USA visitor sponsorship questions

[kingmingrey]

Question 1
I am a USA citizen who wants to get PR in Canada through sponsorship via my girlfriend. She is a Canadian citizen who lives and works in QC. I am confused which application to apply for. Here is my situation:
-My official address is in USA
-We have been living together for more than 2 years. I am a cosigner on our apartment's lease
-I travel to Canada as a visitor and stay no longer than 6 months at a time
-I do not have a Temporary residency or Visa (study, work)

Do I apply under spouse/common law partner or conjugal partner?

Question 2
My girlfriend is a Teacher and during the summer she receives unemployment. Unemployment stops at the start of the school year. The website says you can not be a sponsor if you receive social assistance. Is this considered social assistance? Should she stop or cancel her request for unemployment?

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Question 1
I am a USA citizen who wants to get PR in Canada through sponsorship via my girlfriend. She is a Canadian citizen who lives and works in QC. I am confused which application to apply for. Here is my situation:
-My official address is in USA
-We have been living together for more than 2 years. I am a cosigner on our apartment's lease
-I travel to Canada as a visitor and stay no longer than 6 months at a time
-I do not have a Temporary residency or Visa (study, work)

Do I apply under spouse/common law partner or conjugal partner?

Question 2
My girlfriend is a Teacher and during the summer she receives unemployment. Unemployment stops at the start of the school year. The website says you can not be a sponsor if you receive social assistance. Is this considered social assistance? Should she stop or cancel her request for unemployment?

1. Zero chance of conjugal. Have you actually lived together continuously for one year?

2. EI is not welfare.

 

[canuck78]

You didn't have to leave every 6 months you could have applied for an extension because you were trying to become common law.

 

[kingmingrey]

1. Zero chance of conjugal. Have you actually lived together continuously for one year?

What I have done is live together in blocks of just under 6 months then I leave Canada. I do travel for work. I have not spent a straight year waking up with her everyday.

 

[Elanigana]

Okay. So, you cannot apply yet. First things first, you need to come to Canada and stay for a year. To do that you need to apply for a visitor extension after 6 months of staying here. You can request a years extension for “common law” and you’ll most likely be approved. After a year- you can apply as common-law and request to stay in Canada during the length of your application.

Make sure your name is on things in Canada for proofs you’ve been living here.

 

[scylla]

What I have done is live together in blocks of just under 6 months then I leave Canada. I do travel for work. I have not spent a straight year waking up with her everyday.

You may not be common law in that case. How long have your breaks been? More than 2-3 weeks?

 

[kingmingrey]

You may not be common law in that case. How long have your breaks been? More than 2-3 weeks?

yes more than 2-3 weeks

 

[scylla]

yes more than 2-3 weeks

Unfortunately those breaks are too significant and IRCC will say this represents a break in the continuous cohabitation requirement that's needed to be classified as common law. At this point you have two choices. The first is to get married and apply as a married couple. The second is to leave for a full year together continuously - keeping any breaks minimal and short (less than two weeks). As of now, you don't meet the requirements to be sponsored for PR.

 

[kingmingrey]

The second is to leave for a full year together continuously.

Did you mean 'live' for a full year together

 

[YVR123]

Did you mean 'live' for a full year together

You need to live together for 12 continuous months to become common-law.

 

[kingmingrey]

After reviewing the time I spent in and outside Canada over the last 2 years, there has been a continuous 12 month block where I was never outside Canada for more than 2 weeks at a time (specifically July 1st 2016 - July 1st 2017). Would this qualify me as common law?

 

[KBH]

After reviewing the time I spent in and outside Canada over the last 2 years, there has been a continuous 12 month block where I was never outside Canada for more than 2 weeks at a time (specifically July 1st 2016 - July 1st 2017). Would this qualify me as common law?

How many trips away did you make during that time?

Do you have sufficient documentation (lease, IDs, bank statements, bills, etc) to prove you shared an address during that specific time period?