mariabo: They do not consider it an immigration barrier when your partner is in Italy. Your partner can come to Canada on a tourist visa and live with you for up 6 months and apply for a visit visa extension at the end of 6 months to get the full year or you could go to Italy and do the same thing. Conjugal partnerships are the hardest to prove. Read what they say about them at the CIC website:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/sponsor/spouse-apply-who.asp#conjugal said:This category is for partners—either of the opposite sex or same sex—in exceptional circumstances beyond their control that prevent them from qualifying as common-law partners or spouses by living together.
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You may apply as a conjugal partner if:
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you can provide evidence there was a reason you could not live together (for example, you were refused long-term stays in each other’s country).