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iam_toby

VIP Member
Feb 4, 2013
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Couldn't find a whole lot of information about this topic, only one thread that
was fairly close, but the OP had joint leases or accounts

http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/declaration-of-a-canadian-common-law-partner-after-cec-application-submitted-t157511.0.html

So here's my situation.
I moved in with my girlfriend in April 2013, she bought the house on her name and I'm not included in the title.
We don't have a joint bank account or anything ( yet ), and no utility bill has my name on it.
One could say I live there on rent, or at least that's what it looks like on papers.
I applied under the CEC in September 2013 and don't expect my application to be approved before April 2014,
when we, according to CIC rules become Common-law.
My girlfriend is Canadian citizen by birth.

Do I have to change my marital status at all? Since she is Canadian citizen?
And if I do have to change my status, what documents would I submit?


Thanks a ton.
 
I don't think you have to submit anything till you hit 1 year mark as common-law.

In my case, I contacted CPP-Ottawa and their initial response said that I do not have to submit anything at the moment as we have not reached 1 year mark.
2wks ago, I received another email from CPP-O to provode a signed Declaration of Common Law as well as a copy of passport of your common-law partner as I may be considered as common-law by the time I obtain my PR.

So I guess you'd have to submit these two documents to CPP-O in April 2014.
 
Ottawa10 said:
I don't think you have to submit anything till you hit 1 year mark as common-law.

In my case, I contacted CPP-Ottawa and their initial response said that I do not have to submit anything at the moment as we have not reached 1 year mark.
2wks ago, I received another email from CPP-O to provode a signed Declaration of Common Law as well as a copy of passport of your common-law partner as I may be considered as common-law by the time I obtain my PR.

So I guess you'd have to submit these two documents to CPP-O in April 2014.

I looked at the form and none of the given options apply to our relationship, hope paystubs and phone bills
will be sufficient to proof that we've been living at the same address for 12 months.
We don't have co-signed documents or joint bank accounts.
 
I was in exactly the same situation: when I filed, I wasn't common-law, now I am. My boyfriend is also a citizen.
I didn't tell CIC when we became common-law - my lawyer said to wait until RPRf when they ask if your family composition has changed - at this point, I sent my boyfriend's passport and let them know we were now common-law. I didn't fill in the form or declaration though
 
lpc19800 said:
I was in exactly the same situation: when I filed, I wasn't common-law, now I am. My boyfriend is also a citizen.
I didn't tell CIC when we became common-law - my lawyer said to wait until RPRf when they ask if your family composition has changed - at this point, I sent my boyfriend's passport and let them know we were now common-law. I didn't fill in the form or declaration though

That's kinda what I thought I would do, since I don't have any documentation for the time we've been living together apart
from bills addressed to the same address.
 
It would be interesting to see if they have a problem with not being able to prove the relationship - she's a Canadian citizen and your pr application isn't sponsorship etc so would they even care that there's no proof?
 
lpc19800 said:
It would be interesting to see if they have a problem with not being able to prove the relationship - she's a Canadian citizen and your pr application isn't sponsorship etc so would they even care that there's no proof?

That's exactly what I hope will be the outcome. I tell them I am in a common-law relationship with citizen and hope
they don't ask for any proof, as she's not sponsoring me in any way, she only happens to live and love at the same address ;D