after 9 months of waiting, it's still so disappointing and discouraging

[britincanada]

Plumosa..I went into the RBC and opened an account with my passport and Visitors record..however because I dont have a sin I needed a co-signer (joint account with my husband)

 

[britincanada]

Well, it's too late to open a bank account now, what they want is a proof of common law relationship during that time, not right now...

And I DID send a statutory declaration of common-law, plus one solemn letter from my partner's friend signed by a lawyer, another 2 solemn letters signed in front of a commissioner of oath!

I think our problem is- we didn't plan to make such application beforehand, we didn't keep any evidence of our being together...but maybe, as Iarblue says, we separated for 2 weeks twice due to travel reasons during that 1 year period, that's why they are not satisfied...

CIC want to see ongoing proof of your relationship not just the 1 year of Co-habitation, yes this means 1 year of living together..and doesnt have to be the same place..my advice to you is;

- go and open a joint bank account
- have your partner put you on his life insurance as beneficiary
- send proof of emails, anything with your name on that proves you lived at the same address..this can even be junk mail, then something with his
name and same address that shows the same date roughly.
- Get his parents to sign a declaration stating that your relationship is real and that you lived in their home then get them to sign and a notary
public

You need to go way beyond the basic check list...CIC are looking for people to show more than they ask for when proving your relationship! Up date every 4 months or so for Inland applications

Here is a manual that may help you..

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english//resources/manuals/op/op02-eng.pdf

 

[jaune]

CIC want to see ongoing proof of your relationship not just the 1 year of Co-habitation, yes this means 1 year of living together..and doesnt have to be the same place..my advice to you is;

- go and open a joint bank account
- have your partner put you on his life insurance as beneficiary
- send proof of emails, anything with your name on that proves you lived at the same address..this can even be junk mail, then something with his
name and same address that shows the same date roughly.
- Get his parents to sign a declaration stating that your relationship is real and that you lived in their home then get them to sign and a notary
public

You need to go way beyond the basic check list...CIC are looking for people to show more than they ask for when proving your relationship! Up date every 4 months or so for Inland applications

Here is a manual that may help you..

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english//resources/manuals/op/op02-eng.pdf

Hello,

Thanks for your advice, however the letter I received stated that '' the proof you supplied isn't sufficient to establish that your relationship of common-law partner existed one year prior to the date of your permanent residence application'. You should submit more documents which were applicable to the period at least one year before the date of your application.''

So, I guess they really want us to prove our relationship during the 1-year period before the application. Of course it would help if we send proof showing that our relationship is ongoing...but I am not certain if opening a joint bank account or buying a life insurance thing is pertinent to do now...

 

[minna]

I think, in your case, if you truly can't come up with the evidence they are looking for, you should withdraw your application, re-group, plan out what evidence you will need, and set a date to re-apply. I think that in your case, joint bank accounts and proof of living together in the same place would be good - and save receipts!!! Maybe you can even re-apply now - since so much time has passed while your application is in process.

Absolutely, you need to prove that you were living together in a marriage-like relationship for 1 year before the date you filed you application. If you sent them proof of later than that time, they would not even look at it, I don't think. You must be eligible at the time you submit your application.

 

[jaune]

I think, in your case, if you truly can't come up with the evidence they are looking for, you should withdraw your application, re-group, plan out what evidence you will need, and set a date to re-apply. I think that in your case, joint bank accounts and proof of living together in the same place would be good - and save receipts!!! Maybe you can even re-apply now - since so much time has passed while your application is in process.

Absolutely, you need to prove that you were living together in a marriage-like relationship for 1 year before the date you filed you application. If you sent them proof of later than that time, they would not even look at it, I don't think. You must be eligible at the time you submit your application.

Minna,

I have supplied the lease and letters I have that proved we lived together for 1 year and 9 months before my application (letter from his mother and previous landlord in my home country). Apparently, showing that we live together isn't enough, I guess they want to see that we were indeed together at every point of our travels, this is something I only showed by the VISA stamps on our passports, perhaps they are not satisfied with this or they just simply overlooked the passport pages we sent. Or perhaps his mother's letter was not signed in front of a notary, it weighs less.
The short separation period caused problems too maybe (I didn't send any email exchange or something to prove that we were still sentimentally together)...

Anyway, I won't withdraw my application as we do have evidence and witnesses that can prove we are in a relationship and we did travel as a couple.

I will send:
- All email exchange during our short separation.
- All email exchange between us and the people who hosted us during our trip. ( we are in the community of Couch Surfing so one can even see that we did stay TOGETHER at a couchsurfer's place on his online profile page)
- Some emails from my partner or myself announcing this relationship to our friends
- more photos of our trips
- A solemn letter from his mother
- An receipt of plane tickets paid only by my partner's credit card.
- any mails that show we have the same address. (but I doubt it's useful as we've already proved it, what they suspect is the ONE YEAR period and that we were in love I guess)
- and of course a long description of our story and why we don't have joint bank account

What do you think?

 

[minna]

I think that couch surfing evidence is awesome!! when you send them back all that evidence, that will probably satisfy them.

that will definitely show you being together in different locations. I just meant that if you couldn't find that kind of evidence, then you might consider re-applying rather than be rejected, but if you can put together evidence, then I think you should be ok....of course, I"m not an IO, so what I think doesn't matter, but I would feel confident in my application. i think they just want a little more to prove you were actually together while traveling.

best of luck to you and I hope everything goes smoothly from here on.

 

[jaune]

I think that couch surfing evidence is awesome!! when you send them back all that evidence, that will probably satisfy them.

that will definitely show you being together in different locations. I just meant that if you couldn't find that kind of evidence, then you might consider re-applying rather than be rejected, but if you can put together evidence, then I think you should be ok....of course, I"m not an IO, so what I think doesn't matter, but I would feel confident in my application. i think they just want a little more to prove you were actually together while traveling.

best of luck to you and I hope everything goes smoothly from here on.

Thank you.

All these emails will take me so long to print out! But at least, I've learned to be more prudent now while facing this kind of immigration thing...

 

[plumosa]

- All email exchange between us and the people who hosted us during our trip. ( we are in the community of Couch Surfing so one can even see that we did stay TOGETHER at a couchsurfer's place on his online profile page)

yay for couchsurfers! I'm sending in some more proof next week (without prompting, just felt I needed more after reading this forum) and I'm definitely going to add CS proof now...I had highlighted all the same entry/exit stamps on our visa but after reading your results I feel it can only help, not hurt! Plus it falls under the 'having the same activities' thing that they seem to want to see.

 

[Asta]

yay for couchsurfers! I'm sending in some more proof next week (without prompting, just felt I needed more after reading this forum) and I'm definitely going to add CS proof now...I had highlighted all the same entry/exit stamps on our visa but after reading your results I feel it can only help, not hurt! Plus it falls under the 'having the same activities' thing that they seem to want to see.

so we can send more proof after application sent (5 months in my case), even if they dont ask for it? i was so eager to know if we can send and if it wont make it worse, would it look that we desperately trying to prove it?

i asked in this forum before but nobody replied to me. so u are sending more proof without them requesting for it? i feel like my proof not enough and i found more proof of us. i really wanna send it.

 

[plumosa]

so we can send more proof after application sent (5 months in my case), even if they dont ask for it? i was so eager to know if we can send and if it wont make it worse, would it look that we desperately trying to prove it?

i asked in this forum before but nobody replied to me. so u are sending more proof without them requesting for it? i feel like my proof not enough and i found more proof of us. i really wanna send it.

Well I already have an Acknowledgment of Receipt (AOR) from Buffalo with a TON of barcode stickers to put on the envelopes in case they ask for anything more.

Since you're filing inside, I'm not sure what the procedure is on that because insides take a lot more time.


I also had an odd situation where when we married it was just the two of us and I wrote on the application that we were having a formal ceremony with all the extended family on June 26th. Now that its happened, I am expecting them to ask for proof since I mentioned it in my application. I'm trying to be one step ahead! Plus since I'm already sending that stuff in, I might as well grab everything else that wasn't required but that I didn't send in---joint credit card/bank account, more proof of travels together, more photos, and an account of what the "real" ceremony was like in June.

 

[jillandmat]

Would it be annoying to send more proof?

 

[Asta]

CIC want to see ongoing proof of your relationship not just the 1 year of Co-habitation, yes this means 1 year of living together..and doesnt have to be the same place..my advice to you is;

- go and open a joint bank account
- have your partner put you on his life insurance as beneficiary
- send proof of emails, anything with your name on that proves you lived at the same address..this can even be junk mail, then something with his
name and same address that shows the same date roughly.
- Get his parents to sign a declaration stating that your relationship is real and that you lived in their home then get them to sign and a notary
public

You need to go way beyond the basic check list...CIC are looking for people to show more than they ask for when proving your relationship! Up date every 4 months or so for Inland applications

Here is a manual that may help you..

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english//resources/manuals/op/op02-eng.pdf

what do u mean - inland u have to update every 4 months or so? like sendin gmore proof every 4 months? can i know where did u get that from?

 

[jaune]

Hello all,

I am still preparing my documents to re-send, while I was collecting the documents, I have such concern:

The whole pile of document I'm sending contains a lot of our travel information, since during that one year period, we travelled a lot together, after all, we are both keen travellers and when we go on travels, we hitch-hike, do wild-camping, use couchsurfing, etc...I'm worried if that would give the IO an impression that we are not so serious or that our relationship is not stable or it is only based on ''adventures'', you know what I mean?

What do you think? Should I reduce the amount of info on our trips? But what if it's what they are most concerned (whether we were together or not during our trips)?

Many thanks!

 

[sbwv09]

It seems they need to have proof that you were living together during the time.. if you were living together on these adventures, it doesn't seem like you have a choice but to send them all that proof. I'm sure it will be fine.. sorry that you have to go through this

 

[plumosa]

Hello all,

I am still preparing my documents to re-send, while I was collecting the documents, I have such concern:

The whole pile of document I'm sending contains a lot of our travel information, since during that one year period, we travelled a lot together, after all, we are both keen travellers and when we go on travels, we hitch-hike, do wild-camping, use couchsurfing, etc...I'm worried if that would give the IO an impression that we are not so serious or that our relationship is not stable or it is only based on ''adventures'', you know what I mean?

What do you think? Should I reduce the amount of info on our trips? But what if it's what they are most concerned (whether we were together or not during our trips)?

Many thanks!

Well I think that its shows you're both the same sort of people that enjoy a similar lifestyle.

When I re-sent some information a couple of weeks ago I added both of our CS profiles and highlighted all of our references that were the same person (along with mentioning that locations are based on where the person is currently, not where they were when it was written and that the dates are from when they were written and not when it occurred) Plus a printout the two CS meetings list when we first met in London. A good lot of the CS references mention us as bf/gf so I think that helps tremendously so we don't look just like travel buddies.

I also sent a copy of my livejournal post where I first mention him and tell our story (including hitch-hiking) and have friends respond in the comments.


Having more information that you share a life together is great, its not the job of the IO to assess whether or not in 5 years (or whatever) when the time for adventures lessen that the relationship won't be as stable as it is now. They can only look at the information presented and see what assess the relationship in its current form, of which all this information helps establish a genuine relationship.