My chance at common law sponsorship

[f23b23]

Hi everyone
I’m quite overwhelmed with all the information around and I want to confirm if all the things listed below will at least give me a chance at being accepted for PR by common law sponsorship. I am PA and my sponsor is a PR. I am currently on PGWP which will expire on August, 2024:
1. I (PA) signed a lease on December 2022, and my partner and I started living together since Feb 2023. My sponsor has been in and out of a few jobs the past year, but I have been employed at the same company from before we started the cohabitation. He isn’t on the lease, and the lease states that no one else can live with me, but when I asked my landlord to let him live with me, my landlord agreed, but asked me not to tell anyone that he has been living with me (paying only 500 cad and not being on lease). I have the conversation as a chat on text messages. I’m not sure if I should include this lease with text, since the landlord asked not to tell anyone about it.
I of course have e transfer proof of rent sent by my spouse every month.
2. We came to Canada as students in 2018. Same nationality. We’ve always lived at the same address since then, even though we didn’t combine our affairs until 2021, and went into common law only recently. All of this address info was on his PR application when he applied, and also on our tax documents, etc, for all these years. Will this make the case any stronger, even though we were just dating/friends?
3. We have our cellphone bills under my account. No utilities, it’s included in rent. I am providing a list of e transfers from both our accounts since last year. Paystubs, bank statements, an old learners licence with same address(though we weren’t common law back then), trying to contact my insurance from my work to sort out the beneficiary factor. Would these be enough as proof of address?
4. We have photos with each others families. Letters from families and friends. Letters from us. Also chats translated which have topics like birth control, grocery lists, sending money for support etc would be submitted too.
I honestly don’t know how else to prove a relationship. I don’t know if an everyone is called for an interview but I guess that would be the last straw to seal the deal

Would appreciate feedback. I’m very tired at this point and at a loss of what to submit and what to withhold, to ensure that IRCC doesn’t think that I am in the wrong here

 

[Ponga]

Hi everyone
I’m quite overwhelmed with all the information around and I want to confirm if all the things listed below will at least give me a chance at being accepted for PR by common law sponsorship. I am PA and my sponsor is a PR. I am currently on PGWP which will expire on August, 2024:
1. I (PA) signed a lease on December 2022, and my partner and I started living together since Feb 2023. My sponsor has been in and out of a few jobs the past year, but I have been employed at the same company from before we started the cohabitation. He isn’t on the lease, and the lease states that no one else can live with me, but when I asked my landlord to let him live with me, my landlord agreed, but asked me not to tell anyone that he has been living with me (paying only 500 cad and not being on lease). I have the conversation as a chat on text messages. I’m not sure if I should include this lease with text, since the landlord asked not to tell anyone about it.
I of course have e transfer proof of rent sent by my spouse every month.
2. We came to Canada as students in 2018. Same nationality. We’ve always lived at the same address since then, even though we didn’t combine our affairs until 2021, and went into common law only recently. All of this address info was on his PR application when he applied, and also on our tax documents, etc, for all these years. Will this make the case any stronger, even though we were just dating/friends?
3. We have our cellphone bills under my account. No utilities, it’s included in rent. I am providing a list of e transfers from both our accounts since last year. Paystubs, bank statements, an old learners licence with same address(though we weren’t common law back then), trying to contact my insurance from my work to sort out the beneficiary factor. Would these be enough as proof of address?
4. We have photos with each others families. Letters from families and friends. Letters from us. Also chats translated which have topics like birth control, grocery lists, sending money for support etc would be submitted too.
I honestly don’t know how else to prove a relationship. I don’t know if an everyone is called for an interview but I guess that would be the last straw to seal the deal

Would appreciate feedback. I’m very tired at this point and at a loss of what to submit and what to withhold, to ensure that IRCC doesn’t think that I am in the wrong here

Try not to stress too much!

1. Ask the landlord if they would be willing to write a letter verifying your story. Have the letter notarized. If they decline, it's not the end of the world; ask a neighbour who knows you both to provide a letter. If that's not an option, just include a narrative explaining the situation in your application.

2. This could be an issue if your sponsor was not yet a PR when you had lived together for one full year. Even though `you' think you became common-law one year after the 2021 date when you `combined your affairs', it may be hard to prove that you were NOT common-law before that time. Knowing when your sponsor became a PR would be helpful information for this thread.

3. Could be.

4. Yes, it could also be helpful.

 

[f23b23]

Thank you for the encouraging response! For reply to 2. , he became a PR in Feb 2022, during the TR to PR phase. Do you think it would be wise to mention other documents like a learners licence, school transcript, from the time before our actual common law arrangement? Once again, common law period starts from Feb 2023, and the documents I mentioned above date from before this period around 2021 and 2022

 

[scylla]

Thank you for the encouraging response! For reply to 2. , he became a PR in Feb 2022, during the TR to PR phase. Do you think it would be wise to mention other documents like a learners licence, school transcript, from the time before our actual common law arrangement? Once again, common law period starts from Feb 2023, and the documents I mentioned above date from before this period around 2021 and 2022

I would recommend you get a consultation with an immigration lawyer. You've mentioned that you have been living at the same address since you both moved to Canada in 2018 and this may complicate your application. How long have you been dating / in a relationship?

 

[f23b23]

I would recommend you get a consultation with an immigration lawyer. You've mentioned that you have been living at the same address since you both moved to Canada in 2018 and this may complicate your application. How long have you been dating / in a relationship?

As I mentioned, we came as international students in 2018 and rented the same places always. We are from the same country and would rent separate rooms in places that housed other international students as well from different communities and countries. We moved around 3 provinces, and were separated a few times too but for a short period usually (15 days to a month mostly), all the while being the closest of friends, as people from our country were scarce in some of the cities that we lived in, for example, we lived in Barrie, ON for school at Georgian college in 2019-2021 but people from Bangladesh were almost non-existent in that city, and it was only around 2-3 of us from our country back then. We started dating fairly recently, from around December 2022, and went into common law since Feb 2023. The reason for common law is also related to our emotions: since we’ve almost known each other closely for a long time, it is hard to let go, and since we know each other very well, a romantic relationship evolved. Common law came in the picture because most of our affairs were joined by some way or the other (student discount on cellphone carrier companies, same Amazon/Netflix accounts, etc) and we thought it would be best if we joined our affairs completely like one does in a marriage anyway.

 

[scylla]

As I mentioned, we came as international students in 2018 and rented the same places always. We are from the same country and would rent separate rooms in places that housed other international students as well from different communities and countries. We moved around 3 provinces, and were separated a few times too but for a short period usually (15 days to a month mostly), all the while being the closest of friends, as people from our country were scarce in some of the cities that we lived in, for example, we lived in Barrie, ON for school at Georgian college in 2019-2021 but people from Bangladesh were almost non-existent in that city, and it was only around 2-3 of us from our country back then. We started dating fairly recently, from around December 2022, and went into common law since Feb 2023. The reason for common law is also related to our emotions: since we’ve almost known each other closely for a long time, it is hard to let go, and since we know each other very well, a romantic relationship evolved. Common law came in the picture because most of our affairs were joined by some way or the other (student discount on cellphone carrier companies, same Amazon/Netflix accounts, etc) and we thought it would be best if we joined our affairs completely like one does in a marriage anyway.

I would recommend you get a consultation with an immigration lawyer. Your case is not straight forward since you have been living at the same address consistently since coming to Canada.

IRCC does not define common law by when you combined your affairs. You become common law once you have been in a relationship and lived together continuously at the same address for at least one year.

You'll want to put together a strong application that clearly shows / explains when the relationship started to make sure IRCC does not think you were common law in 2022.

 

[f23b23]

I would recommend you get a consultation with an immigration lawyer. Your case is not straight forward since you have been living at the same address consistently since coming to Canada.

IRCC does not define common law by when you combined your affairs. You become common law once you have been in a relationship and lived together continuously at the same address for at least one year.

You'll want to put together a strong application that clearly shows / explains when the relationship started to make sure IRCC does not think you were common law in 2022.

Thank you for the reply. Will do so.