Spousal Sponshorship - Lawyer needed?

[germandude]

Hi community, would be awesome if some of you could reply to a few questions I have.

Situation: My fiancé is a Canadian citizen, I'm a German citizen, we met through mutual friends and are getting married in July. The plan is to live in Canada together (she lives there now, I live in Germany) right after we honeymoon (I will come to Canada as a tourist in the beginning) and then file the inland sposal sponsorship process. I believe this is a pretty clear and cut case, my fiancé has met my parents and sister, I have met her parents and siblings. They will all be at our wedding, there are pictures, emails, texts and flight tickets out the wazoo. Given this situation I'm wonderding about a few things...

1. We're still undecided whether we should go with a laywer. I personally would love to save ourselves that hefty fee. Do you think it's too risky to go without a laywer (we were quoted CAD 5500 + tax for a full service deal, meaning the laywer would be responsible and the sole point of contact for our application) ?

2. Where exactly do we present information about our relationsship's genuity? Question 11 (Part C) of the form 'RELATIONSHIP INFORMATION AND SPONSORSHIP EVALUATION' gives the opportunity to share more information to support the relationship. Would we just create an additional document with pics, screenshots of tickets, emails, etc?

3. Where exactly do I provide my police certificates (I have lived in a total of three countries), passport, birth certificate? On the forms I have seen I have not seen anything that asks for those documents specifically.

Many thanks for your answers in advance! If you feel like there is more I need to know, I'm thankful for additional information and hints!

 

[Yoanchanda]

Hi community, would be awesome if some of you could reply to a few questions I have.

Situation: My fiancé is a Canadian citizen, I'm a German citizen, we met through mutual friends and are getting married in July. The plan is to live in Canada together (she lives there now, I live in Germany) right after we honeymoon (I will come to Canada as a tourist in the beginning) and then file the inland sposal sponsorship process. I believe this is a pretty clear and cut case, my fiancé has met my parents and sister, I have met her parents and siblings. They will all be at our wedding, there are pictures, emails, texts and flight tickets out the wazoo. Given this situation I'm wonderding about a few things...

1. We're still undecided whether we should go with a laywer. I personally would love to save ourselves that hefty fee. Do you think it's too risky to go without a laywer (we were quoted CAD 5500 + tax for a full service deal, meaning the laywer would be responsible and the sole point of contact for our application) ?

2. Where exactly do we present information about our relationsship's genuity? Question 11 (Part C) of the form 'RELATIONSHIP INFORMATION AND SPONSORSHIP EVALUATION' gives the opportunity to share more information to support the relationship. Would we just created an additional document with pics, screenshots of tickets, emails, etc?

3. Where exactly do I provide my police certificates (I have lived in a total of three countries), passport, birth certificate? On the forms I have seen I have not seen anything that asks for those documents specifically.

Many thanks for your answers in advance! If you feel like there is more I need to know, I'm thankful for additional information and hints!

Hello,

So you definately don’t need to hire a lawyer, if you think you are good at researching for information and very well organized/ follow instructions well. The website is very helpful and pretty much tells you step by step how to fill out each form/ where and how to submit (see the link) https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/application-forms-guides/guide-5525-basic-guide-sponsor-your-spouse-partner-child.html

Also as for documents you need to attached / relationship guineness photo’s, emails, screenshots etc. It asks for all that in the document checklist that you must print and attach to your application package, again the website is really really good at providing instructions on what you need to do (at least it was for my husband and I/ we think so) see link: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/spouse.asp
As for the other unknown question’s you may have along the process... use this forum, its great for finding out/ getting clarification from other’s whom have gone through it or are in the process like my husband and I. All you have to do is ask or search it up...

The primary thing is you need to determine what type of application you will apply for first... spousal/ common-law, etc... Inland or Outland (different offices, let alone process) you mentioned Inland... there is a really good thread posted back in 2010 that outlines this question very well called “Spousal Sponsorship”, the very first message on that thread.

Its definitely very time consuming and alot of work I will say that, but the end result will be worth it (fingers crossed) and you save money. Just follow instructions carefully, sign all forms by hand and fill them out electronically... make sure all your supporting documents are the way they need to be as outlined on checklist (i.e translated/legalised, or photocopies only etc.)

Anyway, Im am sure others can give you their feed back as well, this was jus a lil bit of mine. In the end the decision is yours and if you feel more comfortable seeking legal professional help then that is not a negative thing either... I think if you and your spouse work on it together like my husband and I did, it is achievable.

Wish you all the best of luck!

 

[germandude]

Hello,

So you definately don’t need to hire a lawyer, if you think you are good at researching for information and very well organized/ follow instructions well. The website is very helpful and pretty much tells you step by step how to fill out each form/ where and how to submit (see the link) https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/application-forms-guides/guide-5525-basic-guide-sponsor-your-spouse-partner-child.html

Also as for documents you need to attached / relationship guineness photo’s, emails, screenshots etc. It asks for all that in the document checklist that you must print and attach to your application package, again the website is really really good at providing instructions on what you need to do (at least it was for my husband and I/ we think so) see link: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/spouse.asp
As for the other unknown question’s you may have along the process... use this forum, its great for finding out/ getting clarification from other’s whom have gone through it or are in the process like my husband and I. All you have to do is ask or search it up...

The primary thing is you need to determine what type of application you will apply for first... spousal/ common-law, etc... Inland or Outland (different offices, let alone process) you mentioned Inland... there is a really good thread posted back in 2010 that outlines this question very well called “Spousal Sponsorship”, the very first message on that thread.

Its definitely very time consuming and alot of work I will say that, but the end result will be worth it (fingers crossed) and you save money. Just follow instructions carefully, sign all forms by hand and fill them out electronically... make sure all your supporting documents are the way they need to be as outlined on checklist (i.e translated/legalised, or photocopies only etc.)

Anyway, Im am sure others can give you their feed back as well, this was jus a lil bit of mine. In the end the decision is yours and if you feel more comfortable seeking legal professional help then that is not a negative thing either... I think if you and your spouse work on it together like my husband and I did, it is achievable.

Wish you all the best of luck!

Many thanks Yoanchanda!

 

[Hurlabrick]

You plan seems sound.

1. We're still undecided whether we should go with a laywer. I personally would love to save ourselves that hefty fee. Do you think it's too risky to go without a laywer (we were quoted CAD 5500 + tax for a full service deal, meaning the laywer would be responsible and the sole point of contact for our application) ?

Unless you lile spending that money then filling all the forms in yourself anyway, don't bother. Most people do without a 'lawyer' - we did.

2. Where exactly do we present information about our relationsship's genuity? Question 11 (Part C) of the form 'RELATIONSHIP INFORMATION AND SPONSORSHIP EVALUATION' gives the opportunity to share more information to support the relationship. Would we just create an additional document with pics, screenshots of tickets, emails, etc?

There is a question on one of the forms that provides a small space for you to add any further information about your relationship you think relevant. Just type in 'see attachment' and create a 4 - 5 page attachment where you go thor0ugh how your relationship developed from the start to now and future plans etc. Sign and date if and add it to the pack. By all means include the other stuff you mentioned.

3. Where exactly do I provide my police certificates (I have lived in a total of three countries), passport, birth certificate? On the forms I have seen I have not seen anything that asks for those documents specifically.

In your checklist and 'buried' in various questions within the forms, it will ask for all that stuff. Also read the on-line help document on the CIC website. You send the police certs in with your pack.​

Have a read of this unofficial guide. Although it is angled at British applicants, it is pretty generic and also works for any visa-exempt country applicants (Germany is visa-exempt for Canada(.

https://britishexpats.com/wiki/Spousal_Sponsorship-Canada/FAQ_-_New_Application_Forms
​

 

[canuck_in_uk]

1. We're still undecided whether we should go with a laywer. I personally would love to save ourselves that hefty fee. Do you think it's too risky to go without a laywer (we were quoted CAD 5500 + tax for a full service deal, meaning the laywer would be responsible and the sole point of contact for our application) ?

2. Where exactly do we present information about our relationsship's genuity? Question 11 (Part C) of the form 'RELATIONSHIP INFORMATION AND SPONSORSHIP EVALUATION' gives the opportunity to share more information to support the relationship. Would we just create an additional document with pics, screenshots of tickets, emails, etc?

3. Where exactly do I provide my police certificates (I have lived in a total of three countries), passport, birth certificate? On the forms I have seen I have not seen anything that asks for those documents specifically.

Many thanks for your answers in advance! If you feel like there is more I need to know, I'm thankful for additional information and hints!

Hi

1. Skip the lawyer. Not needed.

2. You show it by submitting the required proofs from the checklist. There is a clearly stated maximum on the checklist for both pictures and communication proofs (emails/chats/etc.), so don't try to circumvent that by submitted further documents with more pics/emails/etc. Some people write a whole "relationship essay" but it is not required and I have never seen the point in it unless you have red flags to address, which you don't seem to have.

3. Follow the checklist.

 

[Lee&Stacey]

Hi community, would be awesome if some of you could reply to a few questions I have.

Situation: My fiancé is a Canadian citizen, I'm a German citizen, we met through mutual friends and are getting married in July. The plan is to live in Canada together (she lives there now, I live in Germany) right after we honeymoon (I will come to Canada as a tourist in the beginning) and then file the inland sposal sponsorship process. I believe this is a pretty clear and cut case, my fiancé has met my parents and sister, I have met her parents and siblings. They will all be at our wedding, there are pictures, emails, texts and flight tickets out the wazoo. Given this situation I'm wonderding about a few things...

1. We're still undecided whether we should go with a laywer. I personally would love to save ourselves that hefty fee. Do you think it's too risky to go without a laywer (we were quoted CAD 5500 + tax for a full service deal, meaning the laywer would be responsible and the sole point of contact for our application) ?

2. Where exactly do we present information about our relationsship's genuity? Question 11 (Part C) of the form 'RELATIONSHIP INFORMATION AND SPONSORSHIP EVALUATION' gives the opportunity to share more information to support the relationship. Would we just create an additional document with pics, screenshots of tickets, emails, etc?

3. Where exactly do I provide my police certificates (I have lived in a total of three countries), passport, birth certificate? On the forms I have seen I have not seen anything that asks for those documents specifically.

Many thanks for your answers in advance! If you feel like there is more I need to know, I'm thankful for additional information and hints!

I agree with the others to skip the lawyer. What we did instead was to do our research and determine what we thought was the best way to apply for our situation and wrote down any questions we had. We then had an appointment with an immigration lawyer for a consultation to ask our questions and make sure we were on the right track.

We had an hour-long Skype call for this and the lawyer answered our questions, confirmed we were applying in the best way for our situation (which put our minds at ease) and he told us we seemed to have really done our research and he said he didn't see any reason why we would need his services for the application process. He offered to let us email him one more time with questions (if we had forgotten anything in the call) as part of that consultation and then wished us well. I think the consultation was about $100. We felt this was money well spent to ensure we were on the right track.

This is just a suggestion as it would be a much cheaper option than having a lawyer handle the whole application but still give you a professional consultation if you have a few things you're just not sure about for your application.

The other posters also give good advice for the other questions. I definitely agree with @Yoanchanda that the application is a lot of work (took us about a month to get everything gathered up) and then we checked, double checked, and triple checked our application before sending it off. Can't stress enough reading the instructions and following them exactly.

Good luck! Keep us updated on your progress.