Common-law sponsorship

[Tipper]

We are currently in the process of putting together our application to apply for my boyfriend's PR and have a couple questions. I am a Canadian and he is British.
He travelled over to Canada on a Bunac visa in 2005 which is when we met. We were together then until Jan. 2006 (7 months) until he came back to the UK. I moved to the UK on a two year visa in Sept 2006 and am still here while we apply for our immigration.
My first question is that during the 8 months we were apart we did each make a trip to visit the other but all of our phone calls were done through calling cards and we don't have any documentation of calls. We did send the odd email but again at the time we never really thought ahead to save everything. Will that be a problem? We do have the flight details from our trips but that is basically all for an 8 month period.
My next question is in regards to the two statutory declarations. Who do we get to write these? And what do they need to say? Is it enough to have my uncle who is a lawyer and a mutual friend who is a police officer to write one that states they know us and that our relationship is genuine and we have been together for two and a half years?
My final question is in regards to putting the actual application together. I've read to not put it in a binder or to staple, but there is so much stuff. Is it okay to put the pages individually in clear poly pockets and submit all in one folder? This way the pages can be removed but still kept in order. And if we submit pictures, do we label each person in each picture and say how it is that we know them?
Thanks so much for any responses, I am very eager to get it all right and submitted properly to avoid any delays.

 

[thaiguy]

1. Other ways to prove your relationship include joint bank accounts, joint vacations, insurance (auto, life), joint leases, money transfers, and mail or parcels received at the same address. Document what you can - including your emails and flights. Specifically, you need to prove that you lived together continuously for a 12-month period. Everything you provide will help substantiate your relationship, but you absolutely need to prove that 12 consecutive month cohabitation.
2. You don't normally need a declaration from someone else to prove your relationship. But it could help your case. So have both your uncle and the police officer write declarations that include contact information, and then have the letters notarized.
3. Use paper clips, binder clips, and rubber bands, etc. -whatever you need to keep them orderly. After they're assembled, make a table of contents.
4. You should explain any photos you include, but if you have something with 15 people and you're just trying to show that you and your partner were on vacation together, identifying every person seems a bit of overkill.

Good luck.