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Question about Sponsored Spouse Questionaire

mk3lai

Member
Dec 16, 2008
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Hi. I have a couple of questions about the Sponsored Spouse questionaire. In question 6, it asks for the circumstances of our first meeting. I am not sure how to answer this question.

You see, my wife and I met through an internet dating website. We chatted a few times through email and then we moved on to msn where we chatted on webcam. Then after a few months, I went to China to visit her.

So in this case, is our first meeting considered to be on msn or when we actually met in China?

Thanks.
 

RobsLuv

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We had a similar experience - we met online, on a divorce support discussion site, and talked on the phone and online for an entire year before we met in person.

So, in Form IMM5490, Q1 is going to be where you indicate when and the circumstances surrounding how you first "met" online, via the dating site, and how you emailed and chatted for a couple of months before you went to China to visit her.

Beginning with Q2, you start to detail the circumstances of your first actual meeting - when you went to China. Q6 is where you elaborate on the answers to the questions already asked . . . where you met (like how she picked you up at the airport or whatever), what happened at that meeting, how much time you spent together on that visit, where you went, what you did, who you met, etc. You should also include with the proofs you send with the application some indication that you actually made that trip - airline ticket stubs or trip itinerary, photos of you together on that visit, etc. Use Q6 to detail things that you can demonstrate with supporting documentation.
 

Bambo

Newbie
Dec 17, 2008
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Hello Guys, I am new here and this question actually relate to my situation too. I am sponsoring my wife who resides in UK. Anyway she is a french citizen by birth and her parents Gambian. Her parents where is in France for more than 10 year and they decided to return home when she was only 6 years old. She is also a Gambian citizen because of her parent. She was in UK and I in Canada when we stared dating and we decided to get married and went home last year to get married. At that time she owns a Gambian passport with a student visa. After she return from her Gambia she lost her passport and all her travel document when there were moving to a new house. She did not know her passport was missing until she was ready to apply for her french passport. She now has her French passport 4 month after returning to UK.
However she has made a photocopy of her passport before her trip and kept that somewhere and was able to use that as evidence of owning one. We are preparing to submit our application and she does not have any travel document to show that she was in Gambia.We do not take a picture when I went to pick her up at the airport. As for me I have all my airline ticket stubs and trip itinerary.I need some input as what to do please. Thanks
 

mk3lai

Member
Dec 16, 2008
14
0
I have got a couple of more questions.

In the Sponsored Spouse questionaire, it asks if we have lived together. I stayed with her for about three weeks when I visited once in China and then another three weeks when I went to China to get married. Do those time counts as living together even though it is only for six weeks total? Would it be advantageous to mention that?

Also, it is a second marriage for both of us. My divorce was in Hong Kong. I have read from somewhere that I need to notarize my divorce. Is this true? Or is my divorce certificate enough?

Thanks.
 
M

med

Guest
well the six weeks u have together is not living , what cic means by living is more than six months together and sharing things together like a bank account , an estate and things like that but for u it is just visits , so u u need anwser no to the question of wether u have been living togther and as for the second part of ur question if it would be advantageous if u mention that , i think u would have already talked abt these visits in details in the previuos questions like the one abt the developement of ur relationship and the cover letter too but still if u wanna attach another sheet of paper to that question and say that u have only visited her and not lived together its ok though there is no need for that
for ur divorce , divorce needs to be notarized plus to drive any doubt from ur mind u need notarize its not hard to do so .
 

cfoisy

Member
Nov 10, 2008
12
0
Med, Where do you get this "6 months" from ? I had similar questions about "living together" and phoned CIC myself and spoke with a very helpful officer. For my situation, I spent one week (so far) living at my fiance's home in China and I was told that I should answer yes and put down the date I "lived" with her. Things like vacation and/or honeymoon do not constitute living together, (this type of evidence you can demonstrate in other areas on the questionaire.) I was told even one week of living together will help your case.

mk3lai, As a foreign national visiting China, if you lived at your fiance's home (not a hotel), you are supposed to register with the local police department. They give you a copy of the paper with all the details., i.e. both your names, where you were staying and for how long, etc. This is excellent proof you can attach to your application that you lived with her. Good Luck !!

(I hope people take a lot of the advise from well meaning people on this website with caution. Some people really don't know what they are talking about and give very poor advise as though it was accurate information. When in doubt, call the CIC.)
 
M

med

Guest
Cfoisy here is where i get my anwser from look at page 4 and click on my post entitled what do they mean by living in CIC literature and look what i got from people , i used to have the same confusion abt this question so my answer to this person didnt emanate from the void
 
M

med

Guest
Me3klai LOOKT AT PAGE 4 AND READ MY POST ENTITLED WHAT DO THEY MEAN BY LIVING IN CIC LITERATURE ; SOMETIMES NEWBIES HERE GIVE FALSE INFO
 

cfoisy

Member
Nov 10, 2008
12
0
med, I would say even "seniors" give false information.

You are referring to question 20 on 5490 which is required to prove a common law/conjugal relationship. If mk3lai was in this situation, then you would be correct.

However, he indicated he married in China so the answer to Q.20 is automatically "no", and as I indicated the answer to Q.27 is yes and the dates they lived together should be included.

I still don't see anywhere the 6 months minimum you indicate. Minimum for a common law/conjugal relationship is 12 months.

Regards
 
M

med

Guest
cfoisy i only anwsered him what they mean by living and refered him to what i get abt it in a previuos post , i mean no offence to u at all abt what i said before if am wrong i can learn from you and i ll be extremely happy to do so but i just used to have the same confusion and asked abt that in different forum and i got the same answers from well meaning people so i wanted to share that with my friend here thats it , cfoisy am sorry for any misunderstanding u might get from i posted , and thanks so much
 

Leon

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The only difference between a newbie and a senior or hero member is the number of posts. It doesn't say anything about the quality of information you get from that person.

When filling out forms for CIC, you have to go by your best instincts. When you are not sure about something, call CIC or embassy or visa office but also beware that different people there might even give you different info. To me, living together means you are together with the intent of living together. I would not consider a vacation when you know you are going back as living together.
 

mitamata

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To me, there's a difference between staying together and living together. I stayed at my husband's house for a few weeks, but since I was just a temporary guest I don't think I can call that living together. I would consider that as my vacation to his house and I'll list it as such.

You have to list details of the times you were together elsewhere anyway and can list that there. Even if you say you didn't live together when you should, surely after reading the other answers the CIC agent will know what went on.