New Outland application - a couple of questions

[Oliverp]

Hello
What a great forum. I can see myself spending a lot of time here over the next few months! I am British and my partner is Canadian. We have been together for two years and lived together for just over a year. After visiting her family in Canada for a few weeks last October, we decided we would like to settle there. We are going to be applying for the common law visa. We live in the Isles of Scilly, Cornwall, UK. I am having my medical and chest x-ray tomorrow, and will be applying for my police check next week.

My first question is, do we send our forms to London, or Mississauga? I have read conflicting bits of information and I'm a bit confused.

Also, on the forms, I understand I need to write 'not applicable' on sections that don't apply. Do I write this in each individual box of a question that doesn't apply, or can I write it diagonally across all the answer boxes? I hear they are quite strict, so I want to get it right the first time.

We have bills, showing we have been living together as a couple, and we have loads of letters from both our families and friends in Canada and the UK confirming our relationship. I have also printed photos, emails and greetings cards. I just hope everything will go ok. I'm starting to get very anxious!

Thanks in advance for any help

Oliver

 

[patiently_waiting]

Hi Oliverp we applied common law through London as well, everything goes to Mississauga initially, then they send it to London. You look like you have everything you need, make sure you get the declaration of common law notorized and you only have to put N/A in one of the boxes.. well we did and they didn't send them back! Good Luck!

PS, dont get frustrate, you don't hear anything through London as far as AOR however you may see it change in ECAS... no news is good news from there!!

 

[Oliverp]

Hi
Thanks for the quick reply. I'll make sure we post everything off to Mississauga. Regarding the declaration of common law, I read on this forum that we only need to fill that in if my partner had a co-signer, or if I was a co-signer, which I don't think I am.
If we do have to get it notorized, do you know where we could get this done?
Thanks again
Oliver

 

[patiently_waiting]

Well I got it done just to be safe and I do know other people on this forum which have had to submit it after the fact which has delayed their process. I just went into the justice of the peace, but some service ontario offices do it too. From what I understand you cannot be a co-signer to your spouse that you are sponsoring.

 

[Oliverp]

Great. Thanks for your help. I'll get in touch with a solicitor.
Oliver

 

[patiently_waiting]

Hey go into the yellow pages and look up notaries. They will be cheaper. The other thing is the letters of reference from friends & families are meant to be notarized as well so maybe you can get them all done at the same time!

 

[Oliverp]

Wow I didn't know I should get the letters notorised too. Can I get the letters from Canada notorised here in England, even though the people that wrote them are in Canada?
Thanks
Ollie

 

[patiently_waiting]

I don't see why not. To be honest, I never got our notarized however it wasn't until here I heard you had to for common law, then checked and it say statuatory declaration which I guess that is what is means... Haven't heard anything on those yet either so here's hoping they don't say anything! maybe they haven't said anything because I sent the declaration in notarized.. who knows!

 

[kelKel]

Definitely send the common-law declaration. We didn't and they requested it as the last document they needed and now they've had it 6 weeks and we haven't heard a thing.

 

[canadianwoman]

For common-law applications two of the letters should be statutory declarations; the others can also be notarized, or just letters or emails.

You should try to include some financial proof: joint bank accounts, joint credit cards, each other named as beneficiary on wills/insurance/health benefits. If both your names are not on the lease or mortgage, or haven't been for at least a year, get a notarized statement from your landlord and any roommates stating that the two of you have been living together as a couple. Utility bill with both names on them are good too.

 

[patiently_waiting]

For common-law applications two of the letters should be statutory declarations; the others can also be notarized, or just letters or emails.

You should try to include some financial proof: joint bank accounts, joint credit cards, each other named as beneficiary on wills/insurance/health benefits. If both your names are not on the lease or mortgage, or haven't been for at least a year, get a notarized statement from your landlord and any roommates stating that the two of you have been living together as a couple. Utility bill with both names on them are good too.

Thank you Canadianwoman... I was getting freaked out by the notarized letters things as it says statuatory!! You just made my day!

 

[Oliverp]

Thanks again. I'll make sure I get at least two statutory declarations.
Ollie

 

[coxykates]

What is the difference between statuatory declaration and notarized? Help!!

 

[canadianwoman]

Either one is fine.