Common law sponsorship help

[Joeydocs]

Hello everyone, currently am preparing to submit a common law application with my common law partner who I’ve been living with for almost 3 years. I came as a visitor converted to student and then worker (my current status.) My work permit will expire in about 5 months and I want to be able to stay here with my girlfriend so we decided to apply for common law sponsorship.

I was reading the document checklist earlier and I became a little nervous because we don’t have any bills for utilities joint bank accounts etc. We live with her family and her mother and father basically cover all that stuff. I etransfer 400 bucks a month rent to her mother but that’s about it. We have documentation on our personal bank statements for 2 years at the same address. More than enough pictures with her family, my family in my home state (NJ USA) and here in Ontario. We are more than capable of receiving letters from different people who are family or friends or just neighbours attesting that our relationship is genuine. Could I use our puppy we got together as additional proof of our relationship? There’s a lot of documentation for this IRCC application. I’m only 22 still figuring out my life and I’m a little stressed as I want everything to work out so I can remain with my girlfriend and our dog.

 

[armoured]

Hello everyone, currently am preparing to submit a common law application with my common law partner who I’ve been living with for almost 3 years. I came as a visitor converted to student and then worker (my current status.) My work permit will expire in about 5 months and I want to be able to stay here with my girlfriend so we decided to apply for common law sponsorship.

I was reading the document checklist earlier and I became a little nervous because we don’t have any bills for utilities joint bank accounts etc. We live with her family and her mother and father basically cover all that stuff. I etransfer 400 bucks a month rent to her mother but that’s about it. We have documentation on our personal bank statements for 2 years at the same address. More than enough pictures with her family, my family in my home state (NJ USA) and here in Ontario. We are more than capable of receiving letters from different people who are family or friends or just neighbours attesting that our relationship is genuine. Could I use our puppy we got together as additional proof of our relationship? There’s a lot of documentation for this IRCC application. I’m only 22 still figuring out my life and I’m a little stressed as I want everything to work out so I can remain with my girlfriend and our dog.

None of that sounds problematic or short of what's needed, provide what you can, although no-one can tell how the officers looking at your file will see it (other details of your situation may be relevant). Money transfers for rent a good documentation. Can't hurt to include short letter of explanation saying you are living with her parents to save money for future.

Note of course that being young and overlapping with studies, they will wish to determine that you're not just roommates helping each other out. If you are common law, she is your spouse; for the context of immigration, get used to it.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Hello everyone, currently am preparing to submit a common law application with my common law partner who I’ve been living with for almost 3 years. I came as a visitor converted to student and then worker (my current status.) My work permit will expire in about 5 months and I want to be able to stay here with my girlfriend so we decided to apply for common law sponsorship.

I was reading the document checklist earlier and I became a little nervous because we don’t have any bills for utilities joint bank accounts etc. We live with her family and her mother and father basically cover all that stuff. I etransfer 400 bucks a month rent to her mother but that’s about it. We have documentation on our personal bank statements for 2 years at the same address. More than enough pictures with her family, my family in my home state (NJ USA) and here in Ontario. We are more than capable of receiving letters from different people who are family or friends or just neighbours attesting that our relationship is genuine. Could I use our puppy we got together as additional proof of our relationship? There’s a lot of documentation for this IRCC application. I’m only 22 still figuring out my life and I’m a little stressed as I want everything to work out so I can remain with my girlfriend and our dog.

What actual common-law proofs do you have?

 

[Joeydocs]

What actual common-law proofs do you have?

Hey Canuck, thanks for the reply. Currently we have very little. We are going to add each other to all bank accounts/credit card accounts that each other has. We are listed under each other’s benefits from our employers. Something that has me concerned is we did not claim each other under our cra tax forms from last year. Now that it is January I hope that I can fix this mistake and solve the issue. I want to provide as much concrete evidence as possible that we are common law, and a genuine relationship. Have any suggestions on how to demonstrate this ? Thanks

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Hey Canuck, thanks for the reply. Currently we have very little. We are going to add each other to all bank accounts/credit card accounts that each other has. We are listed under each other’s benefits from our employers. Something that has me concerned is we did not claim each other under our cra tax forms from last year. Now that it is January I hope that I can fix this mistake and solve the issue. I want to provide as much concrete evidence as possible that we are common law, and a genuine relationship. Have any suggestions on how to demonstrate this ? Thanks

No point in adding each other to accounts now unless you plan on waiting another year to apply.

What address proofs do you each have covering at least a year?

If you've been living together since 2017, you've been common-law since 2018. January has nothing to do with it. You were both required to update your marital status within 30 days of the one year of cohabitation. Failure to do so when you are receiving benefits/tax credits is tax fraud, as family income is used to determine such amounts. You both need to correct your tax status as of the common-law date in 2018. If either of you received benefits and credits since that date, you will likely owe money.

 

[canuck78]

Based on your timeline you may have also been common law when you applied for your work permit. Were you common law at the time and did you list your partner?

 

[Joeydocs]

Based on your timeline you may have also been common law when you applied for your work permit. Were you common law at the time and did you list your partner?

Hi, since receiving work permit this will be my first time filing a tax return in Canada. I wasn’t trying to commit tax fraud or anything. Just simply uneducated on the whole process. I listed my girlfriend as a common law partner in my previous applications to IRCC. We have lived together since April 1st 2017.

 

[Joeydocs]

No point in adding each other to accounts now unless you plan on waiting another year to apply.

What address proofs do you each have covering at least a year?

If you've been living together since 2017, you've been common-law since 2018. January has nothing to do with it. You were both required to update your marital status within 30 days of the one year of cohabitation. Failure to do so when you are receiving benefits/tax credits is tax fraud, as family income is used to determine such amounts. You both need to correct your tax status as of the common-law date in 2018. If either of you received benefits and credits since that date, you will likely owe money.

I was not trying to commit any fraud. I have never filed taxes in Canada before this year so I am just simply uneducated about the process. How do I fix this? Will this help my situation with my application if I fix it? I’m willing to pay whatever I owe if it means it will help my case.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

I was not trying to commit any fraud. I have never filed taxes in Canada before this year so I am just simply uneducated about the process. How do I fix this? Will this help my situation with my application if I fix it? I’m willing to pay whatever I owe if it means it will help my case.

If you've never filed, you're fine. Your partner needs to correct her marital status going back to April 2018 when you became common-law. Showing taxes filed as common-law is good proof.

You need to answer the proofs question. What address proofs do you have?

 

[Joeydocs]

If you've never filed, you're fine. Your partner needs to correct her marital status going back to April 2018 when you became common-law. Showing taxes filed as common-law is good proof.

You need to answer the proofs question. What address proofs do you have?

As far as address proofs, I am getting my Canadian G license very soon. There was an issue with my home state dmv not providing enough information on a drivers abstract for the Ontario drive test centre to issue me an Ontario license. Found a solution to the problem and am waiting for my new document to arrive. My bank statement has been registered at my address since I came here. In the case of utility accounts we don’t have any. I send her mother 400 dollars a month to live at their residence and that usually helps cover utilities etc. I do have some old expired sin records dating back from my studies. (I was permitted to work but did not) they have my address on them also. Could I use that as proof ?

 

[canuck78]

Hi, since receiving work permit this will be my first time filing a tax return in Canada. I wasn’t trying to commit tax fraud or anything. Just simply uneducated on the whole process. I listed my girlfriend as a common law partner in my previous applications to IRCC. We have lived together since April 1st 2017.

You can include the fact that you stated that your gf was common law on previous applications in the list of proof. Not as concrete as other but everything helps.

 

[Joeydocs]

You can include the fact that you stated that your gf was common law on previous applications in the list of proof. Not as concrete as other but everything helps.

I never filled out a declaration of common law union page, but I have mentioned in my LOEs. I don’t know how the declaration of common law works. I read that If you were previously in a common law relationship before that you had to fill one out. Never knew if it would help my case or not. What do you think?

 

[canuck_in_uk]

As far as address proofs, I am getting my Canadian G license very soon. There was an issue with my home state dmv not providing enough information on a drivers abstract for the Ontario drive test centre to issue me an Ontario license. Found a solution to the problem and am waiting for my new document to arrive. My bank statement has been registered at my address since I came here. In the case of utility accounts we don’t have any. I send her mother 400 dollars a month to live at their residence and that usually helps cover utilities etc. I do have some old expired sin records dating back from my studies. (I was permitted to work but did not) they have my address on them also. Could I use that as proof ?

The license won't count. You both need address proofs showing you lived together for at least one continuous year. That is the entire basis of qualifying for common-law. Bank/credit card statements, payslips, government letters, school letters, cell phone bills, doctor/dentist letters etc.

 

[Joeydocs]

The license won't count. You both need address proofs showing you lived together for at least one continuous year. That is the entire basis of qualifying for common-law. Bank/credit card statements, payslips, government letters, school letters, cell phone bills, doctor/dentist letters etc.

Hey Canuck, thanks for the useful information. I do have a dental bill that shows my address on it. Will my expired sin records count as proof as well. They are government issued service Canada forms. Also do my bank statements have to be mailed ? I receive electronic copies online, but they still show my address.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Hey Canuck, thanks for the useful information. I do have a dental bill that shows my address on it. Will my expired sin records count as proof as well. They are government issued service Canada forms. Also do my bank statements have to be mailed ? I receive electronic copies online, but they still show my address.

Electronic statements are fine. It's not much. What does your partner have?