What additional documents did you put in with your application?

[ColorMePanda]

I could really use some ideas.
I don't want to screw this up.

Btw, my partner and I will have lived together for a year in November but I am afraid I will get my extension news saying to leave before then. If I have to leave before that date, what should I do?

I don't want to start the count all over again.
Is there a time limit that I can be away from my partner and it still count towards the 1 year?

[ColorMePanda]

Please. I need help.

I want to make sure I make us look good.
How did you all organize your application?

[rjessome]

Have you and your partner considered getting married?

[ColorMePanda]

Have you and your partner considered getting married?

That would only cost more money that we don't have, along with time, and then it really would look like we got married just for the immigration. Plus I would have to change my last name on everything. It would get complicated.

[rjessome]

You wouldn't have to change your name on anything.  In Canada it's legal to keep your maiden name.

But anyway, fair enough.

In order to qualify as common-law, you and your partner must live together continuously for 12 months.  So no, there is no acceptable break in that.

You've written lots of lists on this forum about what you are including and they look good.  It's the standard stuff when it comes to proof. Letters, emails, chats, phone records (from before you started living together and maybe during), pictures of the two of you, pictures of you with his family, pictures of him with your family, tickets or receipts from any trips you've taken together, etc.

[ColorMePanda]

What steps do you have to take to get married?

Will it look bad the next time I travel to Canada if I say I am seeing my husband?
What will they ask?

And so when you are married it doesn't matter how long you live together? Correct?
So I could go home for a year if I wanted to and work as well as get a job and it would still look good on our application.

Sorry for all the questions but I always have a lot of questions. Lol.
I hate my brain sometimes for thinking too much. Just wish I could tell it to shut up.

[diddagirl]

My b/f and I are applying common law (mailing our app Oct 1st when we have officially lived together for 1 yr)

We are organizing our application like this:

1. Sponsors' documents
-Application to Sponsor and Undertaking
-Sponsorship Agreement
-Sponsorship Evaluation
-Sponsorship Questionnaire
-Proof of fee
-Copy of Canadian birth cert
-Copy of Canadian passport
-Original employment letter
-Copy of T4
-Original Option C printout

2. Principal Applicants Documents
-Application for permanent residence
-Schedule 1 Background/Declaration
-Sponsored Spouse/Partner Questionnaire
-Additional family info
-Four recent imm photos
-Appendix A/B/C for additional answers to questions in spouse questionnaire
-Original proof of medical
-Original FBI clearance
-Original IL police clearance
-Copy of American passport
-Copy of American naturalization documents

3. Supporting Documents
-Copy of joint lease agreement
-Copy of joint credit card statement
-Copy of joint cable statement
-Copy of RRSP showing spouse as my beneficiary
-Copy of car insurance, showing my b/f as a principal driver of one of my cars
-Original statutory common law declaration
-letter for support from me (sponsor)
-letter of support from applicant
-letter of support from mother/friends/sister
-Copy of photo's together/ with each others family. About 25 from over the course of 5 years
-Copies of our travel together plus photos of travel together
-Copy of itineraries and tickets to see each other
-Copy of mail (envelope) of personal mail addressed to both of us

I have created a title page naming the 3 categories, each category has its own table of contents and then I will attach all 3 packets together with a big clip of some sort... Everything seems super organized this way and will hopefully aid the IO in processing our app quickly! (fingers crossed...)

[ColorMePanda]

My b/f and I are applying common law (mailing our app Oct 1st when we have officially lived together for 1 yr)

We are organizing our application like this:

1. Sponsors' documents
-Application to Sponsor and Undertaking
-Sponsorship Agreement
-Sponsorship Evaluation
-Sponsorship Questionnaire
-Proof of fee
-Copy of Canadian birth cert
-Copy of Canadian passport
-Original employment letter
-Copy of T4
-Original Option C printout

2. Principal Applicants Documents
-Application for permanent residence
-Schedule 1 Background/Declaration
-Sponsored Spouse/Partner Questionnaire
-Additional family info
-Four recent imm photos
-Appendix A/B/C for additional answers to questions in spouse questionnaire
-Original proof of medical
-Original FBI clearance
-Original IL police clearance
-Copy of American passport
-Copy of American naturalization documents

3. Supporting Documents
-Copy of joint lease agreement
-Copy of joint credit card statement
-Copy of joint cable statement
-Copy of RRSP showing spouse as my beneficiary
-Copy of car insurance, showing my b/f as a principal driver of one of my cars
-Original statutory common law declaration
-letter for support from me (sponsor)
-letter of support from applicant
-letter of support from mother/friends/sister
-Copy of photo's together/ with each others family. About 25 from over the course of 5 years
-Copies of our travel together plus photos of travel together
-Copy of itineraries and tickets to see each other
-Copy of mail (envelope) of personal mail addressed to both of us

I have created a title page naming the 3 categories, each category has its own table of contents and then I will attach all 3 packets together with a big clip of some sort... Everything seems super organized this way and will hopefully aid the IO in processing our app quickly! (fingers crossed...)

May I ask how you got all of these joint accounts and all?
My bf and I went to the bank and tried to set up a joint account but none that we tried will let us unless I have a PR card or Newfoundland license (since I am living in Newfoundland now) or some sort of Canadian government document.

I would just like to know your advice on how to get these things set up.
And they also said we can't have a joint credit card without PR status.
Seems like all of this immigration stuff contradicts itself, or is that just me?

[diddagirl]

May I ask how you got all of these joint accounts and all?
My bf and I went to the bank and tried to set up a joint account but none that we tried will let us unless I have a PR card or Newfoundland license (since I am living in Newfoundland now) or some sort of Canadian government document.

I would just like to know your advice on how to get these things set up.
And they also said we can't have a joint credit card without PR status.
Seems like all of this immigration stuff contradicts itself, or is that just me?

My b/f didnt need a PR to set up his bank account, he did however need to show proof of his work visa.

As for me adding his name onto my credit card (thats literally all I did)- they asked nothing and needed to see no visa's so if your b/f has a credit card, have him call to add you to his account. You will get issued your own card and your name will appear on the bills (a copy of which you can include in your sponsorship application)

No proof of residency needed to add him as my beneficiary, nor for him to sign a lease.

Good luck!

[rnbacchus]

My husband (US citizen) and I (Canadian citizen) opened up joint accounts at the Bank of Montreal.  I have been a customer with them for several years, so perhaps that made a difference but I doubt it.  My husband was asked to provide two pieces of photo ID, and he used his WA driver's license and his US passport.  We opened up a chequing account and a savings account.

It's strange that the bank you visited told you that you could not open up an account with your boyfriend without Canadian documents.  Before opening up our joint accounts at BMO, my husband opened his own account at HSBC only using his US ID.  If you went to a private bank, perhaps they have their own rules, but most major banks should allow you to open a joint account with your Canadian boyfriend.