Proof of Intent to Resettle

[throwmyapples]

Hello,

I am sponsoring my common-law partner while we live together in the United States. I have Canadian citizenship, but I have not lived in Canada (no memberships, mailing addresses, accounts etc.) for over 7 years. While I have plenty of family in Canada, and a citizenship card in my hand, I don't have any documentation proving an attachment to Canadian life post-2003.

My common-law partner and I are getting ready to send out our application by the end of March. One thing that is proving difficult is having documentation showing that I'll BE THERE when my partner arrives. We plan on making the move together as soon as we can, once she has received her PR status. I am currently keeping an eye out for good rental properties near my family in B.C., and emailing prospective employers regarding my interest in working for them sometime in the next 6 months or so (along with my resume). Because we don't know when our application will be accepted and processed, I can't really put a deposit down on a place to live or actually APPLY for vacant positions of employment as I can't guarantee when we will be arriving. I wish I could say that I worked in a field that would actually hire me on ahead of time, but my current field of childcare just isn't that prestigious.

I have a letter from my brother attesting to his unfailing support for my partner and I, stating that we are welcome to stay at his house if we need to, and to be hired on at his small business if the extra work was available and we were having trouble finding employment. I also have a letter from my sister stating that she will do all she can to help us out finding housing and employment should we experience any difficulty, and that she can also hire me as her nanny (She is due in the fall).

So I guess my question is: What will be enough proof that I intend to resettle and accompany my partner in Canada? I feel like we have ample proof of our life together, I'm just terrified that we don't have enough proof of our future, despite our constant focus on it. Any help would be great!!

Thank you!

[CharlieD10]

Those letters you have sound like an excellent start.

If you are documenting your job search (any replies from any of those prospective employers yet?) then that would help as well.  Even if it's just a polite "talk to us again when you're on Canadian soil" type of reply, it still is proof that you are seriously doing everything you can to get re-settled. 

They are expecting you to show intent, and the plans you have made for a roof over your heads and ways to earn your keep are not vague statements, so that's good.   

If you have savings, I would encourage you to show proof of that as well, it shows you have funds for your necessities.

[throwmyapples]

Those letters you have sound like an excellent start.

If you are documenting your job search (any replies from any of those prospective employers yet?) then that would help as well.  Even if it's just a polite "talk to us again when you're on Canadian soil" type of reply, it still is proof that you are seriously doing everything you can to get re-settled. 

They are expecting you to show intent, and the plans you have made for a roof over your heads and ways to earn your keep are not vague statements, so that's good.   

If you have savings, I would encourage you to show proof of that as well, it shows you have funds for your necessities.

Thank you for the reassurance! We do have a savings account in which we are putting every spare penny we have for our resettlement needs.

Do you happen to know when the best time is to send medical records and FBI/State certificates? When I had a phone consult with an assistant to David Cohen, he said those don't need to be sent until later. Unfortunately, we can't afford the help of a lawyer, so I keep reading threads but the results are confusing.. I don't want to risk the certificates to expire mid-processing, but I don't want our processing delayed because we didn't send the certificates yet. My minds is a giant ball of anxiety lately with worrying about doing things the wrong way.

[CharlieD10]

Thank you for the reassurance! We do have a savings account in which we are putting every spare penny we have for our resettlement needs.

Do you happen to know when the best time is to send medical records and FBI/State certificates? When I had a phone consult with an assistant to David Cohen, he said those don't need to be sent until later. Unfortunately, we can't afford the help of a lawyer, so I keep reading threads but the results are confusing.. I don't want to risk the certificates to expire mid-processing, but I don't want our processing delayed because we didn't send the certificates yet. My minds is a giant ball of anxiety lately with worrying about doing things the wrong way.

Since this is a spousal sponsorship, the medical records and FBI/State certificates are submitted WITH the application.  It is incomplete without them.  When you go to the DMP, he/she will give you a copy of the medical form that goes along with your application.

The FBI/State certificates can be no more than 3 months old when your application is submitted.  Once the application is submitted, they are valid for a year after the date they were issued.  The timeline for Buffalo is 11 months from start to finish, and most cases are finalised well before that, so it is unlikely you will need to re-do them.  If you don't have a record anywhere, it is possible you only need to do the FBI check.  If Buffalo decides they need the State certificates, they will ask for them.

[throwmyapples]

Since this is a spousal sponsorship, the medical records and FBI/State certificates are submitted WITH the application.  It is incomplete without them.  When you go to the DMP, he/she will give you a copy of the medical form that goes along with your application.

The FBI/State certificates can be no more than 3 months old when your application is submitted.  Once the application is submitted, they are valid for a year after the date they were issued.  The timeline for Buffalo is 11 months from start to finish, and most cases are finalised well before that, so it is unlikely you will need to re-do them.  If you don't have a record anywhere, it is possible you only need to do the FBI check.  If Buffalo decides they need the State certificates, they will ask for them.

Thank you for the clarity! I guess we will be delaying sending out our applications until we have submitted and gotten back our FBI papers. I'd rather be late than incomplete, though! I really appreciate the detail you went into with the validity periods of the documents. Thanks again!

[CharlieD10]

Thank you for the clarity! I guess we will be delaying sending out our applications until we have submitted and gotten back our FBI papers. I'd rather be late than incomplete, though! I really appreciate the detail you went into with the validity periods of the documents. Thanks again!

No problem, mon

The FBI has really stepped up processing time lately, so you won't need to wait too long for the reply.  I got mine back in 7 weeks, including 6 days spent in the mail to my husband in Canada.  I have seen others in 2011 getting their back in 5 weeks. 

Good luck