Tourist Extension: how can I prove that my boyfriend is supporting me?

[LauraLynnR]

Hi everybody!
I have to extend my tourist visa for the second time, and when they ask "The expenses will be paid by..." I wanna put "my boyfriend" or "my partner" or whatever the best is.
The thing is that the first time I applied I put "myself" because I had enough money (about 1500 €, that is more than $ CAD 2000) but the truth is that since I'm here, September 4th 2013, my boyfriend is supporting the both of us because he's canadian and he works here.
The first time I applied it was January 2014, and I got accepted sending them a screen of the page of my Visa Card account, translating the terms from italian to english so they could understand that it was MY card and MY money, but this time is different because I don't have a lot of money left in that card (I had to help my boyfriend through the winter cause we didn't have a lot of money) or in any case not enough to prove the CIC that I can support myself by... yeah, myself!
So the question is, since is actually my boyfriend who's supporting me since I'm here, how can I prove that? Which kind of document do I have to send the CIC? Which kind of picture can I take to prove them that we live together and he's taking care of me?
Seriously, I don't know what to do... we tried to transfer money from his card to my card using Paypal, so I could put "myself" again and that would have been easier, but it takes from 6 to 8 days and we can't wait that long, we gotta get groceries, pay the rent, etc. and especially I have to apply this week or is going to be too late.
So is there another way to prove them that? Thanks in advance for your help, is really urgent!!
Laura

 

[Regina]

So the question is, since is actually my boyfriend who's supporting me since I'm here, how can I prove that? Which kind of document do I have to send the CIC? Which kind of picture can I take to prove them that we live together and he's taking care of me?

1. you have to prove that you live TOGETHER. Like his lease agreement and letters to you (your name on envelope) from CIC sent to the same address, letters from your mutual friends who knows you a couple (supporting your story of living together)...
2.HE has to provide HIS Tax Return for couple of years back (best case scenario) AND a letter from HIS employer that he works there as well as couple of current year payroll slips. Also he could write a letter of explanation.

If you have been living together for 12+ months you could be considered a common-law partners , and to prove that you could provide these documents:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?q=347&t=14

Even if you have not been living for 12 moths together yet , you still could use the same documents to prove that you live together and he provides for you.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Hi

You can put "my partner" or my boyfriend". Have him write a letter saying that he's supporting you and include copies of his most recent payslips and if he has money in the bank, his bank statements.

1. you have to prove that you live TOGETHER. Like his lease agreement and letters to you (your name on envelope) from CIC sent to the same address, letters from your mutual friends who knows you a couple (supporting your story of living together)...
2.HE has to provide HIS Tax Return for couple of years back (best case scenario) AND a letter from HIS employer that he works there as well as couple of current year payroll slips. Also he could write a letter of explanation.

They don't need to prove they live together or provide his tax returns for a visitor extension app.

 

[Regina]

It will be odd to support somebody who is on visitor visa and do not live with you.
It is not about what CIC requests but he should support their story with as much proof as they could.

 

[LauraLynnR]

So what we gotta do is:
1. Send them a copy of our lease that we both signed on November 2013
2. Send them a copy of his Tax Return of the last year (he's working since November 2012 so the only Tax Return he has is the one he submitted on April 2014)
3. Ask his boss to write a letter explaining how he's employed by him and that he has been for the past year and a half
4. Send them a copy of his payroll slips starting from January 2014 (can we send them a copy of the ones from last year?)
5. Letters from CIC (you mean for example a copy of the envelope I got from CIC with my Visa Document?)
6. Letters from friends (I got 3 letters: 2 from my unlce and aunt and one from a friend of my mom, could it work? I even have letters sent between me and my boyfriend when I was still living in Italy and he was still living here, could it work too?)

In other words, we have a lot of proof that we're living together, my family and his family knows about it, my friends and his friends too, we have letters, messages on facebook, pictures even too much, the problem is that we don't know how to put it on paper and give evidence of it! ???

Another problem: when I applied the first time I could send just ONE page/picture for everything they were asking (ex. Proof of means of support: ONE screen of my card account, Picture: ONE picture of me, Passport showing the stamp of my entrance in Canada: ONE picture, etc.) so how am I going to be able and send them MULTIPLE pictures if they allow me to send them just one for each category??

 

[canuck_in_uk]

It will be odd to support somebody who is on visitor visa and do not live with you.

Except that they do live together and can just tell CIC that without having to submit all of that proof.

In other words, we have a lot of proof that we're living together, my family and his family knows about it, my friends and his friends too, we have letters, messages on facebook, pictures even too much, the problem is that we don't know how to put it on paper and give evidence of it! ???

Another problem: when I applied the first time I could send just ONE page/picture for everything they were asking (ex. Proof of means of support: ONE screen of my card account, Picture: ONE picture of me, Passport showing the stamp of my entrance in Canada: ONE picture, etc.) so how am I going to be able and send them MULTIPLE pictures if they allow me to send them just one for each category??

You don't need all of that. Have your boyfriend write a letter explaining that you are staying with him and he is supporting you. Include his payslips and bank statements. Scan those documents into one document to upload.

 

[Jalex23]

Another problem: when I applied the first time I could send just ONE page/picture for everything they were asking (ex. Proof of means of support: ONE screen of my card account, Picture: ONE picture of me, Passport showing the stamp of my entrance in Canada: ONE picture, etc.) so how am I going to be able and send them MULTIPLE pictures if they allow me to send them just one for each category??

Not one page, but one file. Add all pages to the letter of explanation, create one big file and upload it. In the explanation letter I would suggest to create a clear list of what and why you are including.

 

[LauraLynnR]

That's pretty clear, thanks! But then, when they ask me the number of funds available in $ CAD, what should I write? Because if I submit my application tomorrow for example, he'll have a certain amount of money in his account, but if I submit the day after he'll have even less money cause we have things to pay, so the amount varies everyday and we could find ourselves with even just 20 $ left, which is fine for us because we paid off or bills, groceries, rent, etc. but we obviously can't show the CIC "Oh there we go, for this week we have just 20$ left, but if you wait til next week we can have 800$ to show you or more. You know what I mean?

 

[LauraLynnR]

Not one page, but one file. Add all pages to the letter of explanation, create one big file and upload it. In the explanation letter I would suggest to create a clear list of what and why you are including.

I read on another discussion of a software that you can download on the internet called "PDF Architect 2" that puts several PDF files together so it allows you to upload a single file with more documents for each category.
If anyone of you ever used it, could you tell me if it really works? The person who wrote the topic is still waiting for the answer from CIC, so is not guaranteed that it will work... seriously, I have no idea how to put more documents in a single file (just with Microsoft Word, but I don't know if DOC files are accepted, I can't remember from the first time cause I uploaded just a single document for each category) so I should give it a try.

 

[Jalex23]

That's pretty clear, thanks! But then, when they ask me the number of funds available in $ CAD, what should I write? Because if I submit my application tomorrow for example, he'll have a certain amount of money in his account, but if I submit the day after he'll have even less money cause we have things to pay, so the amount varies everyday and we could find ourselves with even just 20 $ left, which is fine for us because we paid off or bills, groceries, rent, etc. but we obviously can't show the CIC "Oh there we go, for this week we have just 20$ left, but if you wait til next week we can have 800$ to show you or more. You know what I mean?

In this case CIC cares about money entereing continously tp the account, for example a weekly, biweekly, monthly deposit. You must prove tem with your bf's paystubs or bank statements that reflect money keeps coming in.

Also put in there that you are a dependant.

Do you have a credit card of your own? If so you can write down your credit limit. The important part in here is what he can prove if you are going to say you are his dependant.

I read on another discussion of a software that you can download on the internet called "PDF Architect 2" that puts several PDF files together so it allows you to upload a single file with more documents for each category.
If anyone of you ever used it, could you tell me if it really works? The person who wrote the topic is still waiting for the answer from CIC, so is not guaranteed that it will work... seriously, I have no idea how to put more documents in a single file (just with Microsoft Word, but I don't know if DOC files are accepted, I can't remember from the first time cause I uploaded just a single document for each category) so I should give it a try.

You can go to a Staples or Office Depot, in their printing area they can help you.

 

[LauraLynnR]

I wasn't sure because I'm not applying for permanent residence (yet... I can do it just in a few months, that's why I'm getting another extension, cause we gotta reach the entire year of living together) so I can't put anywhere that I'm his dependant, because he is not included in my application, we aren't considered common-law couple yet.
I just opened the application form and under the section "My expenses in Canada will be paid by" I chose "Other" and in the blank section I just put "My boyfriend" and in brackets right next to it I put "I'm a dependant". I hope they'll understand looking at the paystubs.
I still have the problem of the amount of money tho, under the section "Funds available for my stay (CAD)"... they just accept numbers, and I don't know which numbers I have to write in there since the amount varies, so no number would be correct.
Me and my boyfriend tried to write "730/week" cause is the average salary now, but it says there's an error.
I want to specify that the only way I can apply is online, even if in this case would have been better to send them a paper copy, but it takes too long, and I gotta apply this week or is going to be too late.
I have a prepaid card (that you can charge only in Italy at the post office), and there's not a lot of money in there (about 450 $ left), and I think if I write down that amount, they're going to refuse my application cause of course it wouldn't be enough if I had to support myslef on my own.

 

[Yourname]

When you first applied for visitor visa, did you mention your boyfriend?
When you extended, did you mention him?

 

[Jalex23]

I wasn't sure because I'm not applying for permanent residence (yet... I can do it just in a few months, that's why I'm getting another extension, cause we gotta reach the entire year of living together) so I can't put anywhere that I'm his dependant, because he is not included in my application, we aren't considered common-law couple yet.

Being a dependant is different from being common-law or married. You are a dependant if you depend economically on someone else.

I still have the problem of the amount of money tho, under the section "Funds available for my stay (CAD)"... they just accept numbers, and I don't know which numbers I have to write in there since the amount varies, so no number would be correct.

Me and my boyfriend tried to write "730/week" cause is the average salary now, but it says there's an error.

We are getting in a mess. If you say you are a dependant and can prove it then it doesn't matter that YOU don't have money, basically it would be contradictory (I'm a dependant even though I am not dependant).

If your bf has a salary then he has a contract. The numbers come from there, so if he has a permanent job with 50K annually then he writes that down and send that contract as proof (or a letter of employment). If he is by contract and he is paid weekly 500 for the next 3 months then it would be something like (3 months = 12 weeks = 500*12 = 6000). Use the same logic to make any calculations that you can prove.

I have a prepaid card (that you can charge only in Italy at the post office), and there's not a lot of money in there (about 450 $ left), and I think if I write down that amount, they're going to refuse my application cause of course it wouldn't be enough if I had to support myslef on my own.

And that is why you are declaring you are someone's dependant and why you are saying that your bf is paying your expenses.

 

[LauraLynnR]

When you first applied for visitor visa, did you mention your boyfriend?
When you extended, did you mention him?

The only time I mentioned him was in the section "The original purpose of your visit", where I wrote "Meeting my boyfriend, his family and live with him" and when they asked me why I would like to stay in Canada longer, where I put "Continue to live with my boyfriend".
I didn't mention him in any question about money or how to support myself.

 

[LauraLynnR]

Being a dependant is different from being common-law or married. You are a dependant if you depend economically on someone else.

We are getting in a mess. If you say you are a dependant and can prove it then it doesn't matter that YOU don't have money, basically it would be contradictory (I'm a dependant even though I am not dependant).

If your bf has a salary then he has a contract. The numbers come from there, so if he has a permanent job with 50K annually then he writes that down and send that contract as proof (or a letter of employment). If he is by contract and he is paid weekly 500 for the next 3 months then it would be something like (3 months = 12 weeks = 500*12 = 6000). Use the same logic to make any calculations that you can prove.


And that is why you are declaring you are someone's dependant and why you are saying that your bf is paying your expenses.

There we go! That's exactly what I wanted to know the number comes from doing that calculation... that's what I needed.
I guess I solved the problem then: my boyfriend is writing a letter declaring he's supporting me and I'm his dependant, he got a copy of the paystubs from the accountant, we have a copy of our current lease (plus the new one cause we're moving next month) and if necessary he'll ask his boss to write a letter too even if I suppose we got enough proof with that.
Thanks sooooo much!! You really saved us.

Last question (I hope): in January I applied for a tourist extension for other 6 months (so now my visa expires July 16th and technically "I have to go back") cause I wasn't sure about the number of months you can ask to stay longer (6 months, 3 months, 9 months, an year??).
So, knowing that I'll apply for my PR around the middle of November (if they accept my new tourist extension...), for how many other months should I ask to stay here on this new extension? Can I ask for even 12 months or the period is too long? That would be great tho.