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Sponsoring my girlfriend via common-law

A

AnthonyDomenic

Full Member
Mar 14, 2019
28
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My girlfriend, a US citizen, has been visiting me in Canada since December of 2017. She extended her visitors visa after the initial 6 months meaning we have been living together for over a year and I'm wondering if thats counts as common law sponsorship? Her status is as a visitor and not as a worker or student.

Also IF it does count – because she has just been visiting and we don't have shared funds how would we prove that we are common law?
 
You need proof like shared bank accounts, shared utility bills, official documents showing you live at the same address, shared ownership of car/house, etc. Its all listed in the IMM 5589 document
 
smallcoffee said:
You need proof like shared bank accounts, shared utility bills, official documents showing you live at the same address, shared ownership of car/house, etc. Its all listed in the IMM 5589 document
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I understand that, but what Im asking is if she would count as common law in the first place? As she is only visiting, not working or a student.
My second question is that we don't have shared funds and only have a joint lease agreement since August 2018, even though we have been living together for 6 months prior to that.
 
smallcoffee said:
you will need proof for those 6 months, I dont think it matters that shes not working or not a student
Click to expand...

What would suffice as proof? I can get a letter from the previous landlord saying we were both living there. As well as photo evidence if that means anything.
 
AnthonyDomenic said:
What would suffice as proof? I can get a letter from the previous landlord saying we were both living there. As well as photo evidence if that means anything.
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I'm not sure it`s enough, any bill like phone/gym/internet bills for both of you during those months? Letters of friends family stating that you lived together since MM/YY?
 
We have a previous gym memberships but it just went through my personal account. Does that count as some proof?

We could get letters from both our families saying we have been living together. We also have the letter from the government about the extension going to that address. Also previous mail addressed to my girlfriend and I at the same address. Not sure if that would work?
 
AnthonyDomenic said:
We have a previous gym memberships but it just went through my personal account. Does that count as some proof?

We could get letters from both our families saying we have been living together. We also have the letter from the government about the extension going to that address. Also previous mail addressed to my girlfriend and I at the same address. Not sure if that would work?
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That seems OK.
 
AnthonyDomenic said:
My girlfriend, a US citizen, has been visiting me in Canada since December of 2017. She extended her visitors visa after the initial 6 months meaning we have been living together for over a year and I'm wondering if thats counts as common law sponsorship? Her status is as a visitor and not as a worker or student.

Also IF it does count – because she has just been visiting and we don't have shared funds how would we prove that we are common law?
Click to expand...

As long as you lived together at least one year and you can provide proofs of same address together joint accounts etc.you can file as common law
 
Calm2019 said:
As long as you lived together at least one year and you can provide proofs of same address together joint accounts etc.you can file as common law
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I ask this question only to clarify further - The first place we lived together for 6 months (Jan 2018, Aug 2018) just had my name on the lease agreement. Would you say a written letter by the landlords saying we both lived there together proof enough for those 6 months together? Our new place we are both on the lease agreement but we don't have a joint account, but have multiple proofs of money going back and fourth between us for over the last year.

Also since she is from the US she never changed her address to Canada, will that be an issue?
 
AnthonyDomenic said:
I ask this question only to clarify further - The first place we lived together for 6 months (Jan 2018, Aug 2018) just had my name on the lease agreement. Would you say a written letter by the landlords saying we both lived there together proof enough for those 6 months together? Our new place we are both on the lease agreement but we don't have a joint account, but have multiple proofs of money going back and fourth between us for over the last year.

Also since she is from the US she never changed her address to Canada, will that be an issue?
Click to expand...

It should be one year that you lived together as a married like relationship and all the proofs should be in the same address for both of you and she should change her address from US to Canada from the time that you started living together again for at least one year if only 6 months you cannot apply for common law yet, wait until you reached one year of cohabitation and has enough proofs.
 
Calm2019 said:
It should be one year that you lived together as a married like relationship and all the proofs should be in the same address for both of you and she should change her address from US to Canada from the time that you started living together again for at least one year if only 6 months you cannot apply for common law yet, wait until you reached one year of cohabitation and has enough proofs.
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By not changing her address I mean she was technically "visiting" while we lived together so there was no address to "change". We have proof of her using that address as her current location. Does that make sense?
 
AnthonyDomenic said:
By not changing her address I mean she was technically "visiting" while we lived together so there was no address to "change". We have proof of her using that address as her current location. Does that make sense?
Click to expand...
No
 
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