LGBT relationships & friendships - issues in sponsorship?

[rhysalden]

Hi!

I have a question regarding the common overlap between friends and exes in queer relationships, and whether this acts as a flag for immigration. The pool of people within the LGBT community is small in Canada (I'm from the UK so its bigger but even then this often happens) so I feel it is bound to happen and is way more common than in hetero marriages. Heads up - this is going to include gender neutral pronouns for both me and my partner (they/them).

I'm wondering if this will cause issues when filling out IM5532e. My sponsoring spouse (Alex) has lived with both our friend (Eva) when they were dating and now lives with me in Montreal. I started a long distance relationship with Alex in 2015 (they were in St Johns, I was in Halifax NS). We dated for a year and then remained close friends; after me they started a relationship with Eva and they lived together in St Johns, and I would visit Alex at the place they had together. They moved to Montreal in 2018 and broke up shortly afterwards. They hadn't been intimate for a year before that and were basically living in a common-law type situation but as friends. Alex and I still had feelings for each other and rekindled things when I visited Montreal in early 2019; we were married in September 2019. Eva, Alex and I hang out together, I have become friends with Eva and hung out independently with her since moving to Montreal, there are no hard feelings between us - Eva offered to write a letter of support and there are pictures of all of us together that we are planning to submit.

After seeing the part in IM5532e that asks whether the sponsor and applicant have previously lived in "marriage-like" relationship with others, I became concerned. I really don't know how aware immigration are of the cultural differences between straight and LGBT relationships, and how exes are often part of the same friendship group. Can anyone shed light on this?

Thanks so much in advance!

 

[scylla]

Hi!

I have a question regarding the common overlap between friends and exes in queer relationships, and whether this acts as a flag for immigration. The pool of people within the LGBT community is small in Canada (I'm from the UK so its bigger but even then this often happens) so I feel it is bound to happen and is way more common than in hetero marriages. Heads up - this is going to include gender neutral pronouns for both me and my partner (they/them).

I'm wondering if this will cause issues when filling out IM5532e. My sponsoring spouse (Alex) has lived with both our friend (Eva) when they were dating and now lives with me in Montreal. I started a long distance relationship with Alex in 2015 (they were in St Johns, I was in Halifax NS). We dated for a year and then remained close friends; after me they started a relationship with Eva and they lived together in St Johns, and I would visit Alex at the place they had together. They moved to Montreal in 2018 and broke up shortly afterwards. They hadn't been intimate for a year before that and were basically living in a common-law type situation but as friends. Alex and I still had feelings for each other and rekindled things when I visited Montreal in early 2019; we were married in September 2019. Eva, Alex and I hang out together, I have become friends with Eva and hung out independently with her since moving to Montreal, there are no hard feelings between us - Eva offered to write a letter of support and there are pictures of all of us together that we are planning to submit.

After seeing the part in IM5532e that asks whether the sponsor and applicant have previously lived in "marriage-like" relationship with others, I became concerned. I really don't know how aware immigration are of the cultural differences between straight and LGBT relationships, and how exes are often part of the same friendship group. Can anyone shed light on this?

Thanks so much in advance!

You guys are married - right? If so, I don't see the need for Eva's letter. Letters supporting relationships are only required for common law applications.

Living together without being in a relationship is not common law - it's just being roommates. Lots of people have roommates.

I think you're over-thinking this and adding complexity where there is none.

 

[rhysalden]

O

You guys are married - right? If so, I don't see the need for Eva's letter. Letters supporting relationships are only required for common law applications.

OK! That's odd because someone who has just qualified as an immigration lawyer told us that married people need 4 letters of support.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

O


OK! That's odd because someone who has just qualified as an immigration lawyer told us that married people need 4 letters of support.

Agree with scylla. You are WAY overthinking this. Straight exes often remain friends as well, so that really isn't a concern. Alex does need to list Eva on that form if they were common-law, i.e. living together in a conjugal relationship for at least on continuous year, but that isn't an issue.

Letters are simply one relationship proof that could be submitted; they are not required and certainly not 4 of them. Avoid that lawyer and follow the checklist for what is required.

 

[armoured]

I got lost in the description of who lived with who but agree, don't overthink it. If two people who used to date live together, that's just sharing an apartment, and not unusual. "Marriage-like" is indeed a broad and somewhat undefined term but if you can honestly state they weren't in a marriage-like relationship, that can pretty much be the end of the discussion, especially since you and your spouse are married.

 

[rhysalden]

Agree with scylla. You are WAY overthinking this. Straight exes often remain friends as well, so that really isn't a concern. Alex does need to list Eva on that form if they were common-law, i.e. living together in a conjugal relationship for at least on continuous year, but that isn't an issue.

Letters are simply one relationship proof that could be submitted; they are not required and certainly not 4 of them. Avoid that lawyer and follow the checklist for what is required.

Hi! I double checked IMM5533e - it states that if we haven't been married for a minimum of two years prior to the date of application, then we must choose 2 of at least 4 options for proof of our relationship - one of which is letters of support from friends and family. We were only married in September 2019. So it seems that the lawyer is correct?

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Hi! I double checked IMM5533e - it states that if we haven't been married for a minimum of two years prior to the date of application, then we must choose 2 of at least 4 options for proof of our relationship - one of which is letters of support from friends and family. We were only married in September 2019. So it seems that the lawyer is correct?

No. They are one option that can be submitted, which is not the same as being required. You can choose other proofs.

 

[rhysalden]

Lol so this where the confusion comes in - I was responding to the one person in this thread who said that only common law couples need to supply letters.

I didn’t say that the lawyer told me that letters are required in any case - but they are potentially one of the 2 required forms of additional evidence, from a list of 4 options, if you haven’t been married for a minimum of 2 years. Going on what we have available, I will supply letters cheers!