Sending application tomorrow! Just a few quick and final questions, please?

[beeelythe]

Hi all!

Thanks to the guidance we received on this forum, my common-law partner and I are submitting his application for permanent residence tomorrow! We were initially going to apply inland, but on the advice of some users here we have changed it to inland. We meticulously put together our application package last night and triple-checked all the forms and evidence. I have a couple of final questions before we put it in the mail tomorrow and begin this process?

Just some background information: My partner is American and we're submitting through Ottawa. We did the application ourselves, so no representative. No children are included on the application either (we're both childless). My partner lives with me in Canada and is here on a work permit. We have consistently lived together (apart from 49 days in 2012 when he had to move to Canada early to begin his job and I had to wait to graduate before following him) for four years.

1) Because we don't have a co-signer and we aren't looking to sponsor a child, do we need to include the Statutory Declaration of Common-Law Union [IMM 5409] in our application? From what I can gather, that's only if there is a co-signer involved and if we were sponsoring a child or parent,. Should we not include that?

2) On a similar note, since we aren't using a representative, should we include the Use of a Representative [IMM 5476] form and just fill it in with N/A? I remember reading that in the instruction portion, but on the checklist it mentions including that form "if applicable"? Should we include every form available and fill the ones that aren't relevant with "N/A"?

3) With regards to Questions 24 & 15 in the Sponsored Spouse/Partner Questionnaire [IMM 5490] form, which ask "Has your sponsor visited you during the period of your relationship?" and "Have you visited your sponsor during the period of your relationship?" We answered both as NO but offered the explanation that we didn't "visit" one another only because we lived together the entire time, which doesn't really qualify as "visiting". Does that seem alright?

4) For the Generic Application Form for Canada [IMM 0008] form, on Question 4, when you have to choose "Which immigration office requested?" we picked CPC-Ottawa not Missasauga. Is that correct?

Thank you, all! Homestretch!

 

[rhcohen2014]

Hi all!

Thanks to the guidance we received on this forum, my common-law partner and I are submitting his application for permanent residence tomorrow! We were initially going to apply inland, but on the advice of some users here we have changed it to inland. We meticulously put together our application package last night and triple-checked all the forms and evidence. I have a couple of final questions before we put it in the mail tomorrow and begin this process?

Just some background information: My partner is American and we're submitting through Ottawa. We did the application ourselves, so no representative. No children are included on the application either (we're both childless). My partner lives with me in Canada and is here on a work permit. We have consistently lived together (apart from 49 days in 2012 when he had to move to Canada early to begin his job and I had to wait to graduate before following him) for four years.

1) Because we don't have a co-signer and we aren't looking to sponsor a child, do we need to include the Statutory Declaration of Common-Law Union [IMM 5409] in our application? From what I can gather, that's only if there is a co-signer involved and if we were sponsoring a child or parent,. Should we not include that?

2) On a similar note, since we aren't using a representative, should we include the Use of a Representative [IMM 5476] form and just fill it in with N/A? I remember reading that in the instruction portion, but on the checklist it mentions including that form "if applicable"? Should we include every form available and fill the ones that aren't relevant with "N/A"?

3) With regards to Questions 24 & 15 in the Sponsored Spouse/Partner Questionnaire [IMM 5490] form, which ask "Has your sponsor visited you during the period of your relationship?" and "Have you visited your sponsor during the period of your relationship?" We answered both as NO but offered the explanation that we didn't "visit" one another only because we lived together the entire time, which doesn't really qualify as "visiting". Does that seem alright?

4) For the Generic Application Form for Canada [IMM 0008] form, on Question 4, when you have to choose "Which immigration office requested?" we picked CPC-Ottawa not Missasauga. Is that correct?

Thank you, all! Homestretch!

I can only confidently give advice on the following:
2 - yes, you can include the form and write N/A, or you can also not include the form and write n/a on the checklist. both seem to be accepted by CIC.

3 - Yes, us applications go to Ottawa for Visa office processing. I actually left that question blank by mistake. Apparently, it really doesn't matter what you put, because CIC will send it where it needs to be sent based on their process.

 

[beeelythe]

Thank you, rcohen!

If you don't mind me asking, did you included the Statutory Declaration in your package?

Thanks again!

 

[rhcohen2014]

Thank you, rcohen!

If you don't mind me asking, did you included the Statutory Declaration in your package?

Thanks again!

no, didn't apply commonlaw - applied spousal. that's why i can't give you an answer to that, i don't want to give out wrong information.

 

[jjoon]

3) With regards to Questions 24 & 15 in the Sponsored Spouse/Partner Questionnaire [IMM 5490] form, which ask "Has your sponsor visited you during the period of your relationship?" and "Have you visited your sponsor during the period of your relationship?" We answered both as NO but offered the explanation that we didn't "visit" one another only because we lived together the entire time, which doesn't really qualify as "visiting". Does that seem alright?

Thank you, all! Homestretch!

Congrats! I just sent mine out and I well remember the night-before-sending it nerves

like rc, i am marital-spousal as well so don't know exactly about common law, but my reading of it matches yours... from what i understand you would still have to prove your common law relationship, etc in the other parts of the application, but the form you mention is (from my reading of it - yes i read every form!) for co-signers who are common law partners, ie not principal applicants

regarding n/a forms in general, what i can tell you is what i did for it:
- left out form
- created a cover sheet (like for all forms) for it and wrote on it "N/A - not included as not applicable"
- a short line about why it's not applicable eg "applicant and sponsor have no children" or "applicant and sponsor used no representative"
- included it on table of contents with "N/A- cover sheet only" next to it
- hand-wrote "N/A" next to it on the document checklist(s)

I just didn't want the VO to be short on his/her morning coffee and start looking for something that's not there, maybe put it aside for doc request, bc it's getting mixed up in their mind with the 20 applications from the day before, etc. I want them to have to do the least thinking/keeping track/remembering as possible. Also thought it would be good for them to see, right off the bat from eg a table of contents that this application is (a) well organized and (b) simple (no kids, etc) - so they pick it up from the pile for processing 1st when wanting an easy task (again, no morning coffee + the admin hell that is their life = my standard filter lol)

More specifically, I can speak to the "did your sponsor visit" thing... bc that was a conundrum for me as well. My sponsor and I travel bw California and Toronto for his work (film and television) and live together in short or long term housing here or there, some years about half and half, some years more one place than another, currently more in Canada than US. Initially I wanted to just say no, we don't "visit" bc we live together, just like you said. But then again I didn't want ANY flags, so I said "yes' and proceeded with an explanation (in the box) that we actually cohabitate and have been since before we were engaged... and that that is how we "visit". Then I attached a Details Page (as I call them) saying the same thing and that I've organized our periods of cohabitation in each location as "visits" by date and duration of visit, referring them to the proof of relationship folder with a whole bunch of flight records and passport stamps to back it up. Yours is simpler I think, bc your partner has a work visa which is proof they are in Canada for a longer stint, and you can just show documentation of your cohabitating at your current address (or previous ones). If it were me I'd answer the "visiting" question as a "yes" and explain that in your case visiting means living together, then refer them to periods of cohabitation and the attendant proofs of that. But that was just my personal strategy!

Re: visa office, my research on this forum led me to answer as you did - CPP-O but send to mississauga. the forum seemed pretty universal on that one.

Best of luck! Be sure to get a tracking # and oh yea, make copies before you send!!! (I scanned each section into my husband's Iphone and then emailed to myself. Only thing I left out was the reams of phone bills bc those are easy to replace. This way I also remember what I said and how I organized it.)

Jjoon

 

[canuck_in_uk]

1. You don't need to include it. Just write N/A on the checklist.

2. Same as 1.

3. Those questions aren't really applicable to common-law couples that are living together; it is more for married couples who are living apart. You can pick Yes or No, there is no right or wrong answer for that one; just put something like "We have lived together since XX/XXX" in the explanation box. Questions 27 and 28 will be the ones that they really look at for common-law.

4. Yes, Ottawa is correct.

 

[nezya]

Hi all!

Thanks to the guidance we received on this forum, my common-law partner and I are submitting his application for permanent residence tomorrow! We were initially going to apply inland, but on the advice of some users here we have changed it to inland. We meticulously put together our application package last night and triple-checked all the forms and evidence. I have a couple of final questions before we put it in the mail tomorrow and begin this process?

Just some background information: My partner is American and we're submitting through Ottawa. We did the application ourselves, so no representative. No children are included on the application either (we're both childless). My partner lives with me in Canada and is here on a work permit. We have consistently lived together (apart from 49 days in 2012 when he had to move to Canada early to begin his job and I had to wait to graduate before following him) for four years.

1) Because we don't have a co-signer and we aren't looking to sponsor a child, do we need to include the Statutory Declaration of Common-Law Union [IMM 5409] in our application? From what I can gather, that's only if there is a co-signer involved and if we were sponsoring a child or parent,. Should we not include that?

2) On a similar note, since we aren't using a representative, should we include the Use of a Representative [IMM 5476] form and just fill it in with N/A? I remember reading that in the instruction portion, but on the checklist it mentions including that form "if applicable"? Should we include every form available and fill the ones that aren't relevant with "N/A"?

3) With regards to Questions 24 & 15 in the Sponsored Spouse/Partner Questionnaire [IMM 5490] form, which ask "Has your sponsor visited you during the period of your relationship?" and "Have you visited your sponsor during the period of your relationship?" We answered both as NO but offered the explanation that we didn't "visit" one another only because we lived together the entire time, which doesn't really qualify as "visiting". Does that seem alright?

4) For the Generic Application Form for Canada [IMM 0008] form, on Question 4, when you have to choose "Which immigration office requested?" we picked CPC-Ottawa not Missasauga. Is that correct?

Thank you, all! Homestretch!

I am under common-law (outland), I included the Statutory Declaration of Common-Law Form even if I am not the co-signer. I was approved also.

 

[Rob_TO]

1 - We applied common-law, never included the stat declaration, and were approved no problem. Technically it's not required.

BUT be aware that some people on this forum have mentioned their visa office asked them to send in this stat declaration during their processing. So just be prepared in case it happens, although it seems to be the norm that in majority of cases they don't require it. I'm not sure why those applicants were asked for it, or if there was any other specific reason.