Sponsoring my husband, from Syria.. without wedding photos

[angryrectangle]

Hello there!

I'm a Canadian citizen, living with my husband in Syria. We've decided to (finally) get out of here, and I would like to start working on the paperwork for my husband.

I would like to provide as much relationship evidence as possible, since we did not have a wedding. The lease for our apartment is in his name only (it's much more complicated to put it in a foreigner's name), we don't have a joint bank account (we both just use one bank account in my name), we had NO WEDDING (his family was non-consenting at the time of our marriage, however that has changed now), and we have no other bills/etc in BOTH of our names.

I've been putting photos together, and wanted to ask - how many photos is recommended? Is it good to have a LOT? 50? 100? Should I include casual photos of us together - with friends/at home?

I've been working on compiling photos and tidbits, and this is what I've got so far:

- Photos of us in Syria (Damascus, and Aleppo)
- Photos of us with my family (2 years in a row, in Syria and Lebanon)
- Photos of us with friends, family, etc
- Photos of us on holiday in Lebanon
- Skype history (showing I called him every day when I was recently in Canada on holiday)
- Photos of cards from my family congratulating us on getting married
- Emails from my family congratulating us on getting married
- Photos of our matching tattoos, and a tattoo I have of his name in Arabic
- Photos of our wedding rings (the insides are both engraved with the same thing)

Do you think being in Syria might help us a bit? As in - make the paperwork go a little bit more smoothly/quickly? I feel that me living in Syria for the last 2 years should be proof enough that our relationship is genuine, but apparently we need more!

Have any of you successfully sponsored a spouse without wedding photos? Did it complicate things? Any other tips you fine folk could offer?

Thanks so much

 

[OhCanadiana]

Hello there!

I'm a Canadian citizen, living with my husband in Syria. We've decided to (finally) get out of here, and I would like to start working on the paperwork for my husband.

I would like to provide as much relationship evidence as possible, since we did not have a wedding. The lease for our apartment is in his name only (it's much more complicated to put it in a foreigner's name), we don't have a joint bank account (we both just use one bank account in my name), we had NO WEDDING (his family was non-consenting at the time of our marriage, however that has changed now), and we have no other bills/etc in BOTH of our names.

I've been putting photos together, and wanted to ask - how many photos is recommended? Is it good to have a LOT? 50? 100? Should I include casual photos of us together - with friends/at home?

I've been working on compiling photos and tidbits, and this is what I've got so far:

- Photos of us in Syria (Damascus, and Aleppo)
- Photos of us with my family (2 years in a row, in Syria and Lebanon)
- Photos of us with friends, family, etc
- Photos of us on holiday in Lebanon
- Skype history (showing I called him every day when I was recently in Canada on holiday)
- Photos of cards from my family congratulating us on getting married
- Emails from my family congratulating us on getting married
- Photos of our matching tattoos, and a tattoo I have of his name in Arabic
- Photos of our wedding rings (the insides are both engraved with the same thing)

Do you think being in Syria might help us a bit? As in - make the paperwork go a little bit more smoothly/quickly? I feel that me living in Syria for the last 2 years should be proof enough that our relationship is genuine, but apparently we need more!

Have any of you successfully sponsored a spouse without wedding photos? Did it complicate things? Any other tips you fine folk could offer?

Thanks so much

Hello and welcome!

I usually suggest people think that they need to convince a skeptical stranger that their relationship is genuine based solely on documentation. You may want to think beyond photos. For example:
* Consider including a letter explaining your situation and perhaps also a timeline of your relationship so they get a sense of when/where you met and then when/why of various milestones (getting married, decision to move to Syria, etc).
* Consider including letters from family and friends who know about your relationship (from his family too explaining their hesitation to approve and how they now approve).
* For mail, do you each have mail arriving to the same address (e.g., your bank statements)? The collection of the lease and mail addressed to both of you can serve to prove you were both living there at the same time.
* Do you have any snapshots of your wedding (even if they aren't formal photos but just snapshots that were taken from your family or friends who did attend)?

The categories of documentation they look for in conjugal relationships may help inspire you (from OP-2) to find the documents that make the most sense for your specific situation:

"In the M. v. H. decision, the Supreme Court adopts the list of factors that must be considered in
determining whether any two individuals are actually in a conjugal relationship from the decision of
the Ontario Court of Appeal in Moldowich v. Penttinen. They include:
• shared shelter (e.g., sleeping arrangements);
• sexual and personal behaviour (e.g., fidelity, commitment, feelings towards each other);
• services (e.g., conduct and habit with respect to the sharing of household chores)
• social activities (e.g., their attitude and conduct as a couple in the community and with their
families);
• economic support (e.g., financial arrangements, ownership of property);
• children (e.g., attitude and conduct concerning children)
• the societal perception of the two as a couple."

"Based on this, the following characteristics should be present to some degree in all conjugal
relationships, married and unmarried:
• mutual commitment to a shared life;
• exclusive – cannot be in more than one conjugal relationship at a time;
• intimate – commitment to sexual exclusivity;
• interdependent – physically, emotionally, financially, socially;
• permanent – long-term, genuine and continuing relationship;
• present themselves as a couple;
• regarded by others as a couple;
• caring for children (if there are children).
People who are dating or who are thinking about marrying or living together and establishing a
common-law relationship are NOT yet in a conjugal relationship, nor are people who want to live
together to “try out” their relationship.
Persons in a conjugal relationship have made a significant commitment to one another."

and then outlines examples of evidence:

"Financial aspects of the relationship
• Joint loan agreements for real estate, cars, major household
appliances;
• Joint ownership of property, other durable goods;
• Operation of joint bank accounts, joint credit cards evidence that any
such accounts have existed for a reasonable period of time;
• The extent of any pooling of financial resources, especially in relation
to major financial commitments;
• Whether one party owes any legal obligation in respect of the other.

Social aspects of the relationship
• Evidence that the relationship has been declared to government
bodies and commercial or public institutions or authorities and
acceptance of such declarations by any such bodies;
• Joint membership in organisations or groups, joint participation in
sporting, cultural, social or other activities;
• Joint travel;
• Shared values with respect to how a household should be managed;
• Shared responsibility for children; shared values with respect to
child-rearing; willingness to care for the partner's children;
• Testimonials by parents, family members, relatives or friends and
other interested parties about the nature of the relationship and
whether the couple present themselves to others as partners.
Statements in the form of statutory declarations are preferred.

Physical and emotional aspects of the relationship -the degree of commitment as evidenced by:
• Knowledge of each other's personal circumstances, background and
family situation;
• Shared values and interests;
• Expressed intention that the relationship will be long term;
• The extent to which the parties have combined their affairs, for
example, are they beneficiaries of one another's insurance plans,
pensions, etc.?
• Joint decision-making with consequences for one partner affecting
the other;
• Support for each other when ill and on special occasions letters,
cards, gifts, time off work to care for other;
The terms of the parties' wills made out in each other's favour
provide some evidence of an intention that the relationship is long
term and permanent;
• Time spent together;
• Time spent with one another's families;
• Regular and continuous communication when apart.

Examples of supporting documents:
• Family memberships, medical plans, documentation from institutions that provides
recognition as a couple;
• Marriage certificate (not just a solemnization record), wedding invitations, commitment
ceremony (certificate, invitations), domestic partnership certificate;
• joint ownership of possessions, joint utility bills, lease/rental agreement, joint mortgage/loan,
property title, joint bank statements; money transfers.
• documents showing travel together, long distance phone bills; other proof of continuous
communication (emails, internet chat site printouts, letters).
• insurance policies (documents naming the partner as a beneficiary), wills, powers of
attorney;
• significant photographs;
• statements of support from families, bank manager, employers, financial professionals,
religious leaders, community leaders, professors, teachers or medical professionals."

You can see even more details at http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/manuals/op/op02-eng.pdf in Sections 5.25 and 5.26

 

[angryrectangle]

Thanks for the reply!

Unfortunately we don't (and have never had) a mailing address here. We pay our bills in person (and the name on most of them is the guy who we rent the apartment from), and any banking stuff is also done in person.

I'm hoping our being in Syria will be enough to help smooth out those details, and the rest of the "evidence" will compensate!

Thanks again!