Questions about PR application.

[ColorMePanda]

I have read all the necessary guides but still confused. Please clear these up for me.

What documents and forms should my boyfriend send in with his application? (he will be the sponsor)
What documents should I include with my application? (principal applicant)

Also about the criminal background check, what documents do I need to include?
Where and how would I get these? I am from the United States by the way.
How long does it take to get these back?

What happens when you get the medical exam? Will the doctors mail something off that day after getting it done and what should I get back for the doctor to be put in the application?

And are pictures, IM's, cards, and letters from friends and family enough evidence to proof our relationship?

What forms should I gather first and last before mailing the application? I want to make sure everything is valid in time to mail the application off.

[diddagirl]

You need to send all the forms included in the checklist for the Sponsor, and the Principal Applicant and mail them TOGETHER. Check out the CIC website at http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/sponsor/spouse-apply-how.asp

Easiest way is to click on your region (USA) and request an application package be mailed to you. This will include all the forms you need to fill out, and has to document checklist.

You need to request a criminal background check from both the FBI and any state that you have lived in longer then a year.
You can get the FBI information here http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cjisd/fprequest.htm and the state information is available on the CIC website as well... or heck even just google it for each particular state ex) I googled Illinois criminal background check, and was brought to the appropriate Illinois state Police site. In your PR application, you need to include the letter that you recieve back from the FBI/State Police- indicating that you have no criminal record etc...
Both the FBI and each state charges a fee for requesting the background checks. Its different everywhere... so just look it up for whatever state(s) you are dealing with. Indicate on the envelope as well as on the request form that its for immigration purposes and what date you need it by. There is obviously no guarantees, and they can take anywhere from 2 weeks to 10 weeks to get back to you.

You still seem to have alot of questions- most of which can simply be answered in your application packet. Send away for that- read it all over a couple times and I am sure things will become a little more clear.

[ColorMePanda]

If it takes like for example 8 weeks to get the things back for criminal record, is it only valid for one more month?
Or does the form not start being valid until I get the document back?

[shamrock]

Both medical and criminal record check are valid for one year.

You can find more about both of these by going here:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/medical-criminal.asp

[Rasha]

Also just want to jump in and say, the medical and police checks are the last things you should do when completing your application - if you do them first, the countdown starts from the date of them .....you have 12 months on the medical, and 3 months on the police check [the CIC-M needs to receive them both before this time frame].

The reason people do them last is to extend the amount of time they have on those two documents [medical and security clearance] so as to not have to redo them [they cost $$$].

And to answer your question - you have 3 months or 12 weeks from the date on those records, that they need to be received by and in the office of the CIC-M. [So if it takes 8 weeks to get them back, you would have an additional 4 weeks, give or take a week, depending on what the date on the actual records returned to you is, for those records (and your application) to be received by CIC-M].