advice needed to complete sponsorship and PR forms

[drak]

Hello, I hope someone out there can help on a couple of issues we are having:

First, as a Canadian citizen living in Belgium with my common-law Dutch partner and our three-year old daughter, do I have to prove my intention to reside in Canada (form IMM1344A - Application to sponsor and Undertaking - Part F: residency declaration)?  If so, how?

Second, do we need to sign form 5409 (Statutory Declaration of Common-Law Union) in front of a Commissioner of Oaths?  Where do we find one here?  Can they do that at the consulate in Brussels?

Third, the Declaration of Good Behaviour from the Netherlands is in Dutch with an official English summary that is not verbatim.  Should we get an official translation?

And finally, we need to buy plane tickets soon, and we were planning to move in September, but is this not recommended?  Should we wait until a final decision before getting our tickets, even though it will cost much more?

Thanks so much for the advice and help everyone!!

[AlieW]

Hi,

I am also sponsoring my common-law partner and we are both currently living abroad (in Israel). I can try and answer some of your question from our experience:

1. Yes you need to provide proof of intent to return. On the form they give a fairly specific (and in my opinion somewhat unrealistic) list of things you can provide as proof of intent to return (things like a job offer, a lease agreement, acceptance to an educational institution, property in canada...) - if you have one of those send that. If not (like most of us living abroad) send in whatever you can. I sent them:

• proof of my active Canadian bank accounts and credit card statements
• Letter from my parents that they are aware of my plan to return and will support us and that we can stay with them when we arrive
• a detailed letter outlining my plan to return
• correspondence with my former employer about job opportunities as well as evidence that I have been looking for a job
• and I am considering going back to school so I sent evidence that I was in the process of applying

I have heard that people have been approved and sent way less proof of intent to return, and if you dig arround on this forum there are a few threads discussing this issue specifically

2. I am also sponsoring my common-law partner and we didn't include it -I read the instructions to say that it only need to be included if you Common-Law partner was co-sponsoring another memeber of the family class, however one of the more senior members on the forum may be able to give you a definative answer

3. Police Check - I can't answer this - ours is was sent directly to the VO - we never saw it

4. I think that is entirely a shot in the dark, you could buy the tickets - worst case if the PR isn't approved before then you could change the itinerary - or you could move, your wife come to visit, and then when she get's her PR land properly - someone with more experience may be able to give you a better answer on this one as well

Good Luck

[missmini]

for your 2nd question, i was advised to do it; some embassies will specifically ask for it later in the process; i don't know if yours will do, but better to give it in from the beginning, u'll save time...also, it's a good and very strong proof  of ur common-law relationship (from legal point of view it's like a marriage certificate); i'm also outside Canada so no idea from where we can get it signed, i suppose any notary or lawyer would be ok, if they agree to do it....

if ur partner arrives in Canada before his PR is granted, it should not look like he's moving there, just visiting; so he should have some proofs of ties with Belgium/Holland....there r a lot of threads abt this subject

good luck!

[drak]

excellent, excellent.  I will get cracking on the proof of intent to return.  And we will wait on the tickets, at least until someone else adds some comments.  Thanks for your help!