Marital Status Question

[tortiecat86]

Hi all, I’m in the middle of filling out my citizenship application online and I just have a concern about marital status.

I got my PR through common law sponsorship, however the relationship broke down a year later, I’ve updated my CRA account to separated but what status should I put on my citizenship application?

CRA definition of Marital Status:

Separated means that you have been living apart from your spouse or common-law partner because of a breakdown in the relationship for a period of at least 90 days.

Single means that none of the other marital statuses applies to you.

Canadian Citizenship Application definition of Marital Status:

• Separated - This means that you are married, but are no longer living with your spouse.
• Single - This means that you have never been married and are not in a common-law relationship.

 

[Seym]

It doesn't matter.
Pick one and move on, it won't affect your application one way or another.

 

[dpenabill]

Hi all, I’m in the middle of filling out my citizenship application online and I just have a concern about marital status.

I got my PR through common law sponsorship, however the relationship broke down a year later, I’ve updated my CRA account to separated but what status should I put on my citizenship application?

CRA definition of Marital Status:

Separated means that you have been living apart from your spouse or common-law partner because of a breakdown in the relationship for a period of at least 90 days.

Single means that none of the other marital statuses applies to you.

Canadian Citizenship Application definition of Marital Status:

• Separated - This means that you are married, but are no longer living with your spouse.
• Single - This means that you have never been married and are not in a common-law relationship.

I do not generally disagree with the observations posted by @Seym in response to your query, and in particular I concur with pick one (the one YOU think accurately or best describes your "marital status"), and I further agree that what you declare here is not likely to have much affect (if any at all).

That said, the appropriate answers to questions in an application do not depend on what affect the answer will have. Not a good idea to consider giving any answer other than what the applicant believes is the accurate answer.

Meanwhile, to my view "separated" means there is still a legal relationship whereas if a common-law relationship has broken-down there is no currently existing common-law relationship (moreover, it is a relationship that depends on cohabitation) . . . let alone if it has been a year or more since the relationship has broken down (your timeline suggests it has been at least a year since the common-law relationship broke down . . . since that was just a year after landing and it takes at least two years after landing to become eligible for citizenship).

Frankly I do not understand the CRA definition of separated you cite, but . . . well, no need to wrangle with that here.