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Letters from family, friends, etc

lindz

Full Member
May 3, 2010
48
2
Hi,

The letters from family and friends about our relationship. Who do they have to be addressed to ? What kind of information do they want in these letters. Can someone post an example of what was said (you can edit out your names, addresses, etc)
My parents know about our relationship but have never met him as unfortunately we are spread all over the world, I'm in NZ, fiance in Canada and my folks in South Africa. Do you think this will be a problem.

Thank you for your replies
 

AllisonVSC

Champion Member
Nov 5, 2009
1,455
64
123
Category........
Visa Office......
Buffalo - Conjugal Partner
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
11-08-2009
Interview........
waived
VISA ISSUED...
04-11-2009
LANDED..........
04-11-2009
Below you will find what I wrote to my friends and family. I sent the request via email. Most replied via email and I just printed them out. My brother and my sponsor's close friend printed, notarized, and sent their replies via postal mail.

I'd be happy to share examples of what we got in return, but the responses were so varied...it would be hard to chose just one to be "representative". One was like a court document; just the facts. Several were letters addressed to "Whom it may concern". One friend included photos he'd taken of us when we visited him the first time. One person wrote to me but described what she when about the evolution of your relationship...a sort of remember when reflective piece.

Dear Friends and Family,

As you know I am seeking Permanent Residence status in Ontario, Canada through the Family Class immigration category. I am technically called a "Conjugal Partner" (nice and descriptive, isn't it?) and XXXX is my Sponsor. As part of the immigration application we are required to provide evidence that we are indeed a genuine couple. This includes email correspondence, passport stamps from visits to see each other, plane ticket stubs, photos, etc. We are also required to document the history of our relationship (which was kind of a fun exercise).

An important part of this evidence of genuine coupledom/coupleship, whatever you want to call it, is documentation from family and friends. My brother and his wife have agreed to make sworn testimony on our behalf, but from reading Canadian immigration blogs it appears that the more documentary evidence we can provide from external sources the more likely our application will be approved swiftly, or at least not denied on this basis.

So I am writing today to ask if you would write an email on our behalf and send it to me (or XXXX, if you prefer) by Friday. I realize this request is somewhat vague as to the content of the email, so I've included a list of basic points to cover at the bottom of this message. You are certainly welcome to write more, or less...whatever you are comfortable with putting in writing to support our Family Class application.

For those of you who respond, please accept my heartfelt gratitude for your timely assistance in this matter. For those who chose not to respond for any reason, please know that I accept your decision with much grace and goodwill.

Kindest regards,
Allison


General information to consider including in your message (this can be written in French or in English, by the way)...

1. A description of how you know either one of us (typically the person you knew first)...examples
I am a friend of XXX, I was a co-worker of XXX, I am the sister of XXX, etc

2. A description of how you became aware of our relationship, when you met the other partner, activities we participated in together, etc

3. A statement to the effect that, in your judgement, we are in a real, loving, ongoing, genuine (you choose the words) relationship based on your personal knowledge and experiences
 

lindz

Full Member
May 3, 2010
48
2
Hi Allison,

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply in such great detail, this is so helpful. Much appreciated :)
 

AllisonVSC

Champion Member
Nov 5, 2009
1,455
64
123
Category........
Visa Office......
Buffalo - Conjugal Partner
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
11-08-2009
Interview........
waived
VISA ISSUED...
04-11-2009
LANDED..........
04-11-2009
I must tell you...this question comes around every so often. So, I just copied one of my previous posts. But I am glad it was helpful.
 

sbwv09

Hero Member
Feb 18, 2010
869
42
Category........
FAM
Visa Office......
Buffalo/NYC
App. Filed.......
May 17, 10
File Transfer...
June 22, 10/August 31, 10 (to NYC)
Med's Done....
April 6, 10
Passport Req..
September 13, 10
VISA ISSUED...
9/28, Received 10/21
LANDED..........
10/22/10
Allison's description is right on the money. Even if they didn't meet your partner right away (in my case we started an online relationship, and even after we met we met where I was living, not in my parent's town so it was while before they met in person) they can talk about how you told everyone you were in a relationship, how you acted in love, etc.
 

nyssa

Hero Member
May 14, 2009
969
44
124
Midwest, USA
Category........
Visa Office......
Buffalo, USA
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
30-07-2010
AOR Received.
22-09-10
Med's Done....
09-01-2010
Interview........
WAIVED
Passport Req..
06-10-2010
VISA ISSUED...
06-11-2010
LANDED..........
06-01-2011
I did 100% exactly what Allison did, except I sent out that response via Facebook! It works well, you'll find a lot of people will help you. Best of luck!
 

BostonGirl

Star Member
May 9, 2010
100
6
Boston
Category........
Visa Office......
Buffalo
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
This is great and exertly answers a question I now do not have to ask.

Thanks a bunch!
 

msingh2013

Hero Member
Feb 19, 2013
279
2
Where does it state in the application that letters from family and friends is needed? What if a letter is not provided from family nor friends? Will that be a problem? Also, does it have to be notarized? Isn't a signature of the person who wrote the letter enough?

Thanks
 

gsize

Hero Member
May 2, 2009
958
48
Category........
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
2009....denied Feb 2010.....appeal allowed (August 2012)..waiting for processing
Doc's Request.
04/04/2013
File Transfer...
30/01/2013
Med's Done....
04/2013 (second time)
Passport Req..
21/02, 2014
VISA ISSUED...
18/03/2014
LANDED..........
05/04/2014
the more that you can do will only make your case stronger. They might even read them. :eek:
 

msingh2013

Hero Member
Feb 19, 2013
279
2
I don't think it is necessary. They only ask of this for those who are in either a common-law or conjugal partner category. Please see this

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/guides/3904E.pdf

Page A-4 Section 5 PROOF OF RELATIONSHIP TO SPONSOR
 

rjessome

VIP Member
Feb 24, 2009
4,354
213
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
msingh2013 said:
I don't think it is necessary. They only ask of this for those who are in either a common-law or conjugal partner category. Please see this

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/guides/3904E.pdf

Page A-4 Section 5 PROOF OF RELATIONSHIP TO SPONSOR
Letters from family and friends, whether CIC asks for them or not, are excellent proof of relationship. Look, this is based on common sense. Read OP Manual 2, Section 5. There is no exact formula to prove a genuine relationship. Evidence is weighed by the visa officer making the decision based on the culmination of what you present. Letters from family and friends stating their support of a relationship are definitely taken seriously. Think about it, if your friends and family know about your relationship, support it, "know" you as a couple, that is some of the most powerful evidence of a genuine relationship. My advice: for spousal or common-law, include as many of these letters as you can from both sets of family and friends. If they are notarized, even better.
 

msingh2013

Hero Member
Feb 19, 2013
279
2
rjessome said:
Letters from family and friends, whether CIC asks for them or not, are excellent proof of relationship. Look, this is based on common sense. Read OP Manual 2, Section 5. There is no exact formula to prove a genuine relationship. Evidence is weighed by the visa officer making the decision based on the culmination of what you present. Letters from family and friends stating their support of a relationship are definitely taken seriously. Think about it, if your friends and family know about your relationship, support it, "know" you as a couple, that is some of the most powerful evidence of a genuine relationship. My advice: for spousal or common-law, include as many of these letters as you can from both sets of family and friends. If they are notarized, even better.
I'm an Indian and Indians aren't really good at helping their family or friends. Can it be done that I write it and get them to sign it?
 

canadianwoman

VIP Member
Nov 6, 2009
6,200
282
Category........
Visa Office......
Accra, Ghana
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
30-01-2008
Interview........
05-05-2009
msingh2013 said:
I'm an Indian and Indians aren't really good at helping their family or friends. Can it be done that I write it and get them to sign it?
People have done this and have been accepted. But usually it was from someone who had so much proof of a genuine relationship that the visa officers didn't pay that much attention to the letters - or they successfully made the letters look real.
But I would really suggest that you don't write them yourself and have other people sign them. 1. The letters will all sound the same. A variety is better. 2. If your native language is not English, the letters will probably sound even more alike. 3. If the visa officer starts to think you submitted fake letters, he or she is going to wonder what else is fake.
If you are married, you don't need any letters of support at all. Surely you could get a few family members or friends to help? Show them the kinds of things AllisonVSC gave to help.
 

commonlawsponsor

Hero Member
May 29, 2013
260
11
Berlin
Category........
Visa Office......
Rome
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
14-02-2014
AOR Received.
08-03-2014
File Transfer...
10-03-2014
Med's Done....
21-12-2013
VISA ISSUED...
17-09-2014
LANDED..........
Will land 27-11-2014
After reading this thread, I'm probably stressing over the details too much. But I would rather just ask and be stressed about one less thing.

I'm going to get some letters of support from family and friends. My boyfriend and I have been living in Berlin together for a couple years now, and I'm planning to get a letter from one friend here in Berlin, as both of our families live in other countries. Does it matter who the letter is from? The three friends I'm considering asking are as follows: 1 - a fellow Canadian (who I met here), 2 - a police officer, 3 - a doctor.


Also, regarding getting the letters notarized... I will get my family's letter notarized by a lawyer, but in Italy (where he is from) and in Germany, they don't necessarily need to go to a lawyer to get documents notarized, there are different individuals that can do it (also depending on what you need it for). Should we be going to lawyers in Germany or Italy - or will they accept the signatures of notaries accepted in the respective countries?

Thanks!
 

MadeInCanada

Hero Member
Oct 15, 2012
805
71
Canada
Category........
Visa Office......
Cairo
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
31-12-2012
File Transfer...
23-01-2013
Med's Done....
18-10-2012
Interview........
26-05-2013
Passport Req..
27-05-2013
VISA ISSUED...
18-06-2013
LANDED..........
July 1st 2013
Sounds like you are good to go. I sent in family and friends letters, none were notarized, I think it is good to get some done though. It doesn't have to be a lawyer, a notary public can do it as well. Where they are done does not matter just as long as they are official.

The letters from the police officer and the DR are good to top off what you already have!

I wish I had of thought to get one from my DR.

And hey, if you wren't stressing then there would be something really wrong! lol It is a huge task getting the application completed and ready to be sent.

Take Care
MadeInCanada