Common Law relationship

[DapperEye6789]

Hello,

I applied for my PGWP in April 2024. My partner and I started living together on January 1, 2024. I applied as single because we had only been living together for three months at that time.

Later, we received an invitation and I included him in my PR application as my common-law partner.

In the form, we listed the “start of common-law” as January 1, 2024 (the day we moved in together). I now realize it should have been January 1, 2025.

Our address history correctly shows that we started living together on January 1, 2024. However, in our declaration of common-law, we wrote that we had cohabited in a conjugal relationship for two consecutive years from January 1, 2024 to present.

Our PR application has now been sent today, February 12th, and I am very worried that I made a serious mistake. Could this cause our application to be denied? Should we email IRCC? what should we do?

 

[PP1984]

Hello,

I applied for my PGWP in April 2024. My partner and I started living together on January 1, 2024. I applied as single because we had only been living together for three months at that time.

Later, we received an invitation and I included him in my PR application as my common-law partner.

In the form, we listed the “start of common-law” as January 1, 2024 (the day we moved in together). I now realize it should have been January 1, 2025.

Our address history correctly shows that we started living together on January 1, 2024. However, in our declaration of common-law, we wrote that we had cohabited in a conjugal relationship for two consecutive years from January 1, 2024 to present.

Our PR application has now been sent today, February 12th, and I am very worried that I made a serious mistake. Could this cause our application to be denied? Should we email IRCC? what should we do?

Common law status starts once you complete one year of cohabiting. It is not the date you start living; it is the date when one year is completed.

In your case, if you started living together on 1 Jan 2024, you are in common law on 1 Jan 2025. So in your case, “start of common-law” as January 1, 2024 is incorrect. It should have been 1 Jan 2025. Address history is okay; it is showing from 1 jan 2024.

I think your declaration of common law should have the date 1 jan 25. In my case, I wrote the date after one year was completed in the IMM5409 form.

May be , get the updated IMM 5409 and an explanation letter and submit via webform. IRCC will add this as an additional document in your file so that visa officer can review and see this.

 

[leoajqnby]

It looks like the issue is the date you listed for the start of your common-law relationship. IRCC mainly wants accurate and consistent information. Since your address history correctly shows when you moved in together, that part is consistent. Listing the common-law start date incorrectly might be seen as a minor error rather than fraud, especially if everything else matches. You don’t need to panic, but you can submit a Web Form to IRCC to clarify the correct start date, explaining it was an honest mistake. Keep all supporting documents ready in case they ask for proof.