If you were a Canadian sponsor living abroad, what would you do in this case?

[fandv]

Hi everyone...

Brief info: I'm a Canadian citizen who recently got married to an Indonesian woman. I've been in Indonesia since last week of September 2012, and if everything goes as planned, we plan to send the sponsorship application (from Indonesia to Canada) to CPC-M sometime in mid-December 2012, and then I'm scheduled to return to Canada at the end of January 2013.

Given the above info, my questions are:

1. As you guys know, Canadian citizens are allowed to live abroad as the sponsorship application is being processed, as long as they can demonstrate that they will live in Canada when the sponsored person becomes a permanent resident. In my case since I'm scheduled to return to Canada approximately 1 month after we sent the sponsorship application, do I really need to show that I will live in Canada then?? Seems an overkill no...?


2. In the Sponsor Questionnaire form (IMM 5540):

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/forms/IMM5540E.PDF

question 11 asks: "Are you currently living in Canada?"

Under my circusmtances as described above, would it be acceptable to pick "Yes" (even though I am still in Indonesia till end of January 2013)?


3. In the Sponsored Spouse/Partner Questionnaire form (IMM 5490):

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/forms/IMM5490E.PDF

Question 28 asks: "Are you currently living with your sponsor?"

I'm really confused on how to answer this. As you can see, if my wife picks "No", the form then asks "When DID your sponsor return to Canada?", which is a past tense question.....and therefore, if I submit the application to CPC-M on 15 Dec 2012, but will only return to Canada on, say, 25 January 2013, wouldn't it be awkard to provide a future date for a past tense question? (I'm probably overanalysing, I know...! But hey, this is the CIC we're dealing with...I'm just trying to be careful ;D )

And do you think they (the CIC) would expect me to submit my return ticket to Canada then?!

 

[chipits]

When you fill out the form, you're not living in Canada, so you have to fill it out honestly. You're living outside of Canada, but you're moving back. Include your plane ticket and any other proof that shows you're heading back to Canada in January 2013.

The last thing you want to do is lie about where you're living, which is what you would be doing by answering those questions falsely.

 

[fandv]

When you fill out the form, you're not living in Canada, so you have to fill it out honestly. You're living outside of Canada, but you're moving back. Include your plane ticket and any other proof that shows you're heading back to Canada in January 2013.

The last thing you want to do is lie about where you're living, which is what you would be doing by answering those questions falsely.

Yup, I totally agree.....the last thing I want is inadvertently providing incorrect information, which is why I started the thread in the first place....

As I mentioned, I came here at the end of September 2012, and am scheduled to return to Canada at the end of Jan 2013, so I will have been here for only roughly 4 months. I am here in Indonesia on a tourist visa.....so, not sure if it's considered as "living" here as I'm only visiting? Where do we draw the line between "living" and "visiting"...?! That's where I get confused...

I came here (to Indonesia) mainly for 3 main things: to get married, to have our honeymoon, and to complete the sponsorship application together with my wife (and then actually send it to CPC-M)

* So should I answer "No" for the question "Are you currently living in Canada?" then?

* And is it acceptable to provide a future (return) date for the past tense question: "When did your sponsor return to Canada?"

 

[Sweden]

What I would do in your case: answer as it is - yes you are outside of Canada etc.
Then add a separate paper explaining exactly what you did: 4 months, to get married, have a honeymoon, and complete the application. That you are heading back to Canada on that date (and include the plan ticket).
It supports your application to show that you spend time together with the person you are sponsoring, and it serves the first part (sponsorship approval) to show that you are moving back to Canada, that you have a plane ticket, a date, probably a place to stay and a job. Include all of that, and you will have an 'easier" case - the easier it is for CIC to understand where you are, the better it is...

Good luck on your application,
Sweden

 

[computergeek]

I agree with Sweden - explain the circumstances. But I don't think you are living Outside Canada - you're just taking an extended vacation. Either way you do it, by including a statement with your application you're covering your butt - after all, you want to avoid a claim of misrepresentation. Regardless of the answer, you should be approved as a sponsor.

 

[Rob_TO]

I agree with Sweden - explain the circumstances. But I don't think you are living Outside Canada - you're just taking an extended vacation. Either way you do it, by including a statement with your application you're covering your butt - after all, you want to avoid a claim of misrepresentation. Regardless of the answer, you should be approved as a sponsor.

+1. It sounds to me like you are on a vacation. I assume you have a permanent residence address in Canada? In this case I would still suggest you are "living" in Canada at your permanent address but currently on vacation visiting your spouse while filling out the application.

Of course as others mentioned, a simple note explaining your circumstances is a good idea.

 

[canadianwoman]

Agree with Sweden. Saying either yes you are living in Canada and visiting Indonesia would be fine. Saying you are out of Canada, living in Indonesia would be fine. Attach a letter explaining in either case.
If you say you are living outside Canada, you are expected to attach proof you will return: but in your case this will be easy. Send in proof of your airline ticket. Once you are back in Canada with a job and a place to stay, send in proof of this to the visa office handling the file. You won't need the huge amount of proof they ask of someone who has been and still is out of Canada for the length of processing.
Definitely say you are living with your wife.

 

[mameelynn]

I would say I also agree on the fact that you are visiting. Unless you changed all of your mail and address with like your bank and whatnot to Indonesia then you are just visiting. With the question of if you are living with your sponsor for your wife unless you are on the lease for her home it would still say to me that you are on a long vacation. But I would include in a letter that you have been visiting for the past few months and what not and show when your trip will be over.

 

[canadianwoman]

For the question "Are you currently living with your sponsor?" I would definitely put 'yes'. Even if you are just visiting, I would put yes. In any case, you are on a long visit. The question really is trying to get at if you are with your wife; technical questions such as well, I'm on a visiting visa, so I'm not really living here, are not relevant for this. Make sure it is clear that you two are living (or staying) together; this is very good proof of the genuineness of the relationship, so you do not want the visa officer to miss it.
Attaching a separate sheet of paper where you explain any answer more fully is a good idea whenever the question's yes/no replies don't quite fit your situation.

 

[cempjwi]

If you are planing to return to Canada in 2 months you are not technically living in Indonesia unless you have taken steps to make it seem your intentions are to stay there, i.e., have taken a job in Indonesia, etc. So I would answer 'Yes' to the question about living in Canada. To the question about living with your spouse, I would say 'no'. This is because you cannot live in two places at the same time and the fact is that you are under an extended vacation in Indonesia - you are just visiting your spouse.

I do not think that you can enter future dates on certain fillable forms and the form may not validate if you don't enter a date or may only validate if you enter that you are living with your spouse (in Indonesia) which will negate the statement you are making by checking that you currently live in Canada. So, you may have to wait to send the application in once you are back in Canada. It is a catch-22 situation but it has its reasons. Once back in Canada you will still need to prove you live in Canada (job letter, auto registration, banking statements, etc.) Also, you need to clearly disclose that you just spent 4 months in Indonesia visting your spouse. That will actually look good in your application. Not having a job (thus not having income in Canada while living in Canada) will however, not look good.

Just as a side note, the office that processes Applications for Permanent Residency for the sponsored person will be the one that corresponds to the place where the sponsored person lives, not where the Canadian sponsor lives.

 

[matthew_fitzy]

I was in the same boat as you, my Canadian wife is currently living with me here in Australia and has been for 7 years.

To help with this question, I wrote a one page letter explaining our intentions. Most of this detail included future work plans and why we wanted to move and stay in Canada. In addition to this, over several months I had been emailing many different employers and receiving quotes from international shipping companies as well as pet transport. I kept all of this correspondence and printed them all out and included it with my application.

It is a difficult question to answer, and I was worried it would not be enough. As others have said, the plane ticket is great evidence, but I still have not bought mine so I had to seek other avenues.

 

[fandv]

Hi everyone,

Thanks a lot for the thoughts, tips, and insights! Very useful indeed...

Just to clarify: I still hold my Canadian job...prior to leaving to Canada in September, I actually asked my employer if I could work from Indonesia during my 4 month stay in Indonesia, and they had no problem with that, based on my track record. And also, this was made possible due to the nature of my job (Search Engine Marketing/Optimisation Specialist), which allows me to work from anywhere in the world provided I have a laptop and a (good) internet connection...

Additionally, I already have an employment letter as well from my employer, which I hope will help greatly...

Good idea about submitting the banking statements...I will certainly keep that in mind...

If I end up submitting the application before returning to Canada, I keep wondering if the Singapore visa office (or CPC-M?) will eventually (i.e.: after my return date to Canada) ask to see my boarding passes for the departure to Canada...! Do you guys think that's possible?!

@matthew_fitzy: (g'day mate!) you said that you wrote a one page letter explaining why you and your wife wanted to move and stay in Canada. What reasons did you give...?

 

[canadianwoman]

If I end up submitting the application before returning to Canada, I keep wondering if the Singapore visa office (or CPC-M?) will eventually (i.e.: after my return date to Canada) ask to see my boarding passes for the departure to Canada...! Do you guys think that's possible?!

It is possible. You will have plenty of other evidence you are back in Canada, though. I would still keep them.