Married for 10 years

[Abacogringo]

HI...we have just about finished gathering all our info etc to apply for my husband to get permanent residence in Canada. One question about documenting our relationship...Since we have been married for 10 years and have always been together...will pictures be enough? I don't think I can find phone records from 10 years ago when we were dating (we were living in same town and only apart over one Christmas holiday). Also I wanted to know if anyone knows if we should send in a work permit application? My husband will be applying out of country as he owns/works at his own business with his brother and won't leave to come here till he can work. He has had a job offer already here in Canada.

Thanks in advance for advice.

Also... husband is from Bahamas...has anyone applied through Kingston Jamaica? Does it take the 7 months it says it does?

 

[sbwv09]

Hi there.. you should try to include other evidence, like shared finances, shared lease, beneficiaries on insurance, letters from family and friends, basically anything showing that you have lived as spouses for ten years.

I don't know much about the work permits, but if your husband's workplace is willing to sponsor one, I don't see it being a problem with the PR application.. but someone may come along and correct me. Are you applying inland or outland?

 

[can_usa_97]

I'm married 13 years in October, and I had a few things to send from our first meetings, and wedding - otherwise I compiled a document covering in photos of the last 13 years as best I could. There are more photos from the last 3-5 years because things happened for us then, moreover.

I also included 10 years of bank statements - 1 a year showing a joint account. Our home we've owned jointly for 6 years, letters from his family about their feelings about our marriage, ect.

As to the work permit. If he intends on not moving till he has the PR, he will be able to obtain a SIN # right away (I think it takes 30 days to arrive) and he can begin working then.

 

[Abacogringo]

Outland...can't make it with out us both working so... until he can work he'll stay down in Bahamas. Thanks for the tips!

 

[canadianwoman]

Since you've been living together for so long, phone records won't matter. Obviously you have a genuine marriage, so in this case your pre-marriage contact is less important. Include lots of proof that you were in fact living together - I assume you will actually have better proof than most - for example: both names on a mortgage or house title, each other named as beneficiaries on life insurance, joint bank accounts and credit cards, whatever else you can find that has both of you named.
If you are applying outland, you can't send in a work permit app. Depending on the country he is applying from, he may get his visa in a few months, though, and will be able to work once he lands.

 

[RobsLuv]

HI...we have just about finished gathering all our info etc to apply for my husband to get permanent residence in Canada. One question about documenting our relationship...Since we have been married for 10 years and have always been together...will pictures be enough? I don't think I can find phone records from 10 years ago when we were dating (we were living in same town and only apart over one Christmas holiday). Also I wanted to know if anyone knows if we should send in a work permit application? My husband will be applying out of country as he owns/works at his own business with his brother and won't leave to come here till he can work. He has had a job offer already here in Canada.

Thanks in advance for advice.

Also... husband is from Bahamas...has anyone applied through Kingston Jamaica? Does it take the 7 months it says it does?

A 10 year long marriage doesn't need much documentation - photos are good, as are the suggestions sbwv09 gave of joint property, beneficiary info on insurance policies, children's birth certificates (if applicable), etc.Coupled with the longevity that should be enough evidence to prove that the relationship is genuine and not entered into just to gain status for the foreign national in Canada . . . especially if you've been living together this entire time. You're obviously not going to have (or need) the same types of proofs of contact, etc., that a couple who've only been together a short time will need.

As far as the work permit - he would have to apply separately from the permanent residence application for a restricted work permit. If he has a job offer in Canada, it has to be accompanied by a positive Labour Market Opinion (LMO) before he can use it to apply for a work permit. To get the positive LMO, the employer has to demonstrate that there are no Canadians qualified for that position - that your husband has a special skill set that makes him the only qualified applicant.

I don't have personal experience with Kingston, but their posted processing timeline is 7-15 months, plus add about 45 days at the start for your part of the application to be assessed through CPC-Mississauga. Don't forget that you have to include proof of your intent to re-settle in Canada.

 

[Abacogringo]

Wow this is going to be a LONG time for the kids and I to be apart from my husband!! Who knew it was such a long process! Good news is I have a job and the kids are enrolled in school for the fall and we just finished settling into our apartment. Thanks for all the tips we should hopefully be able to send all our stuff in the end of this week!

 

[heatherusa]

I included 12 years of tax returns, life and medical insurance policies with my spouse as beneficiary and assorted photos from the last 13 years. Also I included utility bills with both our names on them, or with my name and our mutual address and then his name with our mutual address so they could see that we have lived together the entire duration. I didnt include a single birthday or anniversary card, or email correspondence between us (since we live together).

If sticking it out and having a 9 year old isnt enough proof them I wont be able to satisify them at all.

Heather

 

[Abacogringo]

Tax returns would be a problem since the Bahamas has no income tax. I've lived down there for the last 12 years so I guess I'll rely on our bank statements and house insurance policies etc. Plus pictures of our wedding/honeymoon/kids. You're right Heather...if being married for ten years with two kids 7 and 4 isn't convincing...nothing is