I MET MY CONJUGAL PARTNER ONLINE

[canadalover4987]

Correct me if I'm wrong because I don't know much about the Phillipine but I think I've read somewhere on the forum that living together to become common law is not allowed in the Phillipines?

The OP entered into his relationship by way of civil union because his partner is trangendered. Would this type of relationship be allowed, since their civil union may not be recognized as a marriage in the eyes of the law? Would the civil union be recognized enough to allow them to live together even if the OP did decide to move there?

Like I said I don't know much about the Phillipines but from what I've read on the forum they seem pretty strict with rules of marriage, divorce, common law, etc which is why a lot of people do take the conjugal route.

jamali - thank you so much for this information.

I agree it's likely not possible for the OP to live in the Philippines for a year to become common law (unless the OP is a citizen of that country). I believe the Philippines strictly limits foreigner visits to six months (or maybe less?).

However the conjugal partner does need to try to visit Canada and apply for a TRV before the PR application can be submitted. To be approved as conjugal, they need to show there are real immigration barriers and applying for a TRV is a critical step in this process (even if it's refused).

If the TRV is refused, then I would take 1-2 more trips to the Philippines for a visit before submitting the PR application. If I'm not mistaken, they only met in person for the first time in January of this year. So from CIC's perspective this relationship is still very new.

And regardless what any of us thinks, the significant age gap will certainly be a red flag to CIC. So this application will need to be very strong to show the relationship is genuine. This is why I think the additional trips before submitting the PR application are crucial.

I would expect longer processing time and that an interview will be required.

scylla you have absolutely help a lot., thanks, i think you should do this for a living you can earn a lot, I will definitely follow advice that i learned from here.

 

[Rob_TO]

Correct me if I'm wrong because I don't know much about the Phillipine but I think I've read somewhere on the forum that living together to become common law is not allowed in the Phillipines?

The OP entered into his relationship by way of civil union because his partner is trangendered. Would this type of relationship be allowed, since their civil union may not be recognized as a marriage in the eyes of the law? Would the civil union be recognized enough to allow them to live together even if the OP did decide to move there?

Like I said I don't know much about the Phillipines but from what I've read on the forum they seem pretty strict with rules of marriage, divorce, common law, etc which is why a lot of people do take the conjugal route.

It's not illegal to simply live with someone in the Philippines (as long as nobody is married to someone else) , whether it's a same or opposite-sex relationship. The only illegal things are same-sex marriage, and public displays of affection for same-sex couples which may break decency laws and be considered illegal.

Also it doesn't matter if there is no such thing as common-law in the Philippines. All that CIC cares about, are Canada's definition of the terms.

So what the OP needs to do in a possible conjugal app here, is concentrate more on the legal/immigration aspects they can't get married or become common-law, and much less on the personal aspects (such as simply not wanting to live there). Like I mentioned here: http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/i-met-my-conjugal-partner-online-t277358.0.html;msg4178356#msg4178356

 

[canadalover4987]

canadalover4987, I am in a similar situation to yours. We met first online in 2011 and in person in 2013 when i traveled to Philippines as part of an Asia vacation. We applied and were refused TRVs 4 times in 2014 and I traveled to the Philippines twice more during that time frame. For each of the 4 TRV trys there was some change in the circumstance or something more to help our case, but no luck. After the first two refusals, we started preparing for a conjugal PR filing. We could not file the PR until after July 2014 because I was still married in Canada and had to be separated for a year in order to qualify as a sponsor.

Against the advice of many on this board, we filed our conjugal PR application in August 2014. By then I had visited three times and we had spent about six weeks together in person. We also started building a house together in the Philippines so we would have a safe place when we are there together. Despite all of this, I know that receiving approval is still a long shot. It has been 6 months since the PR file was transferred to Manila.

I took my 4th trip to the Philippines in a year in October 2014 and while there my partner received confirmation that her file was at Manila VO. As soon as I returned to Canada, we applied for a TRV again (5th try) and finally this time we were approved. My partner has been in Canada for 5 months now. If we applied for an extension for her stay here, we might very well be able to become common law partners before she has to leave the country. Nevertheless, we are going to the Philippines in April - my partner, her return ticket and me for a two week vacation. As soon as we arrive and her passport is stamped, we will apply for another TRV and are hopeful that she will get another TRV to return to Canada with me.

Your best option to be with your partner is to apply for a TRV. It is a relatively simple and cheap process and can be done 100% on-line. Make sure she includes proof of her assets including cash in the bank. You will also have to show proof that you can support her while she is in Canada (i.e copies of bank statements). At this point I might suggest you not make a big deal about your conjugal relationship - don't use that word until you have applied for the PR. You will have a better chance than we did because my partner did not have a good job or any assets when we first applied (she lost both in the Tacloban typhoon).

If you are lucky and get a TRV, you should try to become common law partners (or get married) before making the application.

In our case, the PR is not as important as us being together. Yes it is more costly. Your partner can't work; you have to buy your own health insurance; you may have expensive travel that you would not otherwise choose to take.

Good luck! I will update the board regarding our upcoming TRV application. In the meantime, I am not expecting any progress on our conjugal PR application for several more months. If my partner gets another TRV I don't mind if we hear nothing on the PR for another 6 months.

I just read your first post over again. There is no question that you should apply for the TRV right away. If you are successful, you will know in 24-48 hours and have the visa in less than a week. A PR application? Who knows? maybe 18 months to even consider a conjugal application.

jerryca- thank you so much for your reply on this thread. please do update me. I have few question for you. This is very important to me as we are in a same situation.


1. Are you still both together as of today arpril 2015? did you marry her during her stay in canada? Was she a biological female?

2. What are the things that you and your partner submitted in PR conjugal application?

3. What are the things you submitted in her trv other than invitation letter and your bank statement, did you submit letter of employment or did you submit your T4?

3. Was it a multiple or single entry trv? what are the requirements did she submitted in the 5th trv? (submitted to prove her ties in the Philippines)

4. How much money in the bank does your partner presented in her successful trv application?
the reason why i ask is because we already have joint acct in the Philippines which we will not submit in her trv application. My partner has her own 2 bank accounts named only to her.

5. Does your partner own a property on her own? does she works?

6. Is your partner younger than you? in my case, i am 67 and my partner is only 35.


i am hoping that you can answer all my question. once again thank you so much. cheers

 

[canadalover4987]

It's not illegal to simply live with someone in the Philippines (as long as nobody is married to someone else) , whether it's a same or opposite-sex relationship. The only illegal things are same-sex marriage, and public displays of affection for same-sex couples which may break decency laws and be considered illegal.

Also it doesn't matter if there is no such thing as common-law in the Philippines. All that CIC cares about, are Canada's definition of the terms.

So what the OP needs to do in a possible conjugal app here, is concentrate more on the legal/immigration aspects they can't get married or become common-law, and much less on the personal aspects (such as simply not wanting to live there). Like I mentioned here: http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/i-met-my-conjugal-partner-online-t277358.0.html;msg4178356#msg4178356

Rob_TO- Thank you so much for the wonderful inputs.did you read happen to jerryca? they get denied 4 times then he filed for a conjugal pr and on their 5th attempt he was granted by trv. i certainly dont want this to happen to my partner.

I have some question for you:

On the TRV application for my partner, we planning to state that she will only stay for exactly 6 weeks, if she got approved, what i understand is she is allowed to stay good for six month. is that right?

Does she need to go back after 6 weeks as promised on her trv or should we maximize the 6 months and before the end of her stay here should we try to apply for an extension for another 6 months so we can have 1 year cohabitation for common law? is that a good thing or bad?

Lets say she got approved for a trv, I WILL DEFINITELY marry my partner here in canada. Is spousal application much better than common law?


On the other hand, IF SHE GETS DENIED for a TRV here in canada, can i advice my partner to try get a visa in the USA particularly in new york so i can marry her there? once we got married and has papers am i eligible to do spousal? would that be a good option?

 

[SchnookoLoly]

If you are able to have a legal marriage, then sponsorship will be much easier. Conjugal is VERY hard to prove, and undergoes a LOT of scrutiny.

The way I see it, there's not really a downside to applying for visas to countries where you could get married. If you are approved, then great, you are in and able to get married. If you are rejected, then it's further proof to include in your conjugal application of your efforts to try to get married and being unable to do so.

(There was someone on here a few years ago... she was a Canadian-Iranian, her boyfriend was Iranian. Custom there says that you need parental permission to get married and her father refused to give permission, and her boyfriend was denied a visa to Canada. They tried to apply as conjugal and they were rejected because CIC said there was nothing to stop them from going to a third country in order to get married, such as Turkey. She debated appealing the application but ultimately decided to just withdraw it and head to Turkey to get married and then apply as a married couple.)

 

[Rob_TO]

Rob_TO- Thank you so much for the wonderful inputs.did you read happen to jerryca? they get denied 4 times then he filed for a conjugal pr and on their 5th attempt he was granted by trv. i certainly dont want this to happen to my partner.

You only need to show 1 TRV rejection before you apply for conjugal. However in case you continued to apply for TRVs after submitting the app and eventually be approved, you could always then have her come to Canada and get married here, and then try to change your conjugal app to a married app while it's in process. In fact I can't see how a conjugal app could be successful if the applicant has actually had a TRV approved so no longer any barriers to marriage.

On the TRV application for my partner, we planning to state that she will only stay for exactly 6 weeks, if she got approved, what i understand is she is allowed to stay good for six month. is that right?

No, don't expect she will get 6 months. If you applied for 6 weeks only, then once she enters Canada CBSA should give her a TRV valid for 6 weeks only. Better to ask this in the visitors section of the forum though, to see if CBSA sometimes gives longer than what was actually applied for.

No matter what length of TRV she enters under, she can always apply to extend it once in Canada. Of course there is no guarantee of this and if the TRV extension is denied she would have to leave Canada when TRV expires.

Or if you got married and applied for inland PR while TRV is valid, she would have implied status so can stay here forever. This is probably your best bet.

Lets say she got approved for a trv, I WILL DEFINITELY marry my partner here in canada. Is spousal application much better than common law?

There is less proof involved in a spousal app, since you don't need to prove 1 year of cohabitation. Also with a married app you can obviously apply much quicker (as soon as you're married and don't need to wait 1 year. Just make sure you have enough proofs to show the relationship and marriage is a genuine one.

On the other hand, IF SHE GETS DENIED for a TRV here in canada, can i advice my partner to try get a visa in the USA particularly in new york so i can marry her there? once we got married and has papers am i eligible to do spousal? would that be a good option?

Sure you could do this, as long as marriage is legal in NY. You could then submit an outland app for her after the marriage. Or if visa to USA is rejected, that's just 1 extra piece of evidence you would include in your conjugal app.

And if visa to USA is approved, you may find it's then easier to get a Canada TRV when they see some travel history to USA and that she complied with that visa.

 

[canadalover4987]

Sure you could do this, as long as marriage is legal in NY. You could then submit an outland app for her after the marriage. Or if visa to USA is rejected, that's just 1 extra piece of evidence you would include in your conjugal app.

And if visa to USA is approved, you may find it's then easier to get a Canada TRV when they see some travel history to USA and that she complied with that visa.

Rob_TO - Thank you so much for the precise answer, At least i have an idea now on how i can do it:

First, it all boils down to apply FOR A TRV in Canada. if get denied i can go to the next step.

-She can try to apply tourist visa in the USA if still denied then
-I will travel to Philippines at least 2-3 times before considering PR conjugal application (while doing this i can probably try to apply for another TRV application in Canada.

Or i will apply for 1 year visa in the Philippines, if get denied then we can also include that in our application to make it stronger right?

For some instances, Philippines can possibly deny a tourist visa for 1 whole year depending on the reasons. I can only enter in the Philippines for maximum of 59 days, now if i want to extend my stay, its up to the Philippine immigration to deny or approved it.


Or while outland PR application is on process, we can apply for a trv- this is enough prove that my partner will not over stay and proof that she will need to be back home for her PR application.

 

[scylla]

Or while outland PR application is on process, we can apply for a trv- this is enough prove that my partner will not over stay and proof that she will need to be back home for her PR application.

Once the PR application is submitted it will most likely be even more difficult to get a TRV since CIC knows she has plans to remain in Canada long term.

 

[canadalover4987]

Once the PR application is submitted it will most likely be even more difficult to get a TRV since CIC knows she has plans to remain in Canada long term.

Thanks for the reply. can you read jerryca case? they applied for trv 4 times and was denied for 4 times too. they file outland pr application and while on process they applied trv and get approved the 5th time. So is this not an option for me?

 

[canadalover4987]

While browsing cic website i found:

A22(2) states “An intention by a foreign national to become a permanent resident does not preclude them from becoming a temporary resident if the officer is satisfied that they will leave Canada by the end of the period authorized for their stay.” Dual intent is present when a foreign national who has applied for permanent residence in Canada also applies to enter Canada for a temporary period as a visitor, worker or student. Dual intent on the part of the applicant is therefore not prima facie grounds for refusal of temporary resident status.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/tools/temp/visa/dual.asp

canadalover4987, I am in a similar situation to yours. We met first online in 2011 and in person in 2013 when i traveled to Philippines as part of an Asia vacation. We applied and were refused TRVs 4 times in 2014 and I traveled to the Philippines twice more during that time frame. For each of the 4 TRV trys there was some change in the circumstance or something more to help our case, but no luck. After the first two refusals, we started preparing for a conjugal PR filing. We could not file the PR until after July 2014 because I was still married in Canada and had to be separated for a year in order to qualify as a sponsor.

Against the advice of many on this board, we filed our conjugal PR application in August 2014. By then I had visited three times and we had spent about six weeks together in person. We also started building a house together in the Philippines so we would have a safe place when we are there together. Despite all of this, I know that receiving approval is still a long shot. It has been 6 months since the PR file was transferred to Manila.

I took my 4th trip to the Philippines in a year in October 2014 and while there my partner received confirmation that her file was at Manila VO. As soon as I returned to Canada, we applied for a TRV again (5th try) and finally this time we were approved. My partner has been in Canada for 5 months now. If we applied for an extension for her stay here, we might very well be able to become common law partners before she has to leave the country. Nevertheless, we are going to the Philippines in April - my partner, her return ticket and me for a two week vacation. As soon as we arrive and her passport is stamped, we will apply for another TRV and are hopeful that she will get another TRV to return to Canada with me.

Your best option to be with your partner is to apply for a TRV. It is a relatively simple and cheap process and can be done 100% on-line. Make sure she includes proof of her assets including cash in the bank. You will also have to show proof that you can support her while she is in Canada (i.e copies of bank statements). At this point I might suggest you not make a big deal about your conjugal relationship - don't use that word until you have applied for the PR. You will have a better chance than we did because my partner did not have a good job or any assets when we first applied (she lost both in the Tacloban typhoon).

If you are lucky and get a TRV, you should try to become common law partners (or get married) before making the application.

In our case, the PR is not as important as us being together. Yes it is more costly. Your partner can't work; you have to buy your own health insurance; you may have expensive travel that you would not otherwise choose to take.

Good luck! I will update the board regarding our upcoming TRV application. In the meantime, I am not expecting any progress on our conjugal PR application for several more months. If my partner gets another TRV I don't mind if we hear nothing on the PR for another 6 months.

So just like in jerryca case, they applied for trv and was denied 4 times. Then they decided to apply outland pr application and while pr is on process, they applied for trv the 5th time and was approved. So i guess theres always some light in the end of the tunnel.

 

[canadalover4987]

any more compelling stories out there? you can share here.

 

[scylla]

Use the search forum search function and search under the word "conjugal". You'll find lots of historical threads.

 

[canadalover4987]

Use the search forum search function and search under the word "conjugal". You'll find lots of historical threads.

Thank you so much you for a job well done! You demonstrated all your efforts to help those people like me on this forum. Id still say that you can do this for a living, you can possibly earn a fortune, ;D its nice to know that you are doing this together with those people of your kind out of your generosity. So thanks.

I will definitely apply for a TRV first, and i will ask my partner to exude all her efforts to show to CIC her ties to her home country. and i guess i can take it from there.

I will try my best to live in the Philippines for 1 whole year (no income for me just pension) if they give me visa for whole year then that's nice if not then its another proof for a strong conjugal app

AND / OR

I will also ask my partner to try get a visitors visa in the US- get married in NEW YORK.

But clearly i agree that i need to come in the Philippines and travel with my partner as often as possible as our application is on process and keep everything documented.

 

[canadalover4987]

I am currently working on my invitation letter for my partner and i need help.


I am aware that i need to disclose that she is a transgender and she is my girlfriend. do i need to tell how long we have been in a relationship? I am currently leaning not to disclose it since its a trv not pr. Am i correct?


I am currently renting and i live alone. I dont want to submit an overwhelming requirement to support my partners TRV. Heres what i prepare to submit:


• Invitation Letter plus Travel Itinerary for my partner
• T4 for past 1-2 years
• Photocopy of my Birth certificate, Drivers license and Canadian Passport
• bank statement for past 6 mos
• certificate of employment

Is that all i need? any thing i am missing?


Do i need to submit lease contract of my apartment or the affidavit from my landlord stating i am renting and i live alone? the problem is I dont have lease contract in my apartment because he is my long time friend for more than 40 years.

 

[jerryca]

jerryca- thank you so much for your reply on this thread. please do update me. I have few question for you. This is very important to me as we are in a same situation.


1. Are you still both together as of today arpril 2015? did you marry her during her stay in canada? Was she a biological female?

2. What are the things that you and your partner submitted in PR conjugal application?

3. What are the things you submitted in her trv other than invitation letter and your bank statement, did you submit letter of employment or did you submit your T4?

3. Was it a multiple or single entry trv? what are the requirements did she submitted in the 5th trv? (submitted to prove her ties in the Philippines)

4. How much money in the bank does your partner presented in her successful trv application?
the reason why i ask is because we already have joint acct in the Philippines which we will not submit in her trv application. My partner has her own 2 bank accounts named only to her.

5. Does your partner own a property on her own? does she works?

6. Is your partner younger than you? in my case, i am 67 and my partner is only 35.


i am hoping that you can answer all my question. once again thank you so much. cheers

sorry canadalover, been busy last few days.

1. we are together now and we do not have plans to marry yet. in fact, i just got my certificate of divorce two days ago so am only now legally entitled to re-marry. we are working on a legal cohabitation agreement which in Canada continues as a prenup if we do in fact decide to marry.
2. we submitted proof of our relationship including our several years of communication, our travel history together, our joint assets, a copy of my will naming her as beneficiary. i also submitted all my own financial docs required to get the sponsorship approval.
3-6. in the 5th TRV my partner was not working. she had been layed off and had been managing the construction of our house. we submitted architect plans, the trail of funds to build the house, photos, and my partner's bank account history for several months. since we had been building the house there may have been 10s of thousands of $ in and out of account and a balance of perhaps $3,000 when we did the 5th TRV. In the letter I acknowledged that my partner had no ties to the Philippines and that we made our intentions clear on that when we applied for the PR. We stated that we built the house for our own use on vacations and so that my partner would have a home while we waited for the PR. She is not transgender; I am 52 and she is 47; our TRV is single-entry.

By the way, I have considered Rob_TO and others' advice advice all along. We know the conjugal is a long shot and will take time before it's even considered. We only applied for the TRV 4x because we had no other options until I was legally able to sponsor her. The cost was low and we felt it only added to our support for the conjugal application. If she had gotten a TRV before we had the PR ready, we would not have filed and tried to become common law. Now I hope we can become common-law before they even consider our conjugal PR. However, to do so we will be applying for a new TRV