Spousal Sponsorship - PROOF OF RELATIONSHIP TO SPONSOR

[James2424]

My spouse is Canadian and I used to live in the UK (EU National). We were long distance for 6 years and just got married 2 months ago.

As proof of our relationship, the checklist provides several options for valid documents and pieces of evidence that we can provide.

However, the options differ depending on whether or not we are currently living together. I have to check off the option that says we're living together but I also want to include my flight tickets and such from when we were long-distance. Do I just include the tickets and check off the appropriate document even though that option is listed under the "NO" portion of the "are you and your spouse currently living together" question?

 

[armoured]

My spouse is Canadian and I used to live in the UK (EU National). We were long distance for 6 years and just got married 2 months ago.

As proof of our relationship, the checklist provides several options for valid documents and pieces of evidence that we can provide.

However, the options differ depending on whether or not we are currently living together. I have to check off the option that says we're living together but I also want to include my flight tickets and such from when we were long-distance. Do I just include the tickets and check off the appropriate document even though that option is listed under the "NO" portion of the "are you and your spouse currently living together" question?

You are residing together in Canada now, or somewhere in the EU? (Or elsewhere...)

Which form are you looking at, IMM5533?

Short form answer: you can provide additional information and a letter of information to explain what that documentation and information is.

BUT: I would keep this short and factual. Don't overload them with hundreds of receipts. Submit the strongest of what evidence you have. If you meet the other document requirements, you may not need to provide them with the additional evidence at all - use your judgment about how strong your other evidence is.

Context matters - if the story of how you met (like you met at university where you both clearly studied or worked together or something), continued your relationship long distance, evidence in your photos, etc., all 'makes sense', then it may be pretty simple and not need a lot of additional documentary evidence. When you do provide additional, keep it to the strongest you have - for example if you lived together for an entire summer or a couple of months, instead of 'we were both in paris together for three days.' Photos of multiple family holidays over several years - marked on the back of photos - might also be pretty good.

IRCC can always contact you later for additional evidence if they think necessary, but keep in mind they're busy and hundreds of pages of 'extra' information is just noise and possibly just a hassle. If you establish simply you have known each other six years (eg photos and history) and have the other evidence required in the form, that may be most of what you need.

 

[James2424]

You are residing together in Canada now, or somewhere in the EU? (Or elsewhere...)

Which form are you looking at, IMM5533?

Short form answer: you can provide additional information and a letter of information to explain what that documentation and information is.

BUT: I would keep this short and factual. Don't overload them with hundreds of receipts. Submit the strongest of what evidence you have. If you meet the other document requirements, you may not need to provide them with the additional evidence at all - use your judgment about how strong your other evidence is.

Context matters - if the story of how you met (like you met at university where you both clearly studied or worked together or something), continued your relationship long distance, evidence in your photos, etc., all 'makes sense', then it may be pretty simple and not need a lot of additional documentary evidence. When you do provide additional, keep it to the strongest you have - for example if you lived together for an entire summer or a couple of months, instead of 'we were both in paris together for three days.' Photos of multiple family holidays over several years - marked on the back of photos - might also be pretty good.

IRCC can always contact you later for additional evidence if they think necessary, but keep in mind they're busy and hundreds of pages of 'extra' information is just noise and possibly just a hassle. If you establish simply you have known each other six years (eg photos and history) and have the other evidence required in the form, that may be most of what you need.

Thank you.

Yes, I'm referring to IMM5533.

We currently live together in Canada.

Some additional context.
- Our bank statements show the same address since May 2020.
- We just signed a lease together and will be putting our names on all of the utility bills by next week.
- I just got a phone plan that also shows us as having the same address
- I have flight tickets from every year since 2016 to show my visits.
- In October of last year (2020), in order to visit during the pandemic, I classified myself as an extended family member on my eTA and I still have a notarized document to that effect as well as the eTA record itself.
- We do not have many social media related things together. Most of our communications happened via Facetime and our iMessage conversation is mostly about private things that I would prefer not to print and share with others, even an immigration officer.

What would the best mix of supporting evidence be in your opinion?

 

[armoured]

Thank you.

Yes, I'm referring to IMM5533.

We currently live together in Canada.

Some additional context.
- Our bank statements show the same address since May 2020.
- We just signed a lease together and will be putting our names on all of the utility bills by next week.
- I just got a phone plan that also shows us as having the same address
- I have flight tickets from every year since 2016 to show my visits.
- In October of last year (2020), in order to visit during the pandemic, I classified myself as an extended family member on my eTA and I still have a notarized document to that effect as well as the eTA record itself.
- We do not have many social media related things together. Most of our communications happened via Facetime and our iMessage conversation is mostly about private things that I would prefer not to print and share with others, even an immigration officer.

What would the best mix of supporting evidence be in your opinion?

Does this mean you've been living together since May 2020?

I'd just go through the checklist and provide what they say you must provide. If you want to do a short letter of explanation that you've been together since xxx, great - I doubt you need to include evidence of visits, just some dates would be fine.

I don't recall but if you are already submitting copies of passport pages with entry stamps of that to Canada to visit, that will be good evidence for that. (If it's not required, you could do that - I think that would be a bit better than flight tickets because it's also something they could check through CBSA).

But at heart: your core evidence is that you are married, living together, and that you already provided the extended family information (can summarize that info and provide that document). The six year LD relationship is good additional support but - if your docs meet what they require - the core evidence is what they require and likely enough.

In other words, some additional context won't hurt but it does not sound like a lot of additional proof will be needed. Hence, no need to overload them. (I don't know what social media stuff they require from before in your specific case - but again, your core case is your core case, and if the social media stuff is not specifically required, don't stress about it.)

(I'm assuming no serious red flags - one of you has been married five times before or something.)