Need help with my common law options! Help!

[Gary_87]

Thanks guys!

I'm applying for my uk and aussie police certs today and I'm going to try and print off the checklists and all the forms if possible and start compiling all the evidence.

do I complete the forms on a computer or in pen?

 

[Gary_87]

Also, can anyone help me with the lingo here. what's aor? what's ppr?

also how long is london taking at the moment and what are the chances of being called for an interview? I have no criminal history nor does my partner and I've been here legally the entire time..just wondering why they call for interviews? going outland is a risk for me because I wouldnt be able to afford a flight for the interview!

sorry for all the questions!

 

[Sweden]

Thanks guys!

I'm applying for my uk and aussie police certs today and I'm going to try and print off the checklists and all the forms if possible and start compiling all the evidence.

do I complete the forms on a computer or in pen?

on a computer, much easier to read, and some of the forms have a "barcode" system in them - so you need to fill them out on the computer, then validate them - it produces a barcode that you include in your application. but some forms won't save when you fill them out, so it's frustrating to do it over and over... might be a good idea to print them out, fill them out to see if you have all the information - when you do, type everything on the form in one go, and print it, sign it and put it in the "completed forms" folder - it's also a way to ensure that you have filled out everything.

Also, can anyone help me with the lingo here. what's aor? what's ppr?

also how long is london taking at the moment and what are the chances of being called for an interview? I have no criminal history nor does my partner and I've been here legally the entire time..just wondering why they call for interviews? going outland is a risk for me because I wouldnt be able to afford a flight for the interview!

sorry for all the questions!

AOR: acknowledgement of receipt : that when you send your application for stage 1 in Mississauga, sometimes they will send you an email that they have received it. Then they send the approval email/or letter by post. But not everybody gets an AOR.
London rarely sends one.
PPR: passport request, but you won't have that, as you come from a visa-exempt country, you will not be requested to send in your passport to the embassy. Instead, they will issue a COPR ( confirmation of PR), and send it to you directly by post to your address.
London for now seems to be working on applications that they have received around end august - beginning of September, so roughly 4 months after receiving the files. you can see the recent approved applicants in the spreadsheet in my signature.
Interviews are quite rare for visa-exempt applicants, I haven't really seen one in the last 8 months.... the main reason is if they suspect that you are not in a real relationship: so if you prepare well your application and include all proofs, there are very few risks that you will be called for an interview.
GOod luck,
Sweden

 

[Gary_87]

So it looks as though things are moving through london pretty quickly at the moment!

I have one more question. We have our lease for our current address signed for the 1st November. We have been living together since January but at our previous address we didn't sign a lease. Instead, we have a piece of paper, signed by our previous landlord saying that we lived there together. Will this suffice? We can also get sworn declarations off previous housemates that we lived together and also mail that has the same address but not that much because my fiance hardly received mail there..

just wondering if this will be enough evidence for the visa folks!

 

[Sweden]

So it looks as though things are moving through london pretty quickly at the moment!

I have one more question. We have our lease for our current address signed for the 1st November. We have been living together since January but at our previous address we didn't sign a lease. Instead, we have a piece of paper, signed by our previous landlord saying that we lived there together. Will this suffice? We can also get sworn declarations off previous housemates that we lived together and also mail that has the same address but not that much because my fiance hardly received mail there..

just wondering if this will be enough evidence for the visa folks!

get as much as you can. Piece of paper from the previous landlord is good - can you can get it legalised/notarised in some way ? it would mean getting the person in front of a notary (or wherever that is done in Canada) but would bear more wait than a simple declaration signed by him.
Get sworn translations from previous housemates ( but make sure that it's clear that you lived together as a couple, not just as housemates), and get all mails that you can get. It's always difficult to know what will suffice, but some people have been approved when they have been able to show that they had lived together for 12 months in lots of different places because they were traveling for one year together, or something like this, so as long as you have proofs of everything, it should be good!

Sweden

 

[Rob_TO]

I have one more question. We have our lease for our current address signed for the 1st November. We have been living together since January but at our previous address we didn't sign a lease. Instead, we have a piece of paper, signed by our previous landlord saying that we lived there together. Will this suffice? We can also get sworn declarations off previous housemates that we lived together and also mail that has the same address but not that much because my fiance hardly received mail there..

just wondering if this will be enough evidence for the visa folks!

There is really no definition for the word "enough". Looking back at our case, we had an absurdly small amount of actual proof that showed we were living together. Since i already had a mortgage in my name, it was impossible to add my fiancee onto it since we have to wait until the renewal date. So the only "proof" we had here of cohabitation, was a couple letters addressed to her (1 from CRA and another from cell phone company) that showed she lived here. However there was nothing pinpointing the actual date she moved in, so the VO in our case i guess just took our word for it! I also changed her address to my place for my work benefits and on the CRA website, but this is not really proof in itself.

However i would not recommend showing this little proof to others. A testimony from previous landlord, friends or family that can state you indeed lived together as a couple would be great proofs. If you can get them notarized that's great, but if not then make sure to include their full names, address and phone number to show you have no problem if the CIC ever contacted them (even though they never will). Also try to show any shared bills for furniture, groceries etc that date back to the time you first started living together.

 

[Gary_87]

Thanks guys!

I was also wondering, do we have to get the form "statutory declaration of common-law union" filled out anywhere or is it just the 2 of us? do we have to take it to someone first? Does it matter that we dont have life insurance together, dont own property and havent declared ourselves under the tax act? This form seems to be the only one that we need to complete with someone else...

I cant get the landlords letter motorized as we aren't in touch with him anymore. But we have his full name and number and email address.

I believe I have a lot of mail tot he address we first lived at but not many from my partner. We lived in an upper sweet and there were people living below us who can swear we lived there and sign a document.

How do we get things notarized out of interest?

 

[Rob_TO]

I was also wondering, do we have to get the form "statutory declaration of common-law union" filled out anywhere or is it just the 2 of us? do we have to take it to someone first? Does it matter that we dont have life insurance together, dont own property and havent declared ourselves under the tax act? This form seems to be the only one that we need to complete with someone else...

How do we get things notarized out of interest?

The Stat Declaration of Common-Law is not actually a required document. According to the CIC site its only required if there is a co-sponsor, and need to prove relationship between sponsor and co-sponsor (i.e. if common-law couple are sponsoring parents or something like that). We didn't include this document at all.

HOWEVER i have heard of some cases where the visa office has asked for this document later on (can't remember what visa office it was for). But technically you do not need it.

If you decide to include it, you need to get it notarized. You just have to do a search for "notary" in your area... get a few quotes... and go with the cheapest option. Basically they confirm your identities, and bear witness to you signing the document to prove it is really you.

Also, you should get life insurance. A cheap spousal term insurance policy with each of you listed as sole beneficiary, will cost you $10-$15 per month and you can cancel it right after the processing is done if you want.

Oh and also your fiancee needs to declare as common-law with the CRA. This can be done instantly using CRA online "my account" from their website (and also adds to proof of being common-law if you include a print out of the page).

 

[Sweden]

I think there is a bit of a confusion and there are 2 forms here...

the IMM5409 is not applicable to you as you are not sponsoring parents etc together with your spouse. Your spouse is not a co-signer on this application, she is the sponsor, so no need for that form. Just write "non-applicable" in the checklist.

BUT - as Rob_TO explained, you can get a "declaration of common-law" in Canada. You don't use the form on the website (IMM5409), but you can use another form - google it and you find plenty. Basically you can print that form, take it to a notary, and with your spouse, both of you sign it in front of the notary, and you can add it to your application - that serves as another proof. I didn't include it, but I had proofs of living together for 2.5 years when applying, so I didn't think I needed it. If you feel that your proofs are not enough, because of the change of apartment etc, then you can get this one as well, and include it. Plus the CRA thing that Rob_TO mentioned, and all the other excellent suggestions!
Sweden

 

[Gary_87]

so I don't do 5409 but I get another form and put that in instead?

also rob I'm the one who needs to be sponsored haha.

 

[Sweden]

so I don't do 5409 but I get another form and put that in instead?

also rob I'm the one who needs to be sponsored haha.

indeed- no 5409, but if you want (nothing compulsory) you can add a declaration of common law, if you go get a notarized one, it will have more weight.
The CRA is also a very good recommendation.
For the life insurance - you can have one with your spouse as a sole beneficiary, and she can do the same - it's not only the sponsor that needs to do it! I'm the sponsored person and I had a life insurance policy (through work) where my partner was listed.
The sponsor is legally responsible for all expenses for 3 years in Canada, but the sponsored and the sponsor can have life insurance on each other, it's not a one way thing...
Sweden

 

[Rob_TO]

also rob I'm the one who needs to be sponsored haha.

Yes, but your fiancee is the Canadian one that would need to change status with CRA for tax purposes. You can't do this, since you are not Canadian (yet)!

indeed- no 5409, but if you want (nothing compulsory) you can add a declaration of common law, if you go get a notarized one, it will have more weight.

As far as i know, all Stat Declaration of Common-Law forms are pretty much the same. So if someone wanted to include this in their application to add more proof, you might as well use the IMM5409 form, no?

For the life insurance - you can have one with your spouse as a sole beneficiary, and she can do the same - it's not only the sponsor that needs to do it! I'm the sponsored person and I had a life insurance policy (through work) where my partner was listed.
The sponsor is legally responsible for all expenses for 3 years in Canada, but the sponsored and the sponsor can have life insurance on each other, it's not a one way thing...

You can actually get a single life insurance policy that insures both people. Basically if spouse #1 kicks the bucket first then spouse #2 get the payout... and vice versa. Its called a joint, spousal or first-to-die policy.

 

[Gary_87]

I think we won't go as far as the life insurance thong yet. there are enough expenses as there is!

but as for the commonlaw we just have to fill out a cra form and include it? does my partner do this at the same time as declaring commonlaw or is it the same thing...

 

[Gary_87]

I cant seem to find a statutory declaration of commonlaw form that isn't about retirement or something... not really applicable.

also do we have to change our taxes to do it together? we both have taxes to file but wed have to do them at different times cos I won't get mine for another month at least.

I'm a little confused by this.

is this stuff we definately need to do? I think its wise to get a declaration of commonlaw but do we have to do the pife insurance and cra stuff? will it weaken the case I've already outlined?

 

[parker24]

I cant seem to find a statutory declaration of commonlaw form that isn't about retirement or something... not really applicable.

also do we have to change our taxes to do it together? we both have taxes to file but wed have to do them at different times cos I won't get mine for another month at least.

I'm a little confused by this.

is this stuff we definately need to do? I think its wise to get a declaration of commonlaw but do we have to do the pife insurance and cra stuff? will it weaken the case I've already outlined?

The CRA thing has NOTHING to do with CIC more to do with being legal with Canada. You need to tell CRA you are Common-Law YES. Without a doubt. But like I said, it has nothing to do with CIC.