Soon to be divorced - when to apply for common law PR

[canadianwoman]

I have a lease agreement with both of our names running from June 1st, 2011 until May 31st, 2012. Her passport says entry to Canada June 23rd... (and most likely departing the end of May 2012). Of course, I could submit our file in June 2012 by presenting the lease, the bank statements and so on. So on paper it looks like 12 months.

Submit this lease. If you will be staying at the same place after your return from Korea, get her name on the new lease as well. She can be out of Canada for a month or so. Go with her to Korea, and keep all proof that you are staying there with her: plane ticket, boarding pass, passport stamps, hotel receipts with both names (if you stay at a hotel), a letter from her parents stating you two are staying together in their home (if true), photos. She should ideally move back to Canada and back in to your apartment as soon as possible. It will then look like you are living together, and just went on a trip together.

Another question, as we have been seeing each other since the end of 2007, should we include pictures and emails from then until now to demonstrate the genuineness of our relationship?

Definitely include proof of your relationship from the beginning - you have to prove two things: 1. that you lived together for 12 months at least, and 2. that your relationship is genuine. So you have to show proof of the development of your relationship, such as photos and emails from the beginning.

An e-ticket and passport stamps should be enough. Boarding passes are the best, though, because they prove you actually got on the plane. From now on, keep all this type of thing.

 

[costaudjoe]

Thank you so much Canadianwoman!

 

[costaudjoe]

So I started to fill out the forms. I came across the question: when did you become common law? In the note below the question, it says this is not when you started to live together.

So when would be the moment that we started to become common law?

 

[costaudjoe]

Surely somebody can shed some light on this vague question?

 

[Stumpedmom]

My understanding is its when you moved in together...not sure tho...sorry...

 

[costaudjoe]

That's what I thought too, but the note says that's not when we moved in together...

Perplexing! ???

 

[jeymi]

Hi costaudjoe, I put the date when we moved together in one roof. I supported this with rental agreement (in both our names) and letter from our landlord, joint bank account in the same address.