Common law questions

[superman2012]

HI. how are yo guys?

my partner is planning to sponsor me next year and were planning to prepare our requirements as early as now. we are in long distance relationship way back 2013 and now we are living together for almost 2 months now, that's why we are planning to apply next yea for common law sponsorship. just a few question.

1. do we really need to have a house contract? 'coz we are just renting a room here in alberta and in the contract our both names are not there but only our housemate was signed on that paper. Im here in Canada last May and the contract was signed by my housemate just last april, so if we gonna wait for another contract that would be next year on April so we don't want to wait another year. Is it possible to not include in our papers the renting contract?

2. I am an international student and according on what I red on the website, application inlad is getting a OWp while waiting for the decision of their application (pilot program) am I get that one also? my studypermist is valid until 2017 and since my fees at school is very expensive I plan to stop my schooling next year and Use the OWP instead is that possible?

3. These are the requirements were planning to submit:
- letter of friends stating that our relationship is real
- Pictures together since 2013
- 2 mail letters that he was send to me while we're on long distance
- joint purchases
- joint electricity bills
- separated mails indicating our same address and names
-joint bank account
- joint phone bill
- joint credit card

are those enough?

 

[kettle]

You really need to get a joint lease letter or something. Even if your friend whom you are renting off of drafts up a rental agreement with your common law partner and yourself named on it from the date you started living together.


I would also get your letters notarized as well.

 

[superman2012]

You really need to get a joint lease letter or something. Even if your friend whom you are renting off of drafts up a rental agreement with your common law partner and yourself named on it from the date you started living together.


I would also get your letters notarized as well.

but how? the agreement paper of this house is signed by my housemate and our names are not there we can have a contract but that will be next contract and we don't want to waste our time to wait until next year to have an contract again . is it okay if we can ask our housemate to write a letter stating that we live in one room and the rental agreement is in his name then we gonna staple the original rental agreement together with the letter? what do you think?

 

[canadianwoman]

The cohabitation is the most important thing to prove for common law. Getting a letter from your housemate stating you and your partner are renting a room from him is good. If you could get a similar letter from the landlord as well, that would help.
Other proof has to cover one year of cohabitation. So both your names on bills covering 12 months is necessary. Mail addressed to both of you at that address, or separate letters addressed to one of you at the same address can be used - get letters from the whole 12 months. The joint financial things you mentioned are good - but you will need 12 months of each.

 

[superman2012]

The cohabitation is the most important thing to prove for common law. Getting a letter from your housemate stating you and your partner are renting a room from him is good. If you could get a similar letter from the landlord as well, that would help.
Other proof has to cover one year of cohabitation. So both your names on bills covering 12 months is necessary. Mail addressed to both of you at that address, or separate letters addressed to one of you at the same address can be used - get letters from the whole 12 months. The joint financial things you mentioned are good - but you will need 12 months of each.

yes, I know that getting a letter from our housemate is the most important requirement but I don't know how to convince my partner to ask our landlord and our housemate to provide a letter from them because they don't know about our relationship. plus according to CIC
proof of your common‑law relationship, such as:

-joint bank account statements,
-joint savings account statements,
-joint credit card statements,
-joint line of credit statements,
-jointly signed lease,
-jointly signed mortgage papers or purchase agreement,
-statutory declarations from persons/individuals with knowledge that the relationship is genuine and continuing.
so my partner believe that contact of the house is just only one of the example for proof of cohabitation and he said that it is not that necessary because we can prove that we have cohabited for one year without having a contract on hand. but I'm still convincing him to get a letter from the landlord and my housemate.

 

[Rob_TO]

A joint contract is not mandatory, but it helps. In our common-law case I already owned a home before I met my partner, so even after we became common-law she wasn't on any paperwork since that was impossible to do with my mortgage already in force in my name only. So in our PR app there was no mortgage/lease papers included. I just included an explanation as to why she wasn't on any home papers... and made sure to submit lots of other proofs that showed our cohabitation.

So if you have stat declarations from your housemates/family/friends that you are living together, and lots of other more official proofs that show shared address, you may be fine still.

 

[kettle]

yes, I know that getting a letter from our housemate is the most important requirement but I don't know how to convince my partner to ask our landlord and our housemate to provide a letter from them because they don't know about our relationship. plus according to CIC
proof of your common‑law relationship, such as:

-joint bank account statements,
-joint savings account statements,
-joint credit card statements,
-joint line of credit statements,
-jointly signed lease,
-jointly signed mortgage papers or purchase agreement,
-statutory declarations from persons/individuals with knowledge that the relationship is genuine and continuing.
so my partner believe that contact of the house is just only one of the example for proof of cohabitation and he said that it is not that necessary because we can prove that we have cohabited for one year without having a contract on hand. but I'm still convincing him to get a letter from the landlord and my housemate.

You two are living in the same house and same room and they don't know about your relationship? That doesn't make any sense at all.

I would suggest you both be adults and actually have your relationship out in the open instead of hiding it from people you are living with and renting from.

Your application would be a LOT easier if you have proof of cohabitation in the form of a letter or rental agreement. If your partner isn't willing or able to be out about your relationship I would surely reconsider the application process as a whole. The common-law route isn't for people who are merely dating, it is designed for people living as married couples who choose not to get married for whatever reasons.

 

[canadianwoman]

Are you and your partner sleeping in the same room? If so, your housemate should know about your relationship. If not, you are not common-law.

At least get a letter from the housemate.