Red Flags - Examples

[Graihn]

Am in the process with my application (principal applicant - common-law relationship), and I am trying to gather as much info on Red Flags as possible before we apply in January.

Our situation:

Potential Red Flags (how we will address the red flags will be shown in brackets):

Same-sex couple [I know that is not a red flag, but; Am not planning on having kids, ever]

which falls in line with the next one;

Sponsor is way older and has two kids who are almost my age [Will simply say I have no attraction to people my age, which I don't]

Did not have a stupid "ceremony" when we entered common-law [I moved from Sweden and in with him, so how do I address the fact that we didn't have a ceremony? "We didn't think it was something people did"??? Dunno....]

Only have a joint savings account, our finances are pretty separate [I can show that I pay for the Rogers bill which under his name, and I have added him as beneficiary to life insurance, and he has added me to his]

And, I do have abt 45 photos of us over 2 years on trips, with his kids, his brothers and sister, nephew and niece's weddings, Christmases, New Years Eve and friends. Plus xmas cards and thank you cards addressed to both. But as I said, I need to know how to show true common-law (which seem to mean shared finances) instead of just a genuine, loving relationship. Oh, and we are also showing that we have been trying to sell his (in his name only) condominium since July so that we can get a place together. Plus, his ex-wife of 10 years (divorce papers are added in the app of course) is our realtor and will get a letter from her (will be the 4th notarized letter we get) saying that bla bla stuff abt our relationship and that he wants to sell the condo so that we can get a place together.

SORRY, I NEEDED TO VENT! lol

Anyhow. Please share Red Flags you have had and have heard that showed up for others, preferably in point form.

Thanks

 

[Graihn]

Anyhow, when I am done with the application I will summarize this thread and make a bitch-ass list of all the red flags to avoid and address.

 

[Rob_TO]

Sponsor is way older and has two kids who are almost my age [Will simply say I have no attraction to people my age, which I don't]

I think this is your only true red flag. Although like so many things in this application, it comes down to the personal feelings of the visa officer reviewing your file. Some get that people don't have to be the same age to be a couple and will not see it as serious... and other visa officers could think it's a major issue and demand an interview. Lots of it comes down to luck.

Did not have a stupid "ceremony" when we entered common-law [I moved from Sweden and in with him, so how do I address the fact that we didn't have a ceremony? "We didn't think it was something people did"??? Dunno....]

A ceremony is not required for common-law as it's not normal in any culture. We didn't have a ceremony for our common-law date, and just stated that having a common-law ceremony is not typical at all.

Only have a joint savings account, our finances are pretty separate [I can show that I pay for the Rogers bill which under his name, and I have added him as beneficiary to life insurance, and he has added me to his]

Life insurance is good.
Joint savings account is not mandatory... we never had one although i did get my common-law spouse a supplementary credit card on my account.
Also the Canadian spouse should immediately change status with CRA to common-law (should do this right after reaching the 12 month mark, can do via the CRA online account) and print off the page.
Can also add common-law spouse to employer benefits (if applicable) and print that off.

Lastly you definitely need to prove 12 continuous months cohabitation. The best for this is a shared lease/rental agreement, mail being delivered to both of you at the same address, and testimonials from others that you've lived together 12 months.

 

[SenoritaBella]

Sponsor is way older and has two kids who are almost my age [Will simply say I have no attraction to people my age, which I don't]

The officer could say, you could have found someone of that age group in Sweden, so why him? Depending on the visa officer, your answer above may or may not be sufficient and could lead to an interview request. So I think you may want to substantiate your answer a little more. I would think along the lines of what it is that made you go on the first date, decide to date exclusively, move from Sweden to Canada to live with your partner, etc. Things to show that age is not a negative factor you guys.

Since you don't plan on having kids ever but his kids are part of his life and closer in age to you, an officer may be interested in how you interact with them, etc.

Also, as he is divorced, should there be an interview they are likely going to ask you about the details of the divorce e.g. reason for divorce, custody arrangements for the children, if your partner(sponsor) pays child support or alimony, how much it is, etc. Basically, information that a genuine couple is reasonably expected to know.

 

[Hungary]

Well, yeah, the real red flag is the age difference, i too have this issue in mine, and who knows how the officer thinks about it. But if you ever had an ex- partner who was older than you, you should include that fact as an example. Write his (or her) name and even a photo from your common past. In my situation I could simply prove that my ex husband in homeland is at the very same age as my Canadian husband.

 

[sunshinemrc]

I am 6 years older than my husband, is that a red flag???? WE are both in our 30s, (my husband is 30 I am 36), we are planning on having kids though, by all means, we want a family and if God give us (2 or 3 kids).

We never been married before, no kids from prior relationshup, also we did not date or have very serious relationship before we met. my husband was a professional athlete and he traveled a lot so he didnt want to settle down until he retired from sport. Me, I dated, but not much, i was busy with school and have very strict and traditional parents, even at 30 i could not just go out, always i had to tell my parents where i go and with whom, and usually had to be home by 11pm.

We have same religion, and similar background, lot of evidence of marriage, we had formal engagement party, and big traditional wedding. We know each other 1.5 year before engagement. Do you see any big red flag?

 

[Graihn]

I think this is your only true red flag. Although like so many things in this application, it comes down to the personal feelings of the visa officer reviewing your file. Some get that people don't have to be the same age to be a couple and will not see it as serious... and other visa officers could think it's a major issue and demand an interview. Lots of it comes down to luck.

A ceremony is not required for common-law as it's not normal in any culture. We didn't have a ceremony for our common-law date, and just stated that having a common-law ceremony is not typical at all.

Life insurance is good.
Joint savings account is not mandatory... we never had one although i did get my common-law spouse a supplementary credit card on my account.
Also the Canadian spouse should immediately change status with CRA to common-law (should do this right after reaching the 12 month mark, can do via the CRA online account) and print off the page.
Can also add common-law spouse to employer benefits (if applicable) and print that off.

Lastly you definitely need to prove 12 continuous months cohabitation. The best for this is a shared lease/rental agreement, mail being delivered to both of you at the same address, and testimonials from others that you've lived together 12 months.

Thank you, will definitely jump on the CRA train. What does it mean for him adding me as common-law on the CRA website exactly? Tax reasons

Well, yeah, the real red flag is the age difference, i too have this issue in mine, and who knows how the officer thinks about it. But if you ever had an ex- partner who was older than you, you should include that fact as an example. Write his (or her) name and even a photo from your common past. In my situation I could simply prove that my ex husband in homeland is at the very same age as my Canadian husband.

I have a master's degree in business and engineering, so I spent 5 years of my life writing reports and essays to look as good as possible and to convince the reader (mainly consulting reports). I hope that comes in handy for once! lol

Other than our photos together, and emails; from the time we were apart for 4 months (prior to this 12 month cohabitation) I have screenshots of the call log on skype. Skype to cell, home phone, and skype to skype adds up to about 10-15 hours per week.

And, why would be considered a case of trying to fake a relationship with someone so much older in order to come to Canada, when I am from Sweden.

As Rob_TO said, hope to get lucky with a VO that has decent personal views and sees our r'ship as genuine and ongoing. I am going to write a killer essay leaving no red flags unaddressed and answered poorly.

Thanks for your replies


Which leads me to------->, back to the topic, if people could list the red flags they had, red flags VOs saw how they addressed them, I am going to add them all in to a document and share when I send my app in.

 

[Rob_TO]

Thank you, will definitely jump on the CRA train. What does it mean for him adding me as common-law on the CRA website exactly? Tax reasons

Yes, this is for tax reasons. If a Canadian is common-law, then by law they must update their tax status with CRA in the year they became common-law, and can no longer file taxes as single. And of course this is great proof to show CIC in terms of joined finances.
Here is link to online account with CRA. He can register for an account if doesn't already have one. You don't need to submit proofs to CRA, they simply take you at your word that you're in fact common-law or married when you change status: http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/esrvc-srvce/tx/ndvdls/myccnt/menu-eng.html

And, why would be considered a case of trying to fake a relationship with someone so much older in order to come to Canada, when I am from Sweden.

You are right, visa-exempt applicants from other wealthy countries with high standards of living, can get away with a lot more than applicants from countries where visas are required and possibly have more of a financial/lifestyle incentive to want to come to Canada. The approval rate from visa offices like London are in the 95% range, so red flags are usually not as serious an issue. Of course it all depends on the personality of the VO you get.

 

[Graihn]

Yes, this is for tax reasons. If a Canadian is common-law, then by law they must update their tax status with CRA in the year they became common-law, and can no longer file taxes as single. And of course this is great proof to show CIC in terms of joined finances.
Here is link to online account with CRA. He can register for an account if doesn't already have one. You don't need to submit proofs to CRA, they simply take you at your word that you're in fact common-law or married when you change status: http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/esrvc-srvce/tx/ndvdls/myccnt/menu-eng.html

You are right, visa-exempt applicants from other wealthy countries with high standards of living, can get away with a lot more than applicants from countries where visas are required and possibly have more of a financial/lifestyle incentive to want to come to Canada. The approval rate from visa offices like London are in the 95% range, so red flags are usually not as serious an issue. Of course it all depends on the personality of the VO you get.

Thanks Rob_TO
+1 for you!

 

[canadianwoman]

Same-sex couple [I know that is not a red flag, but; Am not planning on having kids, ever]

which falls in line with the next one;

Sponsor is way older and has two kids who are almost my age [Will simply say I have no attraction to people my age, which I don't]

Did not have a stupid "ceremony" when we entered common-law [I moved from Sweden and in with him, so how do I address the fact that we didn't have a ceremony? "We didn't think it was something people did"??? Dunno....]

Only have a joint savings account, our finances are pretty separate [I can show that I pay for the Rogers bill which under his name, and I have added him as beneficiary to life insurance, and he has added me to his]

The ceremony does not matter. It is not normal or expected in either Sweden or Canada to have a ceremony for a common-law relationship. You need to prove 12 months of cohabitation, plus that your relationship is genuine. Him being much older is a red flag, but you can address it by just saying you prefer older partners. Saying your former partner was also older is a good idea, though do not say much about it. If you have a good relationship with his children, document that. The relationship to any stepchildren is an issue visa officers often dwell on.
But, since you are from the first world, the amount of proof you will need is much less than someone from a poorer country would need. You should be fine.

 

[canadianwoman]

Red flags:
- when the woman is older than the man. How much older is too much depends on the culture of the applicant. In India or Morocco, for example, just a few years seems to be enough to arouse the suspicions of the visa officer. Still, people have gotten a visa in this situation too. You would just need to provide more proof than usual that the relationship is genuine, and address the age difference somehow.
- when the weddiing ceremoney and reception do not conform to what is normal in the applicant's country. For example, in India and Pakistan, you had better have a big, traditional wedding. For Western countries, small ceremonies or no ceremony are common, so this is not much of an issue here.
- any difference between the partners, such as age, race, religion, level of education, social background, relationship history. Again, this will be more of an issue if the applicant comes from a poorer country. Any differences should be explained away by saying you two have discussed them and agree they are not an issue.
- children. If one partner has several, and the other none, this can be a problem. If one wants kids, and the other does not, this may sink the visa application completely. Make sure you know all about your new stepchildren, if any. And make sure you have discussed children with your partner and have reached some sort of agreement about them.
- getting married the first time you meet. Do not do this! It cannot be fixed.

 

[Graihn]

Red flags:
- when the woman is older than the man. How much older is too much depends on the culture of the applicant. In India or Morocco, for example, just a few years seems to be enough to arouse the suspicions of the visa officer. Still, people have gotten a visa in this situation too. You would just need to provide more proof than usual that the relationship is genuine, and address the age difference somehow.
- when the weddiing ceremoney and reception do not conform to what is normal in the applicant's country. For example, in India and Pakistan, you had better have a big, traditional wedding. For Western countries, small ceremonies or no ceremony are common, so this is not much of an issue here.
- any difference between the partners, such as age, race, religion, level of education, social background, relationship history. Again, this will be more of an issue if the applicant comes from a poorer country. Any differences should be explained away by saying you two have discussed them and agree they are not an issue.
- children. If one partner has several, and the other none, this can be a problem. If one wants kids, and the other does not, this may sink the visa application completely. Make sure you know all about your new stepchildren, if any. And make sure you have discussed children with your partner and have reached some sort of agreement about them.
- getting married the first time you meet. Do not do this! It cannot be fixed.

Great!
You rock!

 

[Alurra71]

I thought I would just mention, that it really depends on your culture as far as age differences are concerned. I land happily right in the middle of my step sons age wise. One is one year older, the other one year younger. My husband successfully sponsored me with our 22 year age difference and I will be officially 'landing' tomorrow. So I don't think it is always a 'red flag' for a big age difference especially if it is common place in your culture and background for there to be age discrepancies.

I am from the US, he is obviously Canadian, so it is quite common in those cultures.

 

[Hungary]

I am 6 years older than my husband, is that a red flag???? WE are both in our 30s, (my husband is 30 I am 36), we are planning on having kids though, by all means, we want a family and if God give us (2 or 3 kids).

We never been married before, no kids from prior relationshup, also we did not date or have very serious relationship before we met. my husband was a professional athlete and he traveled a lot so he didnt want to settle down until he retired from sport. Me, I dated, but not much, i was busy with school and have very strict and traditional parents, even at 30 i could not just go out, always i had to tell my parents where i go and with whom, and usually had to be home by 11pm.

We have same religion, and similar background, lot of evidence of marriage, we had formal engagement party, and big traditional wedding. We know each other 1.5 year before engagement. Do you see any big red flag?

I wouldn't be worried at all, you both are in your best age to be in love and to plan your family life. I would say it might raise a problem if you were over 50 and your husband in his 30's. But you are a good couple with a nice future ahead of you with thousands of kids

 

[sunshinemrc]

I wouldn't be worried at all, you both are in your best age to be in love and to plan your family life. I would say it might raise a problem if you were over 50 and your husband in his 30's. But you are a good couple with a nice future ahead of you with thousands of kids

Thank you, that is so nice of you to say. And yes, we are both very settled now, mature and know exactly what we need and want in life, family life, career etc.