Common-law date confusion

[AD01]

Hello.

I am really confused regarding the common-law effective date. So I will state all the dates here so someone can help me figure it out.

I am an international student in Canada. I entered Canada on a study permit on August 24, 2017. I met my Canadian girlfriend in October 2017. We were just good friends till July 2018. On August 1 2018, we moved in together and we started a conjugal relationship. We lived at that place for one year - however, we don't have a lease agreement that says my name on it as my girl friend took care of everything from bills and etc. Then we finally moved to another place on August 1, 2019 when our new lease started and we both had our names together on it too. We have been living together since in the same place and now finally in May, 2021 applying for a common law sponsorship. So now, we have to fill in our application "the effective date when we entered a common-law relationship and here are the dates I am confused about.

1. August 1, 2018 - the date we started our conjugal relation - not the one year mark. This is just the starting date.

2. August 1, 2019 - when we actually were done living together for a year conjugally. However, my name is not on the lease and didn't change any address on my bank account and etc. to that address so I am worried how will I prove it.

3. August 1, 2020 - we are done living together with all the proof including lease and bank statements. Is this the most potential date I should put?.

4. I have a consultant I have been asking stuff to. He told me that common-law date can be any date. One can decide to be common-law today too if they want to. However, the one year term is just what CIC wants as proof.

So now I am confused. Is the date I should put August 1, 2020 but then if I put that, going with my consultants advice, that way I won't have a year's proof after that- I do have a year's proof before.

Also, if someone puts their date lets say Jan 1 2020. Should they provide proof of one year of 2020(the following year), or 2019 (the year before till that date)?


Please help me guys. It will be highly appreciated.

 

[armoured]

I would put August 2019 and include a letter saying you have been living together for two and a half years, since August 2018, continuously, but only have docs since 2019. That will still be sufficient and over the twelve months. Explain a bit more if you wish so that it's explicit.

If you have ANY evidence from before August 2019, still include as it will strengthen the case somewhat.

The instructions say to put the date one year after you started cohabiting - although we had a case here where the officer wrote that they had not lived together one year because they wrote this date instead of start date. In other words the officer didn't realize the instructions said to do that. (The applicant was okay in the end as they accepted the explanation as I recall)

It won't be a problem in your case because you still have well more than twelve months.)

 

[AD01]

I would put August 2019 and include a letter saying you have been living together for two and a half years, since August 2018, continuously, but only have docs since 2019. That will still be sufficient and over the twelve months. Explain a bit more if you wish so that it's explicit.

If you have ANY evidence from before August 2019, still include as it will strengthen the case somewhat.

The instructions say to put the date one year after you started cohabiting - although we had a case here where the officer wrote that they had not lived together one year because they wrote this date instead of start date. In other words the officer didn't realize the instructions said to do that. (The applicant was okay in the end as they accepted the explanation as I recall)

It won't be a problem in your case because you still have well more than twelve months.)

Thank you!

 

[armoured]

Thank you!

Good luck. I think the common law 'date' question is far less important than providing good evidence of your cohabitation, of course.