Proof of relationship

[Isometry]

My husband and I met in May 2008.
Sept 2010: Started dating
Dec 2010: Met in person
Feb 2011: Got engaged
May 2011: Got married

Here's what we have as proof of relationship:

+Phone bills showing calls/texts from Dec 2009-present. This is quite a lot of paper; should we just send, say, one page from each month?
+IM excerpts from Apr 2009-present. Not many of these; we're avoiding sending anything so full of video game references that a layperson would not understand it, anything overly sexual, or anything with profanity.
+Evidence from each visit:
++Itinerary showing plane schedule
++Paypal transfers showing that we split the cost of the tickets
++Passport stamps, when available
++Photocopies of boarding passes
++Photos, at least one from each visit
+Receipts from buying our engagement/wedding rings. These are the same; we bought rings for the engagement and then reused them for the wedding.
+Letters from friends stating that the relationship is genuine. We currently have 2 of these, one from one of my friends and one from one of his.
+Wedding photos

What else should we add? It doesn't feel like enough.

Will it be a problem that we have no evidence of communicating until a year after we first met?

We were originally planning for him to move to the States, and then decided against it. Would mentioning this in the application be taken as proof that we really just want to be in the same country? I still have the half-completed green card application and could actually send that to the CIC.

[CharlieD10]

The excerpts would be fine of the texts and phone bills.  Just let them know it's an excerpt and more are available on request.

It should not be a problem with you not communicating immediately after you met. 

What about family members? I notice you said you only have letters from one friend each.

[Admirable]

You have tons of proof but you shouldn't send too many things in. My package entailed documentation of the times that we spend together. Things like receipts, tickets, rentals, pictures etc. Today I was wondering if I should submit more proof because some people submitted the world. Now, I don't even think it's necessary. If I am called for an interview, I'll be sure to have emails, call logs, support letters as well as our future plans together. If you submit everything now and you're still called for an interview, what extra documentation can be submitted?

[Kedeisha]

I agree with admirable submit a good application and if they need more proof they  will ask, no need to bombard them with everything as that just make your application a longer one to look through.

[CharlieD10]

If you submit everything now and you're still called for an interview, what extra documentation can be submitted?

Presumably, once the OP has submitted their application, their relationship will not come to a grinding halt but will continue, and thereby continue to generate proof of its existence.  Therefore, between the submission of the application and a potential interview, they might call each other (phone bills), visit with each other (plane tickets and passport stamps), write letters, send gifts, any of a number of things can happen in between the submission and being requested to attend an interview. 

An application is retrospective, looking back on what has brought the couple to the point of applying for PR for the non-Canadian. Only the sponsor and applicant can know what will properly substantiate their individual relationship and can make a decision about how much is "too much".  What works for one relationship does not mean it will work for someone else, this is not a one-size-fits-all process.

[Isometry]

Our relationship has no major red flags that I know of. We're close in age (23 and 25) have similar educational backgrounds, no previous marriages, no criminal records, no major health problems, same native language, etc... I'm hoping it'll be a pretty straightforward case.

I am probably worrying too much about relationship proof because when we announced to friends that we were dating/engaged/married, only one person believed us. The rest took several weeks before they stopped thinking it was some sort of prank.

Also, a lot of our communication takes place via the chat functions in various video games, and over Ventrilo. So only a small portion of our actual communication has any record at all.

There are no letters from family because I only met his family once, briefly, on accident. He has not met my family yet at all, as I live about 600 miles away from them. There are plans to spend Christmas with my family and New Year's with his family this winter, though.

[CharlieD10]

I love Ventrilo!  My husband and I use it when we are online and don't want to be hampered with holding phones, LOL.  Usually because he is playing his video games. 

Mention your plans to spend time with your respective families.  It's good to be forward-looking and mention some of the things you plan to do as a couple that demonstrate the on-going and inter-dependent nature of your relationship.

There are no major red flags, as you mention.  Your compatibilities as to age, education, language etc will work well in your favour, and your being American/Canadian will also minimise any concerns about marrying for status.  Just substantiate your development as a couple clearly and your application is straightforward.

[Admirable]

Just submit what you do have. We all have similar cases but the details are different. No two immigration files are the same.

[cleo]

Just make sure you have a good variety of evidence.  Not just wedding photos.  We had a lot of photos that showed us with friends and family, letters from friends and family and screen shots from blog posts of ours and other peoples. We were very aware that this kind of evidence may be needed so we annoyed our family and friends and took our cameras everywhere we went together.  And, we met online as friends and didn't meet in person right away.  Actually, I think it made a stronger case that we were friends first.  Anyway,  it worked for us.  We'll be together in a month!

[Timemachine]

Do you still need a ton of evidence such as chat logs, etc if you and your partner have lived in the same city for the past 4 years?  My partner and I met in graduate school in the US which we attended for 4 years.  Since we have been physically together for the last 4 years, we don't have alot of chat logs, etc.  We do have lots of pictures, and other evidence.  Would this be sufficient?

[MandyUK]

I love Ventrilo!  My husband and I use it when we are online and don't want to be hampered with holding phones, LOL.  Usually because he is playing his video games. 

Mention your plans to spend time with your respective families.  It's good to be forward-looking and mention some of the things you plan to do as a couple that demonstrate the on-going and inter-dependent nature of your relationship.

There are no major red flags, as you mention.  Your compatibilities as to age, education, language etc will work well in your favour, and your being American/Canadian will also minimise any concerns about marrying for status.  Just substantiate your development as a couple clearly and your application is straightforward.

I get annoyed with vent when playing WOW, the in game chat is no better lol, but I do have to laugh cause i play on the american servers not the European, the first 20 mins of being in a raid when i first open my mouth is asking me where i am why im playing on this server blah blah blah, so usually say i have no mic now lmao, much easier.

[Kedeisha]

Do you still need a ton of evidence such as chat logs, etc if you and your partner have lived in the same city for the past 4 years?  My partner and I met in graduate school in the US which we attended for 4 years.  Since we have been physically together for the last 4 years, we don't have alot of chat logs, etc.  We do have lots of pictures, and other evidence.  Would this be sufficient?

If you don't have chat logs then that is fine in the development of the relationshipjust write that you have taken many trips and outings together since you have been together the last 4 years and submit pictures you might want to reference a pic with a trip ie. LA summer 2010, NYC winter 2009 etc just so the pictures can tell the span of the relationship

[AllisonVSC]

Check out the OP 2 manual here http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/manuals/op/op02-eng.pdf
especially sections 5.25 and 5.26 where the manual explains what they define as the characteristics of conjugal relationships and assessment of those relationships. It also gives great pointers towards those 4 interdependencies and a list of examples. Try to give a good variety of evidence, as cleo said "not just wedding photos" across those interdependencies, if at all possible.

[madatito2000]

Our relationship has no major red flags that I know of. We're close in age (23 and 25) have similar educational backgrounds, no previous marriages, no criminal records, no major health problems, same native language, etc... I'm hoping it'll be a pretty straightforward case.

I am probably worrying too much about relationship proof because when we announced to friends that we were dating/engaged/married, only one person believed us. The rest took several weeks before they stopped thinking it was some sort of prank.

do u have phone bills that showing phone calling between both of you and texting each other anything with finicial support or sharing
ithink if u have those thing that u said first you will very much approved and idont think that there any needs for the letters from family or friends bcz this is only for commoan law partner and conjunal and ithink that u and ur partner are spouses and married

[Admirable]

You can get a bill that shows text messages sent and received over the years?

If so, I never knew this!!! I have changed phones several times in the past 3 years and switched my plan in the past year even though I kept my number.