"Outings or trips"

[automaton82]

There's a question in the application to depict any outings or trips me and my spouse took. I presume this is to help prove the relationship is genuine. Do they want pictures? And, what exactly counts as an outing? Going to family events? The grocery store?

I'm kind of confused between this question and "additional information to prove the relationship is genuine", because I assume it's mostly down to pictures, and unless we go out, we don't really take pictures..

 

[Heppster]

There's a question in the application to depict any outings or trips me and my spouse took. I presume this is to help prove the relationship is genuine. Do they want pictures? And, what exactly counts as an outing? Going to family events? The grocery store?

I'm kind of confused between this question and "additional information to prove the relationship is genuine", because I assume it's mostly down to pictures, and unless we go out, we don't really take pictures..

What form and what question are you referring to?

I would say that Outtings refers to dates, trips, etc. Things like errands aren't really considered outtings, but if you have proof of any errands, then that can help too. I sent some text messages where I asked my spouse what was needed at the store while i was there.

ANYTHING that you can submit to show a relationship with your spouse is what they want. They want pictures, especially with other people if you have, outing tickets such as cinema, theater, sports events, phone bills with each others numbers, lease agreement, joint accounts, Anything really that has both your names on it. Emails, or letters to each other, text messages, Gifts receipt's to one another, Engagement ring receipt's. If you have flight itineraries, or boarding passes when you visited your spouse, or flight itineraries or boarding passes when you traveled with your spouse.

I submitted all the above plus anything that shows any kind of connection with my spouse.
Hope this helps

 

[automaton82]

What form and what question are you referring to?

I would say that Outtings refers to dates, trips, etc. Things like errands aren't really considered outtings, but if you have proof of any errands, then that can help too. I sent some text messages where I asked my spouse what was needed at the store while i was there.

ANYTHING that you can submit to show a relationship with your spouse is what they want. They want pictures, especially with other people if you have, outing tickets such as cinema, theater, sports events, phone bills with each others numbers, lease agreement, joint accounts, Anything really that has both your names on it. Emails, or letters to each other, text messages, Gifts receipt's to one another, Engagement ring receipt's. If you have flight itineraries, or boarding passes when you visited your spouse, or flight itineraries or boarding passes when you traveled with your spouse.

I submitted all the above plus anything that shows any kind of connection with my spouse.
Hope this helps

Thanks for your reply. It's question #2 on Spouse/common law questionnaire (IMM 5285) inland app (http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/forms/IMM5285E.pdf).

I honestly just plan to send some pictures (outings like you said), a few emails, and that's about it. I didn't enter into this relationship to "prove" it to the CIC (I never even thought about sponsoring my spouse until now, because we want to have kids, so we're getting married), and we just see each other all the time at home, so there aren't phone calls, lease agreements (I own my house), or joint accounts (I keep my banking separate in my relationships, always have). We don't really give big gifts, as neither of us are materialistic at all. If the CIC has a problem with that, they can certainly interview us.

She's from Korea, so we could also just live there if Canada decides she's marrying just to "stay in Canada", which would be pretty dumb.

But I just didn't understand how I would have further proof other than outings, but I think you summed it up with all your examples! Thanks!

 

[screech339]

There's a question in the application to depict any outings or trips me and my spouse took. I presume this is to help prove the relationship is genuine. Do they want pictures? And, what exactly counts as an outing? Going to family events? The grocery store?

I'm kind of confused between this question and "additional information to prove the relationship is genuine", because I assume it's mostly down to pictures, and unless we go out, we don't really take pictures..

I think when they say outings, I think they meant trips, camping, and the like. In my case, we showed pictures of our oversea trips together and pictures of us with each other's family to show that each other's family are fully aware of our relationship/marriage.

If you don't have any trips together, show some pictures of you and your spouse together with family to show they are aware of your relationship, give it more genuine to your relationship. If you have done some camping trips together, gone to the amusement parks together, etc. Anything to give credential to your relationship.

screech339

 

[automaton82]

I think when they say outings, I think they meant trips, camping, and the like. In my case, we showed pictures of our oversea trips together and pictures of us with each other's family to show that each other's family are fully aware of our relationship/marriage.

If you don't have any trips together, show some pictures of you and your spouse together with family to show they are aware of your relationship, give it more genuine to your relationship. If you have done some camping trips together, gone to the amusement parks together, etc. Anything to give credential to your relationship.

screech339

Okay, I have many pictures of us together with my family for family events, and we also have an overseas trip that I can provide pictures of as well.

I just have a lot of more mundane photos, like going to a movie, or the zoo, or something, and I wasn't sure if that was supposed to be part of an "outing", or the additional proof question. Perhaps it doesn't really matter how it's categorized .

Thanks!

 

[QuebecOkie]

We didn't really send a lot of proof (married and visa-exempt, plus didn't know what the h*ll we were doing when we put our app together). One 4-page document that included 8 colour photos of us together. Each photo had a caption (Example: "This is a photo of us getting ready to go parasailing on our first vacation together. Cancun, Mexico, November 2012."). Only one photo showed us with others - we're not big picture takers - showing me with his mom, dad, and brother at a military ball we all attended together. We also attached 4 pages showing our travel itineraries for the two vacations we took together outside of the U.S. (where we were living then). We hadn't saved anything on purpose. Like you, we hadn't really thought about the future or immigration.

You may have more than you realize. A lot of chat logs and email accounts have pretty long-term storage. We hadn't saved our trip itineraries on purpose, but had old confirmation emails from expedia, where we'd booked the trips. We pulled all of our photos from facebook, haha.

I don't think couples with no red flags from visa-exempt countries need to go crazy and send 100 pages of documentation. Just some documentation that shows that your relationship has been going on for a while, and that you do the things normal couples do. That you have photos with family is great! We don't have many of those at all.

 

[automaton82]

We didn't really send a lot of proof (married and visa-exempt, plus didn't know what the h*ll we were doing when we put our app together). One 4-page document that included 8 colour photos of us together. Each photo had a caption (Example: "This is a photo of us getting ready to go parasailing on our first vacation together. Cancun, Mexico, November 2012."). Only one photo showed us with others - we're not big picture takers - showing me with his mom, dad, and brother at a military ball we all attended together. We also attached 4 pages showing our travel itineraries for the two vacations we took together outside of the U.S. (where we were living then). We hadn't saved anything on purpose. Like you, we hadn't really thought about the future or immigration.

You may have more than you realize. A lot of chat logs and email accounts have pretty long-term storage. We hadn't saved our trip itineraries on purpose, but had old confirmation emails from expedia, where we'd booked the trips. We pulled all of our photos from facebook, haha.

I don't think couples with no red flags from visa-exempt countries need to go crazy and send 100 pages of documentation. Just some documentation that shows that your relationship has been going on for a while, and that you do the things normal couples do. That you have photos with family is great! We don't have many of those at all.

Okay that makes me feel a lot better, thanks a lot for the input! You might be right about the e-mails, I'll be searching for some for sure. I probably have a little bit more than what you sent it in, but honestly not a lot. We'll have only taken 1 trip outside of Canada (I do have itinerary).

I'm not sure if there's red flags, she's here on a work permit (and has been in Canada for 3 years), and we will be married and apply for PR after a little over of 1 year of dating (in a few months). 1 year age difference (30/31). I'm a citizen by birth. Are there other things they look for?

 

[QuebecOkie]

I am certainly no expert, but you don't show any of the things I'd think of as "red flags" (dating online only, then marrying quickly upon meeting; coming from vastly different cultures; huge age difference; family and friends unaware of the relationship, etc.). How you met makes perfect sense, as she was living legally in Canada for years. (Same for us; my husband is Canadian military and was posted for four years in Oklahoma, U.S.A., where we met.) A year isn't a terribly short time to know someone before marrying. We met in September 2010 and were married in April 2012. It also seems CIC is less likely to scrutinize those from other affluent, visa-exempt countries.

A good selection of photos from different activities and different times in your relationship showing you with family and friends is a great start. It's more than we had! You've got the itinerary from the trip you took together, and if you can find a few emails from different points in your relationship (don't think it's important WHAT they're about - just show CIC you're a normal couple discussing dinner or weekend plans or how work went that day or whatever), you've painted a pretty good picture of a normal, genuine, and ongoing relationship.

It's easy to stress about the proof, especially after seeing how MUCH some have submitted. But your app seems pretty straightforward and simple. I stressed quite a bit or months over how little we sent in, but we've received DM with no interview, so it was enough.

 

[automaton82]

I am certainly no expert, but you don't show any of the things I'd think of as "red flags" (dating online only, then marrying quickly upon meeting; coming from vastly different cultures; huge age difference; family and friends unaware of the relationship, etc.). How you met makes perfect sense, as she was living legally in Canada for years. (Same for us; my husband is Canadian military and was posted for four years in Oklahoma, U.S.A., where we met.) A year isn't a terribly short time to know someone before marrying. We met in September 2010 and were married in April 2012. It also seems CIC is less likely to scrutinize those from other affluent, visa-exempt countries.

A good selection of photos from different activities and different times in your relationship showing you with family and friends is a great start. It's more than we had! You've got the itinerary from the trip you took together, and if you can find a few emails from different points in your relationship (don't think it's important WHAT they're about - just show CIC you're a normal couple discussing dinner or weekend plans or how work went that day or whatever), you've painted a pretty good picture of a normal, genuine, and ongoing relationship.

It's easy to stress about the proof, especially after seeing how MUCH some have submitted. But your app seems pretty straightforward and simple. I stressed quite a bit or months over how little we sent in, but we've received DM with no interview, so it was enough.

It is very easy to stress about the proof because only we can know what our relationship really is, and aside from the CIC coming to live with us, it's hard for me to demonstrate it. This is exacerbated by the fact that I, like you, never really thought about sponsorship or PR, and didn't cater to its requirements .

In any case, you have definitely made me feel a lot better, so that is good. Thanks for the input!

 

[screech339]

We didn't go overboard with the pictures either. Just 1 pic of us in Istanbul, a pic of us with my wife's family in Albania, 1 pic of us with my family. A couple of wedding pictures showing the ceremony being performed and pic of family group wedding and 1 recent photo showing our latest trip with huge family at my daughter's baptism. That was it. No emails correspondence, no skype record, no other record given.

We met online in 2004 and got married 4 years later. Mind you having 2 kids also give strength to our genuine relationship. So I was banking on the fact we have 2 kids together as proof of our relationship without going crazy over pics and records.

Screech339

 

[automaton82]

We didn't go overboard with the pictures either. Just 1 pic of us in Istanbul, a pic of us with my wife's family in Albania, 1 pic of us with my family. A couple of wedding pictures showing the ceremony being performed and pic of family group wedding and 1 recent photo showing our latest trip with huge family at my daughter's baptism. That was it. No emails correspondence, no skype record, no other record given.

We met online in 2004 and got married 4 years later. Mind you having 2 kids also give strength to our genuine relationship. So I was banking on the fact we have 2 kids together as proof of our relationship without going crazy over pics and records.

Screech339

Haha, yes I am sure that did help a lot . I'll have to pad a bit with some e-mails, and also the original communication logs from when we met (online).

I actually have 2 more questions that maybe you guys can assist me with?
1. On the form, it asks how long we've been living together, and has a "from" and a "to" date, but the "to" date is obviously ongoing.. so do I just put the date I send in the application? Ideally I'd like to write "present", but that's not possible.

2. When it asks when we started dating, is that the date we were "official", or the day when we started talking, or the day when we went on the first date?

Thanks!

 

[bethfaint]

Haha, yes I am sure that did help a lot . I'll have to pad a bit with some e-mails, and also the original communication logs from when we met (online).

I actually have 2 more questions that maybe you guys can assist me with?
1. On the form, it asks how long we've been living together, and has a "from" and a "to" date, but the "to" date is obviously ongoing.. so do I just put the date I send in the application? Ideally I'd like to write "present", but that's not possible.

2. When it asks when we started dating, is that the date we were "official", or the day when we started talking, or the day when we went on the first date?

Thanks!

1. Put the to date as the same date as you signed the form so that they know it is current. you date and signed and dated the form october 1st have that as the same as you are living together.

2.ask your girlfriend what date she considers you first dating! pick a date. I chose my (now husband) and I's first date.

 

[screech339]

Haha, yes I am sure that did help a lot . I'll have to pad a bit with some e-mails, and also the original communication logs from when we met (online).

I actually have 2 more questions that maybe you guys can assist me with?
1. On the form, it asks how long we've been living together, and has a "from" and a "to" date, but the "to" date is obviously ongoing.. so do I just put the date I send in the application? Ideally I'd like to write "present", but that's not possible.

2. When it asks when we started dating, is that the date we were "official", or the day when we started talking, or the day when we went on the first date?

Thanks!

For question1. We put in the date we signed the application as TO date.

For question 2. Where do you see that question about when you started dating? On spouse questionairre. 1. When was the first time you met your sponsor in person.

With this question, this was meant when you were physically together in person. Not seeing each other online. We wrote in application that we met online in 2004 but didn't see in person physically until 2005.

Hope this help your questions?

Screech339

 

[QuebecOkie]

Oh yeah! You'll still have the wedding to get some good pics, too!

I think we put the date of the expiration of my visitor visa for the "to" (showing that it was ongoing). We filed in October 2012, and I think we put Jan 19 (6 months after my passport was stamped) 2013 for the "to" date.

We put September 2010. That was when we met. But from the time we met, we never spent more than a few days apart, with the exception of his deployment and courses for the military. And we booked a vacation not quite two weeks later, haha, so yeah, I suppose we were "dating." (The hubby and I joke that "dating" is a nicer way of saying "spending the night together.") It's up to you, but I'd say dating starts with a first date. Some people date for months before they're "boyfriend/girlfriend."

 

[automaton82]

Great! Thanks everyone, this clears it up a lot .

Oh yeah! You'll still have the wedding to get some good pics, too!

I think we put the date of the expiration of my visitor visa for the "to" (showing that it was ongoing). We filed in October 2012, and I think we put Jan 19 (6 months after my passport was stamped) 2013 for the "to" date.

We put September 2010. That was when we met. But from the time we met, we never spent more than a few days apart, with the exception of his deployment and courses for the military. And we booked a vacation not quite two weeks later, haha, so yeah, I suppose we were "dating." (The hubby and I joke that "dating" is a nicer way of saying "spending the night together.") It's up to you, but I'd say dating starts with a first date. Some people date for months before they're "boyfriend/girlfriend."

Yes, that's a good point, we're going to do a simple wedding (we both prefer it), but there will be lots of pictures, and my family will be there.

Thanks again!