Aquakitty said:
Regarding the utilities, we provided nothing of the sort, just joint bank account info. Who has accounts in joint names anyways (aside from bank accounts). All our utilities were always in one name or the other. And did they even think of the fact that one partner might have bad credit?
I don't know enough about renting to know if it's required that both parties be on the lease or rental agreement. If 2 people move in together, is it normal for both names to HAVE to be on the lease/rental agreement?
The title thing makes a little more sense, I mean that's a lot more common to be in both people's names I suppose, if you're married at least. But for common-law, that seems a little more risky.
It depends on the policies of the place you rent or lease from. In the case of the apartment I live in, if my husband wanted to live here, I'd have to add him to the lease. But my apartment complex is managed by a corporation. Someone who does smaller scale rentals may not be as picky about having both people on the lease.
In the case of the house, I know people who have left it only in one name.
What confused me a bit, after looking through the package, was the proof of relationship requirements for married people. My husband and I got married in July, and we've never lived together because it would not be feasible for either of us to just go and live with the other. He has his own business in Canada, and I have a child in school here so it's not like I can just put all my stuff in storage and go for a long "visit" to Canada. But in section 7 on the checklist, we have to check no to three of the four initial questions they ask (it's a first marriage for both of us, but we do not live together, do not have a child together, and have not been married for more than two years).
Yet when you go down to the further proof section, they want this:
One (1) document from three (3) of the following sets of options:
-Joint ownership of property or rental agreement (minimum 1 document)
-Joint utility accounts (minimum 1 document).
-Important documents showing the same address
-Important documents showing you're recognized as each other's spouse (such as employment or insurance benefits).
-Documentary evidence of financial support between your sponsor and yourself
-Other proof that your relationship is recognized by your friends and/or family
The last two would not be a problem for us at all. But not being able to live together, we have no common address, and as such, no common property, lease agreements, utilities, etc. I'm self-employed, and my husband has his own business and neither of us would have any formal documents or benefits that you'd add a spouse to. He does have a life insurance policy which he plans on changing. But it feels like a lot of this is really geared toward people who are already cohabitating or have been for a while, and doesn't seem to leave much room for people who have not been able to do that. We're going through the immigration process so that my daughter and I can move up there and so that we can begin to build a life together. If we had the ability to have joint leases and utilities already, that wouldn't be as important. They do not have any wording in there that implies those don't apply to you if you don't live together, they just have another section that says you must also provide other things if *not* living together. But it doesn't imply that is in lieu of that other section.
It could be a lot of this is poor wording on CIC's part? The guide didn't seem to provide much clarification when I skimmed through it earlier.
Edit: I did notice that the complete guide, Guide 5289, still mentions Condition 51.
