We met in March 2016 on board our ship. We began seeing each other April 3, 2016. I, the sponsor, 29, (female), am a Citizen, born and raised in Canada. The applicant (male), 30, is Italian. I began to sleep over in his room immediately, and by early to mid-May 2016, I moved my things in. On August 11, 2016, we got "companion linked" within our company while we were in Italy together, basically meaning that we are companions and want to be placed together. This is the date that we gave CIC as our "commitment date."
CIC got our application September 7, 2017. By that point, we had managed to live together for 13/17 months, and then afterwards 8/9 months. We are doing everything humanly possible to stay together which is what we tried to show in our answer to the Procedural Fairness. We sent in 489 extra pages of information explaining our situation. At the time of application, we could not qualify as common-law, because our company decides when to have us together, and when to separate us. It's really not our choice. After the application, there was a one year period of cohabitation with only 2 short breaks... but I fail to see how we can keep this up with our employers.
This time that we are cohabiting we have nothing to prove we are common-law. Neither of us owns property because we spend most of the year at sea. We cannot show them leases, bills, etc, because we don't have any! While on the ship, we are given free accommodation. We are young and haven't made wills or thought about life insurance....
Our employment is the only thing keeping us together, so we choose not to give it up. Neither of us has status in the others' country. My partner clearly does not qualify for any of the programs listed, including even an open-work permit, that are listed on IRCC's website. So we didn't apply. If we gave up our jobs, neither of us would be making any money and we would not be able to live together for more than a few months on visitor visas. How can we become common-law like this? It would make our situation WORSE in the idea of conjugal partners.
I absolutely HATE working here. I am only here and continue to take contracts to be with my partner. I have mentioned this in our information to IRCC.
We were both never married/or common-law, and have no children. No troubles with the law. An easy application for them.
However, with all this in mind. We are still a couple who has been together for the greater majority of the past 2 years, living like a married-couple, and that has to count for something!!! I don't see how we can be penalized because the two sponsorship options do not fit our particular situation. Not all couples are the same, and I hope that they realize this. My partner fits the description far more for conjugal, than common-law.
I would like to see a wedding get planned while at sea.. Neither of us now where or when we will be in the next month. Also, try planning a wedding with this internet that we have here. It will probably take 5 minutes just to post this text! I bet not one of you understands the struggles. Honestly.
