Questions.. as always :P

[ayrazar]

1. I keep seeing people talk about a 'relationship essay' But I don't see a title or box anywhere on the forms called as such.

2. When my fiance and I get married, I want to assume his last name. However, we are going to apply more or less as soon as the marriage certificate gets into our hot little hands, so I dont wanna wait the additional 6+ weeks for my passport, drivers licence, etc to come back with the updated name. So Im assuming it's best to just wait to assume his name until he lands in Canada, but I cannot figure out if there is a cost to ASSUME the name past a certain time from the date of marriage, only if you're doing the legal name change.

3. When (not if! Must be positive ) he gets his COPR, what kind of time does he have to get up here? Like, can he give 2 weeks notice at his work? Or does he have longer than that? Or is it like hey youre accepted comply immediately or be annihilated?

 

[Aquakitty]

1. I keep seeing people talk about a 'relationship essay' But I don't see a title or box anywhere on the forms called as such.

2. When my fiance and I get married, I want to assume his last name. However, we are going to apply more or less as soon as the marriage certificate gets into our hot little hands, so I dont wanna wait the additional 6+ weeks for my passport, drivers licence, etc to come back with the updated name. So Im assuming it's best to just wait to assume his name until he lands in Canada, but I cannot figure out if there is a cost to ASSUME the name past a certain time from the date of marriage, only if you're doing the legal name change.

3. When (not if! Must be positive ) he gets his COPR, what kind of time does he have to get up here? Like, can he give 2 weeks notice at his work? Or does he have longer than that? Or is it like hey youre accepted comply immediately or be annihilated?

1. There are a couple places in the forms that request "additional info" on your relationship. For instance in the outland forms, in IMM 5490 Question 6 asks "Give any additional details describing the circumstances of your first meeting with your sponsor" and question 9 "Question 9
Describe how your relationship developed after your first contact/meeting with your sponsor and if you and your sponsor dated or went on any outings or trips together." At the end of the form it asks for "Additional details of your current relationship that you believe would help to prove your relationship is genuine and continuing."

2. Sorry can't help you on that one since I kept my last name. But yea it seems it will be a lot easier to change the name after all the PR stuff is over with.

3. Generally you have until the applicants medical expires, so if he did the medical on Jan 1st 2015, and you got your COPR in Aug, you'd have till Jan 1st 2016 to land. This gets more complicated if the application takes longer than the medical expiration date. In that case they will either extend your medical or you will have to redo it. There may be different rules about this regarding outland vs. inland, but I assume by the way you are talking about landing you are referring to outland.

 

[Snowisland]

I changed my name as soon as we got the marriage certificate. I had to mail the original certificate and my passport. We were both nervous while we waited because if my husband had gotten ill or been in an accident I don't know how I would have been able to go to him. I think you are wise to wait on the name change.

 

[ayrazar]

Hokay, I still wonder if its harder or.. changes something to assume a name several months after the marriage.

Yes, sorry, Outland.

 

[Aquakitty]

Hokay, I still wonder if its harder or.. changes something to assume a name several months after the marriage.

Yes, sorry, Outland.

Ontario has a small deadline of 90 days to change your name, or else it costs a whopping $25 :. Check the relevant provincial website and see what their rules are. http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/common/provterr.shtml

Aside from the small fee, I think I know what you are saying, because now when you land you will have to get all your new documents (health, SIN, licence) in your old name since that's on the COPR, then go and change it all over again.

I just personally think I would not want to rock the boat or potentially cause any delays in my application by changing my name mid-application. It's going to be a pain in the rear but I'd rather have that inconvenience then a delay in the PR. Just my 2c. If you really want to avoid the inconvenience just go do it now and wait to do the PR.

Here's a nice guide on name changing, it's BC specific but it's the same idea for any province. http://www.kaileymichelle.com/changing-your-name-after-marriage-in-british-columbia/

 

[nmclean]

You're submitting your marriage certificate with the application and your previous name is one of the questions on the forms, so there really shouldn't be any complications to changing your name first.

It seems the only ID that CIC cares about is the passport, which your name on the form must match. So if you can update your passport in a reasonable time frame, you could just do that. Then photocopy the passport, enter its number in your application along with your new name, and submit. Then update the other items while you wait.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

2. When my fiance and I get married, I want to assume his last name. However, we are going to apply more or less as soon as the marriage certificate gets into our hot little hands, so I dont wanna wait the additional 6+ weeks for my passport, drivers licence, etc to come back with the updated name. So Im assuming it's best to just wait to assume his name until he lands in Canada, but I cannot figure out if there is a cost to ASSUME the name past a certain time from the date of marriage, only if you're doing the legal name change.

You are the sponsor, correct? Updating CIC with your new name mid-process will have pretty much zero effect on the app.

 

[ayrazar]

You are the sponsor, correct? Updating CIC with your new name mid-process will have pretty much zero effect on the app.

Sorry, I have the horrible habit of forgetting to state information that's relevant to my questions.

I am the sponsor, yes. I am getting married in December, too, and am trying to make it so I can send the application as soon after as possible. Basically I want everything done so that as soon as they send the marriage certificate in the mail, Im going to copy it, add it, and mail it immediately.

My whole issue with the name thing is having to wait an additional however many months for my passport to come back with my assumed name before I send the application off (Since unless Im super confused, I too send a copy of my passport). However, it sounds like youre suggesting I can send everything with my maiden name, then assume his last name after the application has been sent off and send CIC a message saying my name is now different?

 

[canuck_in_uk]

However, it sounds like youre suggesting I can send everything with my maiden name, then assume his last name after the application has been sent off and send CIC a message saying my name is now different?

Yes.

 

[nmclean]

However, it sounds like youre suggesting I can send everything with my maiden name, then assume his last name after the application has been sent off and send CIC a message saying my name is now different?

Yes.

canuck_in_uk, you're sure there won't be any issue with sending a passport that will become inactive in the middle of processing?

 

[canuck_in_uk]

canuck_in_uk, you're sure there won't be any issue with sending a passport that will become inactive in the middle of processing?

CIC doesn't care about the sponsor's passport. It's not even a required document, as there are several other documents that can be sent instead.

 

[WeeHippieElf]

just throwing my 2 cents in about the name change (mostly because i'm trying to fill a quota for posts so i can get the extra features on my profile )

there is a difference between formally changing your name after marriage and legally changing your name. in Ontario specifically, there is no time limit and no cost to formally assume your husband's last name after marriage. you just bring in your marriage certificate and you can have your health card, driver's licence, and SIN all changed to your married name - no fee, no time limit. with this, you are free to have your name changed at your bank, all of your utilities, etc. once you have all of that in order, you use those new documents to apply for a new passport in your married name (of course, there is a fee for that). to legally change your name, there is the 90 day window mentioned above when it is free - but it's not necessary to legally change your name in order for you to use your married name legally, if that makes sense.

 

[nmclean]

CIC doesn't care about the sponsor's passport. It's not even a required document, as there are several other documents that can be sent instead.

Whether or not you actually send it, they do still care about it. The first piece of information about the sponsor requested on the forms is Family Name(s) (exactly as shown on passport or travel document). I think it's somewhat naive to assume there will be no delay in processing after a passport name change, unless you have clear evidence to support that. If there is a delay, we should compare it against the delay of updating a passport prior to applying.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Whether or not you actually send it, they do still care about it. The first piece of information about the sponsor requested on the forms is Family Name(s) (exactly as shown on passport or travel document). I think it's somewhat naive to assume there will be no delay in processing after a passport name change, unless you have clear evidence to support that. If there is a delay, we should compare it against the delay of updating a passport prior to applying.

People have been sponsors without ever having held a passport. It is NOT a required document; if a sponsor sends an alternative, CIC is not going to request a copy of their passport as well just to see if the name matches. As long as the name given in the app matches whatever document is submitted, it's fine. CIC doesn't care about the sponsor's name changing mid process and it will not cause any delay in the app. The VO will simply note in the file that sponsor changed to the married name. That's it.