarding passes, reservations
- Mail addressed to either or both of us at our address
- Identity documents showing same address (driver’s license)
- Copies of share utilities accounts – showing that we each pay for expenses
I found this tidbit on the CIC site, from the Inland app section...I'm trying to figure out if, for some reason, there's a contradictory note given for outland apps:
