Well, I think we've just about got it...
My fiancee and I have been cohabiting for 16 months in Panama. I'm going to apply to sponsor her PR. We think we have a strong application - we'd really appreciate what you guys think of our relationship-corroborating documents, though. As I understand it, that's kind of the meat and potatoes of the whole thing.
We aren't sure about this part of the application. I've been on vacation for a long time, and am coming back home to Canada to accept a position in management of a company there. In addition, Panama is very much a cash society - we don't have a joint bank account because I'm not a resident, and we don't have joint bills because everything is addressed to "Building Name/Unit Number". The long and the short of it is that we have little financial backing for our claims.
Along with all the things on the checklist, we are sending:
A joint residential lease lasting one year
A letter from my (new) employer listing my salary and the terms of my employment
Photocopies of the stamps in my passport from making "visa runs" between Costa Rica and Panama (in order to stay with her)
About 100 photographs of us doing different things together, and with family
Descriptions of each other in our own words
Anecdotal evidence from 6 different parties (parents and friends from both sides) supporting our relationship
We are able to provide anecdotal evidence from dozens of parties if it would benefit the application
Call logs from Skype for one of the two times we've been separated for more than a weekend
Phone bills from Canada for the other time
Copies of her university degrees (design and marketing bachelors' to demonstrate that she can maintain herself financially and will not abuse Canada's social systems
We are also sending applications for her TRV extension (open work permit) and of course, permanent residency simultaneously.
One thing we are NOT sending is my last year's tax report - having earned $0 (remember, I was on vacation), I didn't file one.
My questions, I suppose, are thus:
1. do you have any other suggestions for support documentation? is what we have hopefully sufficient?
2. Will the letter from my employer stating my income be enough to cover the lack of last year's T4?
3. Does she need to have any "settlement funds" to get PR? If so, how much?
4. Would it be in any way beneficial to get married -before- sending the application (inland) or -during- its processing?
Thank you VERY much for any help you might be able to provide... as you know, this means the world to us!
My fiancee and I have been cohabiting for 16 months in Panama. I'm going to apply to sponsor her PR. We think we have a strong application - we'd really appreciate what you guys think of our relationship-corroborating documents, though. As I understand it, that's kind of the meat and potatoes of the whole thing.
We aren't sure about this part of the application. I've been on vacation for a long time, and am coming back home to Canada to accept a position in management of a company there. In addition, Panama is very much a cash society - we don't have a joint bank account because I'm not a resident, and we don't have joint bills because everything is addressed to "Building Name/Unit Number". The long and the short of it is that we have little financial backing for our claims.
Along with all the things on the checklist, we are sending:
A joint residential lease lasting one year
A letter from my (new) employer listing my salary and the terms of my employment
Photocopies of the stamps in my passport from making "visa runs" between Costa Rica and Panama (in order to stay with her)
About 100 photographs of us doing different things together, and with family
Descriptions of each other in our own words
Anecdotal evidence from 6 different parties (parents and friends from both sides) supporting our relationship
We are able to provide anecdotal evidence from dozens of parties if it would benefit the application
Call logs from Skype for one of the two times we've been separated for more than a weekend
Phone bills from Canada for the other time
Copies of her university degrees (design and marketing bachelors' to demonstrate that she can maintain herself financially and will not abuse Canada's social systems
We are also sending applications for her TRV extension (open work permit) and of course, permanent residency simultaneously.
One thing we are NOT sending is my last year's tax report - having earned $0 (remember, I was on vacation), I didn't file one.
My questions, I suppose, are thus:
1. do you have any other suggestions for support documentation? is what we have hopefully sufficient?
2. Will the letter from my employer stating my income be enough to cover the lack of last year's T4?
3. Does she need to have any "settlement funds" to get PR? If so, how much?
4. Would it be in any way beneficial to get married -before- sending the application (inland) or -during- its processing?
Thank you VERY much for any help you might be able to provide... as you know, this means the world to us!