Family Sponsorship from inside Canada

[Kaylene]

My fiancee and I are working on our papers currently. I am a Canadian citizen and he is currently in Canada on a Student Visa which expires December 30th, 2013. We have lived common-law since August 2010, our year date was August 2011.

We have filled out all the forms both our families have written letters of proof of our relationship ect. He currently has a police certificate from the United States, well a county in Michigan (is that enough for that side), and does he need one from up here in Canada?

My question is how precise does the information have to be. I feel like writting a lot of information for our Spouse/Common Law Questionaire, because I feel like the more information the merrier. However I feel like there will be too much.

Also is it better to have the medical exam done before the papers are sent in or should we wait until it is asked of us.


I read someone hear about us having some of the papers notorized. What did I miss? We have notorized letters from our families and friends, is that what was being talked about?

Any other advice, tips or words of encouragement are greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

[CharlieD10]

1. He needs an FBI report, not just a report from a county in Michigan. Go back over the police certificate link on the CIC webpage. He does not need one for Canada, CIC will take care of that themselves.

2. Write as much as you need to so that a total stranger, completely unfamiliar with you both, can get a real sense of the inception and development of your relationship.

3. For spousal/common-law partner applications, the medical is submitted WITH the application, not on request, so get it done.

4. As a common-law couple, you should have at least 2 letters notarized from persons familiar with both of you and your relationship. You should also have the "Common-Law Affidavit" (I forget the precise term, I am dead tired) notarized.

Go through all your documents with BOTH the checklists (sponsor and applicant) and the Guide to ensure you have everything you need as it should be.

 

[computergeek]

We have filled out all the forms both our families have written letters of proof of our relationship etc. He currently has a police certificate from the United States, well a county in Michigan (is that enough for that side), and does he need one from up here in Canada?

He only needs police certificates from the FBI in his case. Unless CIC requests it he doesn't need any from US states or RCMP. In the latter case (RCMP) the only time that's necessary is when a name/DOB check turns up someone similar with a rap sheet. Then they want a fingerprint report to confirm that he's not the one with the rap sheet - but they will ask for this if they need it.

My question is how precise does the information have to be. I feel like writing a lot of information for our Spouse/Common Law Questionnaire, because I feel like the more information the merrier. However I feel like there will be too much.

It's a story - the story of your relationship. The evidence should corroborate the story, but the point is to try and explain who you are (as a couple) to the VO. The officer shouldn't fall asleep reading it, of course. Ideally, the visa officer should finish up and say "wow, these are two very interesting people in what is clearly a genuine relationship." At a minimum, you want the officer to say "no doubt in my mind this is a real relationship".

Also is it better to have the medical exam done before the papers are sent in or should we wait until it is asked of us.

There's a checklist - you should be submitting exactly what it says on the checklist. It's OK to submit more if you think it supports your application, but you shouldn't skip anything on the checklist. So if the checklist says you should submit the receipt for your medicals, get the medicals done and submit the receipt. Don't try to get a jump by submitting a partial application - that will almost guarantee to make it slower than it would be otherwise.

I read someone hear about us having some of the papers notorized. What did I miss? We have notorized letters from our families and friends, is that what was being talked about?

Nothing needs to be notarized except translations (and a couple documents expressly spelled out in the checlist). If you are concerned about the quality of some of your evidence, a notarization will ensure to the VO that the person signing it really is the person signing it. We submitted letters from friends and family (and even our doctor) but we didn't have anything notarized. The entire application was done in 7 months, including 3.5 months for sponsor approval and the closure of Buffalo and transfer of everything to Ottawa. There were other factors encouraging the CIC officer to look at the application early, but they wouldn't have signed off on it quickly if it hadn't been thorough (two separate officers said "no doubts on relationship").

Try not to overthink the process. It's VERY easy to do. You'll send your application and wake up in the middle of the night wondering if you forgot to include some form, or sign some page, or include some tidbit of evidence.

My final bit of advice: keep a copy of everything you send in. I have bound, tabbed copies of our application still that include every scrap of paper that was submitted to CIC in our application. That's over the top, but I used two of those copies after we filed.

 

[CharlieD10]

Correction: you don't need the "statutory declaration of common-law union" (that's the correct name). However, you do need at least two notarized letters from persons familiar with your relationship. As per the Regional Guide:

If you are a common-law or conjugal partner, provide evidence that your relationship is genuine and continuing and has existed for at least 12 months prior to your application. Also provide details of the history of your relationship and at least two statutory declarations from individuals with personal knowledge of your relationship supporting your claim that the relationship is genuine and continuing.

 

[Sweden]

Also - not sure if you are planning to apply inland or outland, but just to point out that you can apply outland even if you are all in Canada. For US citizen outland is usually faster than outland, so it's worth looking at it.
Good luck,
Sweden

 

[computergeek]

Also - not sure if you are planning to apply inland or outland, but just to point out that you can apply outland even if you are all in Canada. For US citizen outland is usually faster than outland, so it's worth looking at it.
Good luck,
Sweden

There was a time when that was true. It does not seem to be true any longer, with inland processing time published at 13-14 months, and outland processing time published at 13.5 months.

I have seen both inland AND outland US cases from March 2012 landed. Bottom line, there are reasons to pick one over the other, but it really doesn't seem to have much to do with processing time these days.

 

[Kaylene]

It's a story - the story of your relationship. The evidence should corroborate the story, but the point is to try and explain who you are (as a couple) to the VO. The officer shouldn't fall asleep reading it, of course. Ideally, the visa officer should finish up and say "wow, these are two very interesting people in what is clearly a genuine relationship." At a minimum, you want the officer to say "no doubt in my mind this is a real relationship".

We have been together 5 years 3 of which long distance, should I include our email correspondence as well in the additional documentation. There would be a million pieces of paper or should we just include a few to show that we were communicating. I could also get phone call records to show that we were communicating by phone on a daily basis. I know we have to prove that we are in a relationship. However I feel like it should be very obvious that we are a true relationship.

 

[Sweden]

We have been together 5 years 3 of which long distance, should I include our email correspondence as well in the additional documentation. There would be a million pieces of paper or should we just include a few to show that we were communicating. I could also get phone call records to show that we were communicating by phone on a daily basis. I know we have to prove that we are in a relationship. However I feel like it should be very obvious that we are a true relationship.

you should pick and not send everything. Pick emails where you discuss important things for your relationship, and the ones that show the development of the relationship. Same for phone records - you can show over the years so you can prove that you have been in constant communication even if you were apart from each other....
Put together all the proofs you think necessary, and have a look at your application with an "external eye" - would it convince a complete stranger that you are a real couple? if yes, then that's good - if you feel it is a bit weak, then maybe include a little more. I know it's hard to judge, as being in a relationship you of course feel it is obvious, but it might get you through quicker, so it's worth trying to prepare well your application...

Good luck,
Sweden

 

[computergeek]

We have been together 5 years 3 of which long distance, should I include our email correspondence as well in the additional documentation. There would be a million pieces of paper or should we just include a few to show that we were communicating. I could also get phone call records to show that we were communicating by phone on a daily basis. I know we have to prove that we are in a relationship. However I feel like it should be very obvious that we are a true relationship.

If you think your story requires detailed phone records to be persuasive, include them. If you think that a sample of the calls over that time are sufficient to make the point, do that. I included a sample - things from early in our relationship and then periodically as it matured. It included e-mails, chat logs, telephone logs, evidence of travel together, photographs. It wasn't more than 50 pages total, including around 15 photographs. It was a good sample over the course of our relationship.

Personally, I think too much evidence looks desperate. They aren't going to look at all of it. It's a sample - the narrative is the real story, the evidence just corroborates it.

 

[Kaylene]

Another question,

By looking at the processing times we will be married before the application is fully processed. Our big day is June 30th 2013. Should be send in updated information at that time with our marriage certificate and photos from your special day. Or will this just delay the process.

 

[computergeek]

Another question,

By looking at the processing times we will be married before the application is fully processed. Our big day is June 30th 2013. Should be send in updated information at that time with our marriage certificate and photos from your special day. Or will this just delay the process.

If your status changes, you should submit the new documentary evidence. I wouldn't expect it to have a major impact on your processing time.

 

[bibace]

honestly we are married more than 4 years and ok maybe our situation is a little bit different we are having even a child together. But we sent maybe 20 photos where transformations are obvious through the years, and so short and precise explanation and story of our relationship first meetings. that's how even layer advised us - not tons of photos, and proofs because as somebody previously has mentioned - it would look too desperate
good luck