Supporting letters from family members

[fireflyyy]

Hello everyone!
I am about to send my application for common-law sponsorship soon and there's one thing I'm worried about. We need to attach some supporting letters from family and friends, but our situation is a little complicated and we cannot get any letters from family members. Does anyone know how much it can affect our application in case we only put letters from friends, and pictures of me and my Canadian boyfriend with his parents having dinner together to prove that we have met but without any letter from them. My parents could write a letter but they don't live in Canada and haven't met him in person yet (we only have Skype contact), and I am not really sure does it even count then or it's better not to put anything from my family as well, since I am the one being sponsored and seems to me that in this situation it would be more important to have his family written something, but we just can't get letters from them. And I don't want to arouse some suspicion if we put only one letter from a family, who aren't even here with us.
I hope someone can help me with an advice or maybe share their own experience..

 

[kisaki]

You don't NEED to have those letters for your application, it's not mandatory as long as you have enough proofs. If I was in your situation I would attach a letter from my parents explaining that everyone has been in contact on skype but there was no real-life meeting yet, and I would myself write an explanation letter, but I am a bit of a maniac

 

[kangamoose]

You don't NEED to have those letters for your application, it's not mandatory as long as you have enough proofs. If I was in your situation I would attach a letter from my parents explaining that everyone has been in contact on skype but there was no real-life meeting yet, and I would myself write an explanation letter, but I am a bit of a maniac

This is incorrect, if the OP is applying outland these letters are mandatory. They are an item on the checklist for common-law applicants, there needs to be at least two and they need to be notarized.

 

[jamsham12]

Hello everyone!
I am about to send my application for common-law sponsorship soon and there's one thing I'm worried about. We need to attach some supporting letters from family and friends, but our situation is a little complicated and we cannot get any letters from family members. Does anyone know how much it can affect our application in case we only put letters from friends, and pictures of me and my Canadian boyfriend with his parents having dinner together to prove that we have met but without any letter from them. My parents could write a letter but they don't live in Canada and haven't met him in person yet (we only have Skype contact), and I am not really sure does it even count then or it's better not to put anything from my family as well, since I am the one being sponsored and seems to me that in this situation it would be more important to have his family written something, but we just can't get letters from them. And I don't want to arouse some suspicion if we put only one letter from a family, who aren't even here with us.
I hope someone can help me with an advice or maybe share their own experience..

If there is no possible way to have family members write letters on both you and your partner's behalf, I would try to have each one of the letters from friends be notarized as with documents being notarized they are by law under oath that what they are writing is the truth and nothing but the truth.

 

[kisaki]

This is incorrect, if the OP is applying outland these letters are mandatory. They are an item on the checklist for common-law applicants, there needs to be at least two and they need to be notarized.

Oh, my. Apologies for the confusion and thank you for correcting me. I don't understand why they would ask for such a thing, not everyone is in good terms with their families :/

 

[kangamoose]

Oh, my. Apologies for the confusion and thank you for correcting me. I don't understand why they would ask for such a thing, not everyone is in good terms with their families :/

Doesn't have to be from family, its to demonstrate that the people close to you are aware of your relationship and know that its genuine. If the closest people to you are friends this is ok, just have them outline how long they have known you and that they are aware of your relationship. As jamsham12 said if they are notarized you are declaring that this is the truth.

 

[fireflyyy]

Thank you all so much! I was getting a little bit worried thinking about it since I couldn't find any similar case like ours... this was such a relief, even though we still have to send our application and wait for them to make a decision. Now we are finishing the rest of paperwork. Big thanks!!

 

[Gemini020]

You didn't say why his parents cannot write a letter. If it is the writing part maybe you could have them dictate whatever they want to say and have someone else write it down? I do believe having friends write it is not necessarily worse, just thought I would suggest a way around it if you did want them to "write" a letter

Can anyone tell if it's two letters total (and if so, one each or two from the applicants side?) or two letters each?

 

[superman2012]

is it also require those letters if I am applying under spousal ?

 

[Gemini020]

I don't think so, I think it's only for common law applications but that's mainly based on other people's replies here so don't completely trust me on it

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Can anyone tell if it's two letters total (and if so, one each or two from the applicants side?) or two letters each?

Two statutory declarations for the application.

is it also require those letters if I am applying under spousal ?

No, this is a common-law requirement.

 

[Gemini020]

Thank you Canuck_in_uk! Would it be better if it's one each (his family and family for instance) or does it not really matter much?

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Thank you Canuck_in_uk! Would it be better if it's one each (his family and family for instance) or does it not really matter much?

It doesn't matter.