Recently married outside Canada - Question about residency and living together with my spouse

[sasan85]

Greetings!

I am employed by a Canadian company and have residency in Canada. However, due to COVID-19 and mandatory remote working measures by my employer, I travelled outside Canada and stayed there for a year where I met my partner. We recently got married. I will return to Canada as soon as the remote work by my employer is lifted. In the question regarding my residency, I have indicated I am living in Canada but is currently staying out of the country. I have provided enough supporting documents (utility bills, employment verification, 2020 NOI, etc).

For the question regarding whether we are currently living together, I have indicated yes since we have been at the same location since the first time we met and we are staying together after our marriage. I do not have enough supporting documents as I am temporarily staying out of the country until my employer needs to physically back to work. I do not have a rental agreement (staying with my wife at an apartment owned by my parents), utility bills, government-issued ID with joint address, etc. I am not sure what additional supporting document I should include. I only have a joint bank account which I will include in the application. The application asks for 20 photos (including photos before marriage, with family and friends, etc), social media public posts about our status change, letters from friends, etc) which are already included.

1- Any help or advice on whether I am on a right track? (indicating I am living in Canada, indicating I am staying with my spouse)
2- Any suggestion, what additional supporting document I should include or whether an explanation why I do not have joint utility bills, rental agreement, etc would be sufficient?

Thanks

 

[scylla]

Greetings!

I am employed by a Canadian company and have residency in Canada. However, due to COVID-19 and mandatory remote working measures by my employer, I travelled outside Canada and stayed there for a year where I met my partner. We recently got married. I will return to Canada as soon as the remote work by my employer is lifted. In the question regarding my residency, I have indicated I am living in Canada but is currently staying out of the country. I have provided enough supporting documents (utility bills, employment verification, 2020 NOI, etc).

For the question regarding whether we are currently living together, I have indicated yes since we have been at the same location since the first time we met and we are staying together after our marriage. I do not have enough supporting documents as I am temporarily staying out of the country until my employer needs to physically back to work. I do not have a rental agreement (staying with my wife at an apartment owned by my parents), utility bills, government-issued ID with joint address, etc. I am not sure what additional supporting document I should include. I only have a joint bank account which I will include in the application. The application asks for 20 photos (including photos before marriage, with family and friends, etc), social media public posts about our status change, letters from friends, etc) which are already included.

1- Any help or advice on whether I am on a right track? (indicating I am living in Canada, indicating I am staying with my spouse)
2- Any suggestion, what additional supporting document I should include or whether an explanation why I do not have joint utility bills, rental agreement, etc would be sufficient?

Thanks

When you say that you have residency in Canada, do you mean that you are a Canadian PR? If so, make sure you wait until you have physically returned to Canada to submit the sponsorship application. At that point, the application should indicate that you are living in Canada. If you are a PR, you cannot sponsor your spouse while living outside of Canada. I would say that's the most important thing for you to be aware of right now (assuming you are a PR and not a citizen).

 

[canuck78]

Greetings!

I am employed by a Canadian company and have residency in Canada. However, due to COVID-19 and mandatory remote working measures by my employer, I travelled outside Canada and stayed there for a year where I met my partner. We recently got married. I will return to Canada as soon as the remote work by my employer is lifted. In the question regarding my residency, I have indicated I am living in Canada but is currently staying out of the country. I have provided enough supporting documents (utility bills, employment verification, 2020 NOI, etc).

For the question regarding whether we are currently living together, I have indicated yes since we have been at the same location since the first time we met and we are staying together after our marriage. I do not have enough supporting documents as I am temporarily staying out of the country until my employer needs to physically back to work. I do not have a rental agreement (staying with my wife at an apartment owned by my parents), utility bills, government-issued ID with joint address, etc. I am not sure what additional supporting document I should include. I only have a joint bank account which I will include in the application. The application asks for 20 photos (including photos before marriage, with family and friends, etc), social media public posts about our status change, letters from friends, etc) which are already included.

1- Any help or advice on whether I am on a right track? (indicating I am living in Canada, indicating I am staying with my spouse)
2- Any suggestion, what additional supporting document I should include or whether an explanation why I do not have joint utility bills, rental agreement, etc would be sufficient?

Thanks

You are actually not living in Canada so you can’t put that you are currently residing in Canada.

 

[sasan85]

When you say that you have residency in Canada, do you mean that you are a Canadian PR? If so, make sure you wait until you have physically returned to Canada to submit the sponsorship application. At that point, the application should indicate that you are living in Canada. If you are a PR, you cannot sponsor your spouse while living outside of Canada. I would say that's the most important thing for you to be aware of right now (assuming you are a PR and not a citizen).

Thanks for your response. I am a Canadian citizen.

 

[scylla]

Thanks for your response. I am a Canadian citizen.

Thanks for clarifying.

In that case you can sponsor your spouse while living outside of Canada. You should indicate that you are not living in Canada at this time.

As part of the application, you will need to provide evidence that you plan to move back to Canada once your spouse's PR visa is approved.