Hi everyone. I'm sponsoring my SO and submitted our common-law sponsorship application in August 2016. We've received requests for additional information, fingerprints, medical, and have submitted everything that's been asked of us.
Our initial package contained letters from family and friends, photos of him with my family (including one of him and my niece every year for the last 5 years), our lease, and other documents (emails, messages, texts) showing and honest look at our relationship.
We were advised by out lawyer to apply in August 2016 after only officially (on paper) living together for 10 months. We addressed it in our relationship timeline and an additional letter from my mother talking about me and him living with her before we had our own apartment. There's no paper trail for that, other than one study permit that was sent there, which they already have. I now realize that we shouldn't have listened to our lawyer and waited the extra two months. But you trust the professionals, right?
Now, IRCC is looking for more proof that we were 'interdependent and have combined their affairs economically, socially, emotionally, and physically' and have lived together for at least one year. We did live together for at least 18 months prior to submitting our applciation, but there was no lease or record of rent, since we were fortunate to live rent-free in my mother's basement apartment.
Any suggestions on how I can explain this to them further? This is our last opportunity to submit information. TIA for any suggestions!
Our initial package contained letters from family and friends, photos of him with my family (including one of him and my niece every year for the last 5 years), our lease, and other documents (emails, messages, texts) showing and honest look at our relationship.
We were advised by out lawyer to apply in August 2016 after only officially (on paper) living together for 10 months. We addressed it in our relationship timeline and an additional letter from my mother talking about me and him living with her before we had our own apartment. There's no paper trail for that, other than one study permit that was sent there, which they already have. I now realize that we shouldn't have listened to our lawyer and waited the extra two months. But you trust the professionals, right?
Now, IRCC is looking for more proof that we were 'interdependent and have combined their affairs economically, socially, emotionally, and physically' and have lived together for at least one year. We did live together for at least 18 months prior to submitting our applciation, but there was no lease or record of rent, since we were fortunate to live rent-free in my mother's basement apartment.
Any suggestions on how I can explain this to them further? This is our last opportunity to submit information. TIA for any suggestions!