Have any Common-Law applicants been approved without providing a joint lease?

[spinning_sponsor]

My common-law partner and I just sent our application away this week to Mississauga. I felt like our application package was really good, but I've started worrying that a lack of a joint lease will be a big issue for CIC. I am a Canadian Citizen, my partner is from the USA, and we are going the Common-Law route, Outland.

For the first 3 months in Canada (arrived May 2014) my partner and I stayed with my parents, who wrote one of the requires statutory letters required and mentioned this. For the next 9 months, we had our own place, but only I signed the lease (as I did not know she could sign while having Visitor's status)

What we provided for cohabitation proof was:
-Gas and Hydro bills showing both our names at the same address
-2 letters addressed to both of us at the address
-Rent receipts for Aug - Dec 2014 with both our names
-Bank statements showing my partner helped pay for groceries and took out money at ATMs in Canada
-Statutory Declaration of Common Law Union [IMM5409E], even though it wasn't required since my partner isn't a co-sponsor
-Documents showing I added my partner as a beneficiary on my life insurance
-Lots of pictures of the two of us over the past 5 years, as well as various other things like passport stamps, boarding passes, and documents showing my partner brought their cat from the USA to Canada.

Am I wrong in being overly worried? Should I attempt to get even more proof and send it after I get Sponsorship approval?

If they don't deem the proof we have provided is enough, will the application be outright denied or will they usually request more proof/information if that occurs?

Any help/opinions on the matter would be great to put my mind at ease!

 

[Ponga]

Don't worry. If CIC needs more proof they will ask you for it.

IMHO, you have provided ample evidence.

 

[kettle]

I wouldnt worry. You provided more or about the same information as we did and our application recently made the decision made stage.

I own my house, and my British partner is not on the mortgage. (we explained in our letter that he was around when I was house shopping, but that our relationship was too *new* to include him on the mortgage)

We provided documents showing we've had the same address for 3+ years
A statutory declaration of a common law union
proof of holidays (mostly just photos though, no plane tickets etc)
Joint bank account
Joint car purchase
Proof of him listed on my work benefits and life insurance.

I was honestly pretty worried, because I thought they would be looking for more. That being said, all of his work visas for the past four years did come to my address even when we were living in different cities.

I think that was it. It was pretty sparse, but when you aren't really considering having to prove your relationship in advance, you dont tend to accumulate too much in the way of physical proof.

 

[spinning_sponsor]

Thanks for the reassurances!

So its highly likely that should they require further proof of the 12 month cohabitation, they would reach out for the proof, and not outright reject/deny the application?

 

[brucem]

Thanks for the reassurances!

So its highly likely that should they require further proof of the 12 month cohabitation, they would reach out for the proof, and not outright reject/deny the application?

As Ponga said if CIC require any further information from you they will contact you and let you know. They will not deny your application outright without giving you the opportunity to provide additional information. Just remember if you are using email as your preferred method of communication make sure you check the spam/junk so not to miss any requests as you do have to submit additional information within a set time period.

 

[BeShoo]

It shouldn't be a problem. For us, they did ask for a lease but I own the condo unit and my partner is not listed on the mortgage. We basically just told them that it didn't apply and we got approved. We had a very similar list of documents to what you have.