Hello!
I've found this Forum so incredibly useful, but still have a few questions. Apologies if they've been asked and answered already!
I'm making the Application to Sponsor my husband for his PR, and he's simultaneously making the Application for the OWP. We've been married almost 11 months, but have no children yet. I'm currently in Toronto having moved here three weeks ago and have been looking for a job, but haven't yet found one. He'll be coming up for good at the end of May, at which point we'll submit the Applications. I'm therefore in the process of preparing the Application Package, and was concerned about the following:
- We lived together and had a joint lease in Jamaica, but our plan is to stay with friends in Canada until we're both employed and can get a place of our own. We therefore don't have (and won't have for a while) a joint lease or purchase agreement. In addition, since I'm currently staying with friends we also don't have any joint utilities bills. Since I don't have a job yet I also don't have any benefits which list him as a dependent or beneficiary, but I was listed as his Dependent on his health insurance in Jamaica.
- I have an Ontario Photo Card but no Driver's Licence (yet), and when he gets here he won't have any Canadian ID at all. He will go through the process of getting his DL, but I'm not sure how long that will take. Our Jamaican Driver's Licences have the same Jamaican address on it, but of course...since he won't have any Canadian ID yet we don't have any documents with both our names and current addresses on it.
- I've opened a bank account but he is not listed as a joint account holder (yet). I've e-mailed my Bank Rep to see how difficult it would be to add him, so that if anything we can use that as a form of evidence.
With all of that said, how can we satisfy CIC that we are in fact living together, in circumstances where we don't yet have our own place? Should I submit the Jamaican evidence anyway? If we submit the Application and they ask for further proof later down the line, I am thinking that we may be in a position to provide it at that stage since we'll be more settled. However, I really don't want to submit an incomplete Application and cause any delays. Should I see whether it's possible to have my friend put one of the utilities into our names, considering that we are making a financial contribution while staying with her?
I'm not overly concerned about proving that our relationship is genuine, as we've been together for over four years and have numerous pictures over the years. Our wedding was also a big one and we did pre and post wedding shoots and had a honeymoon. We can even get statutory declarations if necessary. So my main concern is regarding the proof of living together in Canada.
I'd greatly appreciate any comments or feedback which anyone can provide!
Thanks ;D