How to prove relationship? / Inland spousal sponsorship / US Spouse.

[seraphdreams]

Hello!
I've read through the forum quite extensively, and am about to apply for inland sponsorship for my spouse with open work permit.
She currently is on a visitor's extension, so no need to restore. She is also a US Citizen.

I am having a problem with ensuring that I have enough evidences to support the relationship.

Currently we have:
-Joint lease
-Joint renter's insurance
-Named beneficiary on my workplace benefits with spousal life insurance
-Joint bank account (although unused / no need without OWP)
-Both parties are on one cell phone bill.
-Considerable documentary evidence of the change of status with CRA, Employer, etc
-I do make over the required sponsorship minimums if including dependents. Although had some periods of unemployment in the last 5 years.

The problem we have:
- We only have a total of six pictures of us together. We don't actually leave the house much due to my work schedule, (12h nightshifts) COVID-19 no social connections within the region that we live, and our interests as online gamers.
- Have made no trips at all.
- No wedding gifts / cards / etc.
- Honeymoon was a day trip with as we had other life issues that week (One cat getting spayed, and adopting a second one).
- Only one wedding picture of us after we signed the legal marriage documents, no ceremony was had.
- Neither of our family knows we've been married. Nor do a lot of our close friends (to prevent families from being informed). However most of our online friends and people I work with (families are across the continent) know.
- No phone records to each other.......Or very few, we mostly use discord to chat.
- Age gap of 12 years between the two of us. (She is 22, I'm 34)
- All expenses are covered out of my account.
- No shared vehicle or vehicle insurance (we don't have one)
-Under the 2 year requirement (been married 9 months now / in a relationship for 16 months.)
- One family member, although not close to my parents does work for IRCC, however not at the same processing office.


We have all the other documentation. I've read through this forum, IRCC documents and policy manuals / guidance / processes, everything. The question becomes, how do you prove a relationship exists?

We didn't tell our family to avoid conflict about our relationship status (They were not happy with us even seeing eachother, so we will tell them probably in 3-4 years, once life is settled for both of us).

What I'm thinking of doing, is simply printing off our discord conversation history. Which shows all our contact since we first met. It's around 700 pages long (up to 1 jan, only probably 800 pages until now due to me being work from home since march) and also includes a record of a lot of voice calls. I'm also thinking of printing off all my bank / credit card statements and making a list of all expenses occurred. I can also screen-cap and print when other people were informed of our marriage. I've also started writing a cover document showing all evidences and documents and indicating the relevant details.

Is there anything else I can do to make the application stronger? Or structure it better?

 

[k.h.p.]

700-800 pages is insane to send in as part of a PR application. They only look at 20 photos, sending 700 pages is a bit much.

Admittedly, though, you may have issues with your application. You have a 12 year age difference and married after knowing each other for seven months and have next to no evidence of an established relationship outside of chats. Normally you would have more than 20 photos together at different times and different places.

Your evidence of financial interdependence and support seems fine. However, the actual intimacy/'love" part may be questionable. Do you have no friends who know/have met the both of you who can write a letter saying that the relationship is real? People you work with will help if they've actually met both of you. If online friends have not met both of you, they may not be of assistance.

While not telling family is not fatal in an application, especially between two westerners, not really telling anyone at all plus having no other evidence of a relationship will be challenging.

If I were a visa officer, here are my concerns:

- Age difference of 12 years with woman being significantly younger and only being ~20 when the relationship began
- Marriage entered into soon after relationship began (relationship was 7 months old)
- Family not aware of the relationship
- Only six photos together
- Close friends do not know of the marriage
- Assume the relationship began through online gaming/online forums

Things that mitigate my concerns:

- Significant financial interdependence and support
- Online friends still count
- Online relationships are not unheard of at all
- Beneficiaries, insurance, lease, etc in order

Get some more letters and scour around for more proof of the relationship being genuine. I won't say that you're definitely in trouble, as you do have a lot of proof of most of the elements of a relationship, but there are red flags in the story that can be better mitigated.

 

[PreferredRobot]

I Agree with the previous person. Age doesn’t matter as long as she’s over 18. Just wondering are you a girl too? Is that why you are not telling everyone or is it because of the age difference? You will need to explain in your letter why they don’t know to clarify it for the office so won’t ask too many questions later on or in their mind.

somethings you could include:
- Letter from your landlord, neighbours (who know you are married unless they too don’t know)
- you do need Letters from friends/family you go out with as a couple. Very important as you need to show how others know about you 2.
- birthday gifts, anniversary, valentines etc.
- please go out and start taking pictures as it’s very important to attach it to your application. they ask for 10-20 pictures we put more.

Hello!
I've read through the forum quite extensively, and am about to apply for inland sponsorship for my spouse with open work permit.
She currently is on a visitor's extension, so no need to restore. She is also a US Citizen.

I am having a problem with ensuring that I have enough evidences to support the relationship.

Currently we have:
-Joint lease
-Joint renter's insurance
-Named beneficiary on my workplace benefits with spousal life insurance
-Joint bank account (although unused / no need without OWP)
-Both parties are on one cell phone bill.
-Considerable documentary evidence of the change of status with CRA, Employer, etc
-I do make over the required sponsorship minimums if including dependents. Although had some periods of unemployment in the last 5 years.

The problem we have:
- We only have a total of six pictures of us together. We don't actually leave the house much due to my work schedule, (12h nightshifts) COVID-19 no social connections within the region that we live, and our interests as online gamers.
- Have made no trips at all.
- No wedding gifts / cards / etc.
- Honeymoon was a day trip with as we had other life issues that week (One cat getting spayed, and adopting a second one).
- Only one wedding picture of us after we signed the legal marriage documents, no ceremony was had.
- Neither of our family knows we've been married. Nor do a lot of our close friends (to prevent families from being informed). However most of our online friends and people I work with (families are across the continent) know.
- No phone records to each other.......Or very few, we mostly use discord to chat.
- Age gap of 12 years between the two of us. (She is 22, I'm 34)
- All expenses are covered out of my account.
- No shared vehicle or vehicle insurance (we don't have one)
-Under the 2 year requirement (been married 9 months now / in a relationship for 16 months.)
- One family member, although not close to my parents does work for IRCC, however not at the same processing office.


We have all the other documentation. I've read through this forum, IRCC documents and policy manuals / guidance / processes, everything. The question becomes, how do you prove a relationship exists?

We didn't tell our family to avoid conflict about our relationship status (They were not happy with us even seeing eachother, so we will tell them probably in 3-4 years, once life is settled for both of us).

What I'm thinking of doing, is simply printing off our discord conversation history. Which shows all our contact since we first met. It's around 700 pages long (up to 1 jan, only probably 800 pages until now due to me being work from home since march) and also includes a record of a lot of voice calls. I'm also thinking of printing off all my bank / credit card statements and making a list of all expenses occurred. I can also screen-cap and print when other people were informed of our marriage. I've also started writing a cover document showing all evidences and documents and indicating the relevant details.

Is there anything else I can do to make the application stronger? Or structure it better?

 

[CanUK333]

I would get a couple of co-workers, friends, members of the community, etc. to write letters speaking about how they know both of you, when they met or saw the two of you together, etc, the more specific the better; for example: "I remember dropping X off at home after a work function in the Winter of 2017 and his wife came out to meet me and say hi. They seem like such a lovely couple. Since then I have seen them both a few times such as when I hosted a New Year's Eve party in 2018. I remember that night because his wife is a good cook and brought over some lasagna for us" or "I've been X's local butcher for the past three years and quite often I see X come in with his lovely wife. They seem like a happy couple and they are kind. I remember them as once x's wife told me a story about where she grew up and it was fascinating." The officers like to read specific details and dates.

You can also include a letter from a neighbour as they would have met you both and seen you both coming and going and they can attest to you being in a relationship and that you're a nice couple etc.

Print off your text messages or emails (or however you communicate) but only a small selection throughout your relationship.

Change your status on facebook and include this as a screenshot. Include a few screen shots of facebook posts of the two of you or tweets, instagrams.

Go out and take a few more photos of the two of you and make sure they show the relationship side (in other words look like a happy couple in love haha), date night at a restaurant, picnic in the park, etc.

Scan love letters or greeting cards if you ever kept any.

Do you have any hotel bills as some hotels list both people staying in the room on the reservation.

But in addition to anything you come up with, include a written letter by you and one from her explaining your situation, why the family isn't involved, how you met, when/where you met, details of your relationship, why you love her/him, etc. Again make sure to include dates and specifics....not just "we met in Boston" but "we met in Boston on June 9th 2018".