Help/Reassurance please? What is a Red Flag?

[jkhrvy]

So I keep second guessing myself as to if we have enough proof/supplement documents to show our relationship is continuous and genuine. I also have been reading about "straight forward" and "red flags" cases and realized I don't really know what qualifies what.

Briefly, My husband and I met in New Zealand March 2010 and started dating. He went home (to Brazil) a few months later because his mother was very sick (and passed a year later). I stayed in Brazil and we did Long Distance for eight months. I went to Brazil Dec 2010, we were married in Dec 2012 in Brazil and we both came to Canada July 2013. (I am Canadian Citizen)

We have
- lots of photos together
- letters from parents, friends regarding our relationship
- bills addressed to the same residences (but not with both our names together) ex: electric bill in his name, school bill in my name
- a joint bank account together since Jan 2013
- skype/postcards/email from when we were long distance
- my flight to Brazil in dec 2010

But I was not legal the entire time i was in Brazil which prevented me from signing our lease together/having a paper trail. We also don't have any joint property, mortgages, life insurance, etc together.

- Neither of us have been married/common-law before (but my husband does have a son)
- we are the same age
- I have never sponsored anyone before
- we are not really financially stable yet

Are there any "Red Flags" here? What other documents or proof could I provide? Any help is always appreciated. Thanks!!

 

[truesmile]

The only thing I would ask is, of the "many" photos you have, do you have a handful or so from the wedding? AND, were either of your family members in attendance? Don't worry about the lease or bills in both names (we had none of that), that's what couples MUST have if they are applying "common-law", but you are married and don't have that problem. The rest of your story sounds just fine to me.

 

[jkhrvy]

The only thing I would ask is, of the "many" photos you have, do you have a handful or so from the wedding? AND, were either of your family members in attendance? Don't worry about the lease or bills in both names (we had none of that), that's what couples MUST have if they are applying "common-law", but you are married and don't have that problem. The rest of your story sounds just fine to me.

We do have photos from our wedding - which was a civil ceremony. My husband's family (father, sister, brother, one aunt) were there, but my parents were not as they are farmers and not able to leave the farm/animals to travel to Brazil. My sisters were not either as they were working overseas. My parent's were very supportive send flowers/cards. We plan to have a Canadian ceremony next year.....

 

[mikeymyke]

You already have a couple red flags. One of them is having a basic civil ceremony instead of a large traditional one (depending on the country, this can be a red flag or not, depends if that country traditionally does civils or traditionals). Your other red flag is that your family did not show up at the wedding. Not your parents, not even your sisters. The reasons for their absences have to be extremely valid.

Have your parents ever met him in person before?

Having red flags is not really a big deal, it might lead to an interview, which will delay your case by a year, but at least it will give you a chance to explain your red flags in detail.

 

[jkhrvy]

You already have a couple red flags. One of them is having a basic civil ceremony instead of a large traditional one (depending on the country, this can be a red flag or not, depends if that country traditionally does civils or traditionals). Your other red flag is that your family did not show up at the wedding. Not your parents, not even your sisters. The reasons for their absences have to be extremely valid.

Have your parents ever met him in person before?

Having red flags is not really a big deal, it might lead to an interview, which will delay your case by a year, but at least it will give you a chance to explain your red flags in detail.

Thanks for the heads up guys! Yes my parent, sisters, extended family, etc met him Dec 2011. How could I show "extremely valid"? A statement for my parents regarding their livelihood/inability to leave in the middle of harvest? My sister was on a 6 month exchange in New Zealand, so perhaps her contract on the program?

 

[screech339]

You already have a couple red flags. One of them is having a basic civil ceremony instead of a large traditional one (depending on the country, this can be a red flag or not, depends if that country traditionally does civils or traditionals). Your other red flag is that your family did not show up at the wedding. Not your parents, not even your sisters. The reasons for their absences have to be extremely valid.

Having a civil marriage ceremony is not a red flag. It is a common thing to do. Not everyone can have or want a grand expensive traditional wedding. We had a small civil marriage done at a hotel convention room. So I get a little insulted when you say that a civil marriage is a red flag.

Only my family side was able to attend the wedding. None of my wife's, the applicant, family attended. We stated the reason that my wife's family do not have canadian trv. We provided pics of marriage ceremony showing the offlicant presiding over the ceremony.

So just because family from one side cannot attend and the fact that it is a civil marriage doesn't set off any red flags as far as I'm concerned. My wife landed without any issues within 10 months inland.

Screech339

 

[truesmile]

Agreed! Only "one" side attended ours also. You don't need some formal statement or anything, simply explain it the form as you have done so here. I would consider the "truth" as "extremely valid".