IEC Working Holiday - Common law partner question

[robnz]

Hi,

Both my Girlfriend and I are currently applying for IEC Working Holiday visa's. We are both from NZ and have complete stage on and received our Conditional acceptance letters. Now on stage 2 we are asked if we have a Common Law Partner. Now I understand that this is someone you have lived with in a marital-type relationship for more than 12months which we have. I'm just confused if we need to say yes to this if we are both applying separately? Do we say yes and fill out all the appropriate form each? It just kinda seems like its asking if my partner will be coming with me, as in on my visa? So is it ok that she's applying for her own?

thanks guys

 

[Leon]

You should list each other as common law partners in case one of you later qualifies to apply for PR. Not listing a common law partner is misrepresentation.

You should just write in your application that you are both applying for IEC visas. However, if you don't want to both apply, according to http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/manuals/bulletins/2013/ob490A.asp if one of you gets an IEC visa and is working a skilled job, the other can apply for an open work permit as the spouse. However, there is no particular reason to do that unless you both want to extend your IEC allowance as long as you can, you could have IEC first and when you are done your time and can't apply again, your girlfriend could apply and you could be the spouse on the open permit. However, this would be tied to the one of you on IEC having a skilled job. If both of you have IEC, you can take any job you like, ski bum working at a ski resort or whatever you want. However, if you want to later immigrate, you should try to look for something skilled.