Generic Application form for Canada

[beatitboss]

Hi There,

I am just about to start the process of sponsoring my common-law partner. We started filling out all the necessary forms in order to give ourselves a clear idea of what’s gonna be required so that we can have enough time to collect all the supporting documents.

Our situation looks like so:

We met back in 2008, our relationship was evolving ever since (evidence available) however we moved together on 15-FEB-2013. There are also legitimate grounds for that as well in case the CIC wants to know why we moved in together that late.

I am the sponsor (citizen) and we’ll be applying outland from Australia.

I have the following questions with regards to our Generic Application form for Canada:

APPLICATION DETAILS SECTION:

Box #2: Category under which you are applying?

Should I check COMMON-LAW or CONJUGAL? Both terms appear in various parts of the application. My bet is that it’s CONJUGAL since we live together and there’s plenty of evidence to support the latter.

Which one should I check then?

Box #3 How many members, including you, are in this application?

Since the Generic Application form for Canada deals mainly with my partner, should she still indicate the number value of 2?

Once again, there’s gonna be only the two of us. No children, parents and so forth.

Box #4: Immigration office requested for processing this application.

Logically Sydney, as we live in Australia, should I say Sydney then?

PERSONAL DETAILS SECTION:

Box #3 UCI?

What’s UCI? It looks like I cannot even fill out that box. Should I be worried about that?

Box #13 Personal marital status?

Again, should she check COMMON LAW or CONJUGAL?

I really need to know that because if it’s common law I’ll have to indicate that we met in 2008 but if it’s conjugal I’ll have to say that we moved-in in FEB 2013 but I’ll explain on an additional piece of paper that we’ve known each other since 2008

EDUCATION/OCCUPATION DETAILS SECTION:

#1 My partner is still completing her degree. If things go as scheduled, she’ll transfer to a Canadian College and obtain her final degree in Canada

Hence, what option should she check?

Should she check “secondary or less” or (the one I am leaning towards) “secondary but no degree” as she has a high school diploma and she’s currently in the process of completing her College Degree

LANGUAGE DETAIL SECTION:

#3 Have you taken a a test to assess your language skills?

My partner was born in Russia however she emigrated to France with her family as a young child. She then went to school in France (so she speaks French native level) and now she studies in Australia. Should she then bother taking any tests? I remember that she had to take IELTS before getting accepted at uni in Australia but is that still relevant given that she’s already done 2 years of College Level Education in English with very good grades?

DEPENDANTS SECTION:

This is where I got really confused?

I am a dependant given that I am the sponsor? Should she include me in this box then?


If yes, should we say that dependant will accompany principal applicant to Canada?

Cheers,

 

[andrew-brit]

Should I check COMMON-LAW or CONJUGAL? Both terms appear in various parts of the application. My bet is that it's CONJUGAL since we live together and there's plenty of evidence to support the latter.

In order to be considered Common-Law you need to have been living with your partner for at least a year. So you are Common-Law.

Box #3 How many members, including you, are in this application?

One person (your partner) is in the application. You do not need sponsored as you are Canadian.

Logically Sydney, as we live in Australia, should I say Sydney then?

You should choose a Visa office in your partner's country of nationality, or their country of residence so long as they have been lawfully admitted to that country for at least a year.

Box #3 UCI?

A UCI is a number which CIC can identify someone by. If this is your first application to the CIC you will not have one. This is not a problem.

#1 My partner is still completing her degree. If things go as scheduled, she'll transfer to a Canadian College and obtain her final degree in Canada

Choose whichever option matches her education level at the time of submitting application. Include an additional sheet with your plans to complete studies in Canada.

Dependents Section

You are not a dependent. There are no dependents in your case.

 

[tink23]

- you are applying as common law. Conjugal is a whole other category for those who aren't married or common law and face many barriers. This is not you. Write common law.

- 2 people. You the sponsor, and your spouse (applicant)

- Sydney will be the visa office.

- if your partner has never applied for any visa to Canada, she won't have a UCI number. This isn't important. If she doesn't have one, just leave it blank. You as the sponsor will get one when you're approved as a sponsor. Your partner will get one once they start processing the application in Sydney.

- Again, you're common law (since you have been living together since feb 2013, you became common law in Feb 2014).

- secondary or less. You can explain that she is currently in post secondary, if you like.

- for the language thing, you can write she took a test, but for spousal sponsorship this isn't required.

- okay, now I see that your partner is currently living in Australia but is actually Russian. You can write Sydney as the visa office if you wish, but at the end of the day it is up to the visa office. If they decide to process it in Sydney because she is currently studying there they can do that, but if they want it processed in Russia since she is a citizen of there, then they can do that too... Put which one you'd like, but it will be up to them.

- you are not a dependent, you are the sponsor. She won't list you as a dependent.

 

[tink23]

One person (your partner) is in the application. You do not need sponsored as you

This is for the sponsor information and the sponsor IS considered as one part, so the answer for this part is 2.

 

[andrew-brit]

Sorry to hijack this thread but I am confused.

My situation: I am British, wife is Canadian. We are married, applying outside Canada.

I am not including my wife in the application because she is already a Canadian. I am including her details as the sponsor, but not on the application for PR.

Now, in form IMM0008, section Application Details, question 3 it asks you

Indicate the total number of family members in your application. This includes yourself and any other family members, regardless of whether they want to accompany you to Canada or not.

Now, my wife, who is Canadian, will not be accompanying me to Canada, she is already there!

Also, in one of her forms, IIMM5481, question 4 - it has a box for the sponsor, and question 5a is for the number in box 3 from IMM0008. So if I put myself and my spouse in box 3 on form IMM0008 and then took the answer to question 4 from form IMM5481 I would have 3, not 2 (the correct answer)

 

[truncat]

The total number of family members in the application is 1, only you are applying for PR, not your wife.

 

[andrew-brit]

Yes I know and this is what I originally said in my post. Not 2, as per your post.

 

[truncat]

That wasn't me that was someone else...

Anyway I think the confusion is because there are two spots where you write the people in the application. One is question 3 in IMM0008 and you answer "1", one is in another form (I can't recall which form it is), and you copy over the answer from question 3 ("1"), and also enter 1 for your sponsor/spouse, and total the numbers together for "2" total.

 

[beatitboss]

- you are applying as common law. Conjugal is a whole other category for those who aren't married or common law and face many barriers. This is not you. Write common law.

- 2 people. You the sponsor, and your spouse (applicant)

- Sydney will be the visa office.

- if your partner has never applied for any visa to Canada, she won't have a UCI number. This isn't important. If she doesn't have one, just leave it blank. You as the sponsor will get one when you're approved as a sponsor. Your partner will get one once they start processing the application in Sydney.

- Again, you're common law (since you have been living together since feb 2013, you became common law in Feb 2014).

- secondary or less. You can explain that she is currently in post secondary, if you like.

- for the language thing, you can write she took a test, but for spousal sponsorship this isn't required.

- okay, now I see that your partner is currently living in Australia but is actually Russian. You can write Sydney as the visa office if you wish, but at the end of the day it is up to the visa office. If they decide to process it in Sydney because she is currently studying there they can do that, but if they want it processed in Russia since she is a citizen of there, then they can do that too... Put which one you'd like, but it will be up to them.

- you are not a dependent, you are the sponsor. She won't list you as a dependent.

Great, thanks a lot for that! I don't think they'll wish to process her application in Moscow since she's left Russia ages ago. She's lawfully residing in Australia and that's been the case sine a little more than a year now so logically they should chose Sydney as well.

So eventually (I've seen 2 conflicting answers here) should I say 1 or 2 people then?
Cheers,

 

[Chevy23]

Great, thanks a lot for that! I don't think they'll wish to process her application in Moscow since she's left Russia ages ago. She's lawfully residing in Australia and that's been the case sine a little more than a year now so logically they should chose Sydney as well.

So eventually (I've seen 2 conflicting answers here) should I say 1 or 2 people then?
Cheers,

You should say 1, this will make a total at the end of 2

 

[beatitboss]

You should say 1, this will make a total at the end of 2

OK, thanks a lot!

I just saw that you were exempted from sending your passport to the visa office. How's that? Did they start issuing e-visas or something?

Cheers,

 

[Chevy23]

OK, thanks a lot!

I just saw that you were exempted from sending your passport to the visa office. How's that? Did they start issuing e-visas or something?

Cheers,

Countries that don't require a visa to enter Canada just as a visitor are called 'visa exempt' and usually do not need to send there actual passport to the visa office

Countries like the UK, US and AUS are visa exempt so you will only need to send photocopies of your passport and they will issue your copr in the mail

Countries which are not visa exempt do need to send their physical passports in to the visa office

 

[beatitboss]

I knew about the visa waiver system actually but I had no clue that the COPR can be issued electronically though! That sounds very accommodating

 

[tink23]

Sorry to hijack this thread but I am confused.

My situation: I am British, wife is Canadian. We are married, applying outside Canada.

I am not including my wife in the application because she is already a Canadian. I am including her details as the sponsor, but not on the application for PR.

Now, in form IMM0008, section Application Details, question 3 it asks you

Now, my wife, who is Canadian, will not be accompanying me to Canada, she is already there!

Also, in one of her forms, IIMM5481, question 4 - it has a box for the sponsor, and question 5a is for the number in box 3 from IMM0008. So if I put myself and my spouse in box 3 on form IMM0008 and then took the answer to question 4 from form IMM5481 I would have 3, not 2 (the correct answer)

Oh yes! My mistake! Sorry, I was referring to the form the sponsor has to fill out, when the total is for 2. You are correct in saying one!

 

[tink23]

Countries that don't require a visa to enter Canada just as a visitor are called 'visa exempt' and usually do not need to send there actual passport to the visa office

Countries like the UK, US and AUS are visa exempt so you will only need to send photocopies of your passport and they will issue your copr in the mail

Countries which are not visa exempt do need to send their physical passports in to the visa office

I believe the spouse of the OP travels on a Russian passport (please correct me if I'm wrong) so if that is the case she will need to send her passport for a visa to be put inside.