+1(514) 937-9445 or Toll-free (Canada & US) +1 (888) 947-9445

Common Law Sponsorship | Is this cohabitation proof enough?

ishyfishy

Star Member
Dec 5, 2019
52
15
Hi everyone,

I've seen quite a few posts about cohabitation proof and I just wanted to know if the proof we'll be sending is decent:

1) Rental application with both our names on it. (August 2018 - August 2019, we're now on month-to-month)
2) 1+ year worth of MY credit card statements showing the same address
3) 1+ year worth of HER credit card statements showing the same address
4) 4-5 months worth of joint credit card statements, with her added as an authorized user and showing that she's made household purchases on the card.
5) CRA notice of assessments for both of us for 2018 showing same address
6) Mobile phone bills for last 10 months showing same address.
8) Lots of Amazon receipts showing both our names (billing name, shipping name) and the same address, spanning the last year.
9) Her UK police certificate, and my driver licence showing the same address (does this count as minimum of 1 government issued documents showing showing same address?)
10) Costco membership and cards, showing that she's added as a household member on my membership. This doubles also as financial support proof

A few other things I'll explain,
1) The company we get internet from (Teksavvy) don't allow 2 names on the invoice
2) I've added her as a "Spouse/Roommate" on the hydro bill website (BC Hydro), but I realised that she wasn't on any of the invoices (we only get invoiced once every 2 months). Apparently they don't automatically add partners name on the invoices and we have to call and make a special request. So they'll do this from now on, but for the last year the invoices only have my name...

Of course we have a lotta other things showing financial support, but I'm mainly concerned with if we have enough cohabitation proof.

Thanks in advance!
 

Kiwiguy

Newbie
Dec 9, 2019
4
0
We also sent letters from both parents stating our relationship was genuine, I had also been to canada to visit her parents. (We are outland)
I cant remember if we sent Facebook messages, but definitely lots of photos.
 

ishyfishy

Star Member
Dec 5, 2019
52
15
We also sent letters from both parents stating our relationship was genuine, I had also been to canada to visit her parents. (We are outland)
I cant remember if we sent Facebook messages, but definitely lots of photos.
We have letters from my best friend who stayed at out apartment, her mum, my sister, her uncle And aunt, and my mum :)

We also have hundreds of pages of whatsapp chats, since we did long distance before, but we'll send a few pages only. We've Included 20 photos as well
 
  • Like
Reactions: Kiwiguy

russ6970

VIP Member
Sep 14, 2017
3,067
627
Newfoundland
Category........
FAM
LANDED..........
31-12-2020
Hi everyone,

I've seen quite a few posts about cohabitation proof and I just wanted to know if the proof we'll be sending is decent:

1) Rental application with both our names on it. (August 2018 - August 2019, we're now on month-to-month)
2) 1+ year worth of MY credit card statements showing the same address
3) 1+ year worth of HER credit card statements showing the same address
4) 4-5 months worth of joint credit card statements, with her added as an authorized user and showing that she's made household purchases on the card.
5) CRA notice of assessments for both of us for 2018 showing same address
6) Mobile phone bills for last 10 months showing same address.
8) Lots of Amazon receipts showing both our names (billing name, shipping name) and the same address, spanning the last year.
9) Her UK police certificate, and my driver licence showing the same address (does this count as minimum of 1 government issued documents showing showing same address?)
10) Costco membership and cards, showing that she's added as a household member on my membership. This doubles also as financial support proof

A few other things I'll explain,
1) The company we get internet from (Teksavvy) don't allow 2 names on the invoice
2) I've added her as a "Spouse/Roommate" on the hydro bill website (BC Hydro), but I realised that she wasn't on any of the invoices (we only get invoiced once every 2 months). Apparently they don't automatically add partners name on the invoices and we have to call and make a special request. So they'll do this from now on, but for the last year the invoices only have my name...

Of course we have a lotta other things showing financial support, but I'm mainly concerned with if we have enough cohabitation proof.

Thanks in advance!
As long as you have things on the checklist. I had same address, government stuff, letters from my parents and her sister, money being transferred from our accounts. Didn't supply texts and all that as it was not needed if you had more than the minimum things on the checklist. Are you mentioning each other as spouses on the CRA bills. WE have done that.
 

ishyfishy

Star Member
Dec 5, 2019
52
15
What you've got looks pretty good :)
Thanks for your confirmation :)

As long as you have things on the checklist. I had same address, government stuff, letters from my parents and her sister, money being transferred from our accounts. Didn't supply texts and all that as it was not needed if you had more than the minimum things on the checklist. Are you mentioning each other as spouses on the CRA bills. WE have done that.
That's great to know! We have changed our marital status to Common Law on CRA yes, but we don't have any CRA bills that mention each other as spouses in particular. We entered the common-law status after the 2018 tax return, so there was no way for us to do that!
 

russ6970

VIP Member
Sep 14, 2017
3,067
627
Newfoundland
Category........
FAM
LANDED..........
31-12-2020
I didn't include our tax returns, but they will probably check that anyway. I am from the UK and have been here since 2015, so I don't think there will be any issues.
 

canuck_in_uk

VIP Member
May 4, 2012
31,558
7,196
Visa Office......
London
App. Filed.......
06/12
Thanks for your confirmation :)


That's great to know! We have changed our marital status to Common Law on CRA yes, but we don't have any CRA bills that mention each other as spouses in particular. We entered the common-law status after the 2018 tax return, so there was no way for us to do that!
You can print out your marital status from your online CRA account.

Chats/texts/etc. are only required for couples not living together.
 

canuck_in_uk

VIP Member
May 4, 2012
31,558
7,196
Visa Office......
London
App. Filed.......
06/12
I didn't include our tax returns, but they will probably check that anyway. I am from the UK and have been here since 2015, so I don't think there will be any issues.
IRCC can't check tax returns without specific authorization, which is not given in a spousal app.
 

wsidd

Star Member
Jul 15, 2019
199
21
Can I ask how you were able to add her to your phone bill? When I checked for my spouse, all the phone companies said he needed social insurance number and Alberta licence to get a phone under his name and address.
 

Musti82

Star Member
Oct 9, 2017
100
40
Hi everyone,

I've seen quite a few posts about cohabitation proof and I just wanted to know if the proof we'll be sending is decent:

1) Rental application with both our names on it. (August 2018 - August 2019, we're now on month-to-month)
2) 1+ year worth of MY credit card statements showing the same address
3) 1+ year worth of HER credit card statements showing the same address
4) 4-5 months worth of joint credit card statements, with her added as an authorized user and showing that she's made household purchases on the card.
5) CRA notice of assessments for both of us for 2018 showing same address
6) Mobile phone bills for last 10 months showing same address.
8) Lots of Amazon receipts showing both our names (billing name, shipping name) and the same address, spanning the last year.
9) Her UK police certificate, and my driver licence showing the same address (does this count as minimum of 1 government issued documents showing showing same address?)
10) Costco membership and cards, showing that she's added as a household member on my membership. This doubles also as financial support proof

A few other things I'll explain,
1) The company we get internet from (Teksavvy) don't allow 2 names on the invoice
2) I've added her as a "Spouse/Roommate" on the hydro bill website (BC Hydro), but I realised that she wasn't on any of the invoices (we only get invoiced once every 2 months). Apparently they don't automatically add partners name on the invoices and we have to call and make a special request. So they'll do this from now on, but for the last year the invoices only have my name...

Of course we have a lotta other things showing financial support, but I'm mainly concerned with if we have enough cohabitation proof.

Thanks in advance!
i think its pretty good, i applied under spouse and i only had a banking account with joint names, and me naming her spouse on my work insurance, because she moved in to my house, you cant add her on to my title without going through lawyer, so majority of the bills were under my name. I try to show money transfer from her to me and to our joint account, tax returns coming into our account.

I think you have decent amount of proof.
 

ishyfishy

Star Member
Dec 5, 2019
52
15
Can I ask how you were able to add her to your phone bill? When I checked for my spouse, all the phone companies said he needed social insurance number and Alberta licence to get a phone under his name and address.
Sorry, I should have clarified! I wasn't able to add her to my phone bill, but I referred her to the company we're using for cell service. The 10 months of invoices I have are again separate for her and me, but they show the same address!

i think its pretty good, i applied under spouse and i only had a banking account with joint names, and me naming her spouse on my work insurance, because she moved in to my house, you cant add her on to my title without going through lawyer, so majority of the bills were under my name. I try to show money transfer from her to me and to our joint account, tax returns coming into our account.

I think you have decent amount of proof.
Thanks for your reassurance!
 

wsidd

Star Member
Jul 15, 2019
199
21
Sorry, I should have clarified! I wasn't able to add her to my phone bill, but I referred her to the company we're using for cell service. The 10 months of invoices I have are again separate for her and me, but they show the same address!


Thanks for your reassurance!
Wait, so she was able to get her own phone and number? Can I ask which company? Again, all the companies I spoke with required SIN for my spouse, so I'd be really interested to know which company she's able to sign up with. Thanks!
 

ishyfishy

Star Member
Dec 5, 2019
52
15
Wait, so she was able to get her own phone and number? Can I ask which company? Again, all the companies I spoke with required SIN for my spouse, so I'd be really interested to know which company she's able to sign up with. Thanks!
We're with Public Mobile. I don't remember if she got asked for her SIN number.. but she does have one! She's on the IEC working holiday visa so she got her SIN number on landing!