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[WeegieInOttawa]

That's really a helpful list WeegieInOttawa, thank you! We have also been struggling with this, because even though we live together, I originally moved into our current apartment alone, so all utilities and the lease are in my name. I do have monthly transactions from my husband paying his share of the bills that I could provide. Would getting a letter from our landlord stating the day he moved in, and their approval also work in this regard? We're on very good terms with our landlord so I'm sure he wouldn't mind providing a letter. We also have a document from city hall stating when my husband officially moved in (something all Germans must do when they change addresses), so we have a government document stating we live at the same residence.

I might have to look into whether or not I can get the utilities in both our names, and a joint credit card is something we'd been toying with before immigrating to Canada came up. When we file our German taxes this year we'll be in the married tax class, so I guess I could provide that as well...

If you can get the letter from your landlord that would be perfect.. And with that city hall doc too I think you'd be set.

Even if you don't want or cant get a joint credit card YOU can just get one (or do this to one you already have) and put your husband as registered user.

Also if your are including letters of support from family and friends ask them to add a line in there about "I can conform they both live at xxxxx and have done since I've known them/or date." Few of our friends/family did this.

I think in this day and age CIC are well aware and take into account that things aren't so cut and dry that they think you just move in with someone in a brand new place and put all all bills etc in both names..it's just not how it works these days. That's why you have to be creative and work with the options you give you to show your case best you can.

 

[WeegieInOttawa]

Money transfers (for example, via PayPal)
I also sent in a few detailed credit card statements around times we took trips together showing hotel charges when and at where we said we had vacationed. Used the credit card statements to show that my wife is an authorized user of a subsidiary card under my name.

I love the costco membership card though. We didn't think of that! lol

Yeah it's a good one because the person you have your membership with has to live at the same address as the primary membership holder..so it's ideal. We also got a Costco MasterCard alongside the membership, under my partners name, and put me as registered user.

 

[Arctic Circle]

If you can get the letter from your landlord that would be perfect.. And with that city hall doc too I think you'd be set.

Even if you don't want or cant get a joint credit card YOU can just get one (or do this to one you already have) and put your husband as registered user.

Also if your are including letters of support from family and friends ask them to add a line in there about "I can conform they both live at xxxxx and have done since I've known them/or date." Few of our friends/family did this.

I think in this day and age CIC are well aware and take into account that things aren't so cut and dry that they think you just move in with someone in a brand new place and put all all bills etc in both names..it's just not how it works these days. That's why you have to be creative and work with the options you give you to show your case best you can.

You're absolutely right about things not being so cut and dry these days, particularly with bi-cultural couples involved. We inevitably have to do things differently than couples who live in the same country, and that makes trying to make this "perfect little application" difficult. I've seen so many stories on this forum of people who had a small civil ceremony, or eloped, or couldn't visit each other for a year because of financial reasons etc. That's why I'm really glad I found this forum before applying, because it's already helping me avoid any mistakes I would have made.

The credit card idea and having letters state when and where we live together is a great idea, thank you again! I also have to see if I can scrounge up any of our travel vouchers together because they were always in both our names. You just don't think of keeping this stuff until you realize damn, I need that! I have so many flight tickets from our long distance days that I probably binned (or are buried somewhere in my file cabinet in Canada) that I'm kicking myself for not thinking of keeping them. The German visa was a dream compared to the Canadian one haha.

Good luck with your application! Looks like you're well underway!

 

[WeegieInOttawa]

You're absolutely right about things not being so cut and dry these days, particularly with bi-cultural couples involved. We inevitably have to do things differently than couples who live in the same country, and that makes trying to make this "perfect little application" difficult. I've seen so many stories on this forum of people who had a small civil ceremony, or eloped, or couldn't visit each other for a year because of financial reasons etc. That's why I'm really glad I found this forum before applying, because it's already helping me avoid any mistakes I would have made.

The credit card idea and having letters state when and where we live together is a great idea, thank you again! I also have to see if I can scrounge up any of our travel vouchers together because they were always in both our names. You just don't think of keeping this stuff until you realize damn, I need that! I have so many flight tickets from our long distance days that I probably binned (or are buried somewhere in my file cabinet in Canada) that I'm kicking myself for not thinking of keeping them. The German visa was a dream compared to the Canadian one haha.

Good luck with your application! Looks like you're well underway!

I wouldn't have gotten through it without this forum.. It's good to be able to bounce ideas around and help other people who are struggling with the process.

On the flights/vacations thing.. I printed a few emails between us and a campsite we are regulars of across a few years, showing us booking and general "great to hear from you guys" "looking forward to seeing you again".

Also an email mentioning us both when we booked a B&B in niagara on the lake. We were going for a concert and also had the concert tickets with our names.

Also printed our AirBnB feedback page as it mentions us as both travelling together.

Also if you booked flights online etc maybe you still have the email confirmation rather than the flight stub, we did that, that showed out names. Or you booked through an online travel site that you have to sign in on..your booking history would be there.

And worth keeping bits and pieces like that going forward until you are done with this whole process ad approved.. They may contact you in 4 months time asking for more proof..and you'd be scrambling again. (And then you can joyfully burn the lot of it when you are approved )

 

[Arctic Circle]

I wouldn't have gotten through it without this forum.. It's good to be able to bounce ideas around and help other people who are struggling with the process.

On the flights/vacations thing.. I printed a few emails between us and a campsite we are regulars of across a few years, showing us booking and general "great to hear from you guys" "looking forward to seeing you again".

Also an email mentioning us both when we booked a B&B in niagara on the lake. We were going for a concert and also had the concert tickets with our names.

Also printed our AirBnB feedback page as it mentions us as both travelling together.

Also if you booked flights online etc maybe you still have the email confirmation rather than the flight stub, we did that, that showed out names. Or you booked through an online travel site that you have to sign in on..your booking history would be there.

And worth keeping bits and pieces like that going forward until you are done with this whole process ad approved.. They may contact you in 4 months time asking for more proof..and you'd be scrambling again. (And then you can joyfully burn the lot of it when you are approved )

Yeah we both have our flight emails, and my husband has the booking confirmations online from some of our various trips together. I thought scanning the passport pages that showed our stamps from each country wouldn't go remiss either; unfortunately on our last visit to Canada we didn't get any passport stamps because the machines had replaced the border agents by and large.

I'm also keeping in the back of my mind they might ask for more documents, I mean with us living together texting is pretty much limited to stuff like "can you pick up X from the grocery store" kind of thing, but I'm thinking that what they'll probably ask for more proof is me moving back to Canada. I'm not too fond of the idea of moving ahead because we could be facing up to a year apart, and if I'm able to stay in Germany together with him why wouldn't I? We've also discussed the idea of us both moving back and claiming dual intent at the border, visa free citizens seem to have little trouble getting through with dual intent, and that way we can spend some time getting set up in Canada while waiting for the visa to finish.

But seriously, thanks again for all your help, and I hope your visa gets issued soon! Who's your VO, London?

 

[WeegieInOttawa]

Yeah we both have our flight emails, and my husband has the booking confirmations online from some of our various trips together. I thought scanning the passport pages that showed our stamps from each country wouldn't go remiss either; unfortunately on our last visit to Canada we didn't get any passport stamps because the machines had replaced the border agents by and large.

I'm also keeping in the back of my mind they might ask for more documents, I mean with us living together texting is pretty much limited to stuff like "can you pick up X from the grocery store" kind of thing, but I'm thinking that what they'll probably ask for more proof is me moving back to Canada. I'm not too fond of the idea of moving ahead because we could be facing up to a year apart, and if I'm able to stay in Germany together with him why wouldn't I? We've also discussed the idea of us both moving back and claiming dual intent at the border, visa free citizens seem to have little trouble getting through with dual intent, and that way we can spend some time getting set up in Canada while waiting for the visa to finish.

But seriously, thanks again for all your help, and I hope your visa gets issued soon! Who's your VO, London?

There is a point in the application (somewhere on the checklist i think) where they ask the PA to copy all passport their pages with stamps anyway. If you have the booking emails showing your names that will be good enough.

Dont overdo it either, give them what they ask for in the checklist, and if they want more they will ask for it. I think we all have a tendency to want to throw in all we have but the process changed last year, or the year before, so that people dont do that. People were sending application packages of 500 pages and 200 photos or so and i guess the realised they had to streamline it to and be more specific in what they wanted.

I dont know which VO i will be yet...i should be London as im British but who knows where my app will go! Its always a waiting game!