You may want to read pages 19-22 of this operation manual to see what they look for in a marriage: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/manuals/op/op02-eng.pdf
A marriage is a legalized conjugal relationship. Your proof of genuineness of the marriage must hit these highlights. Below is the quote from the operation manual:
The following list is a set of elements which, when taken together or in various combinations, may
constitute evidence of interdependency. It should be kept in mind that these elements may be
present in varying degrees and not all are necessary for a relationship to be considered conjugal.
Financial aspects of the relationship
Joint loan agreements for real estate, cars, major household appliances;
Joint ownership of property, other durable goods;
Operation of joint bank accounts, joint credit cards evidence that any such accounts have existed for a reasonable period of time;
The extent of any pooling of financial resources, especially in relation to major financial commitments;
Whether one party owes any legal obligation in respect of the other.
Social aspects of the relationship
Evidence that the relationship has been declared to government bodies and commercial or public institutions or authorities and acceptance of such declarations by any such bodies;
Joint membership in organisations or groups, joint participation in sporting, cultural, social or other activities;
Joint travel;
Shared values with respect to how a household should be managed;
Shared responsibility for children; shared values with respect to child-rearing; willingness to care for the partner’s children;
Testimonials by parents, family members, relatives or friends and other interested parties about the nature of the relationship and whether the couple present themselves to others as partners.
Statements in the form of statutory declarations are preferred.
Physical and emotional aspects of the relationship -the degree of commitment as evidenced by:
Knowledge of each other’s personal circumstances, background and family situation;
Shared values and interests;
Expressed intention that the relationship will be long term;
The extent to which the parties have combined their affairs, for example, are they beneficiaries of one another’s insurance plans, pensions, etc.?
Joint decision-making with consequences for one partner affecting the other;
Support for each other when ill and on special occasions letters, cards, gifts, time off work to care for other;
The terms of the parties’ wills made out in each other’s favour provide some evidence of an intention that the relationship is long term and permanent;
Time spent together;
Time spent with one another’s families;
Regular and continuous communication when apart.
Examples of supporting documents:
Family memberships, medical plans, documentation from institutions that provides recognition as a couple;
Marriage certificate (not just a solemnization record), wedding invitations, commitment ceremony (certificate, invitations), domestic partnership certificate;
joint ownership of possessions, joint utility bills, lease/rental agreement, joint mortgage/loan, property title, joint bank statements; money transfers.
documents showing travel together, long distance phone bills; other proof of continuous communication (emails, internet chat site printouts, letters).
insurance policies (documents naming the partner as a beneficiary), wills, powers of attorney;
significant photographs;
statements of support from families, bank manager, employers, financial professionals, religious leaders, community leaders, professors, teachers or medical professionals.
The above elements may be present in varying degrees and not all are necessary for a relationship to be considered conjugal. Whether an element is present may depend on the culture or preferences of the couple. For example, in some cultures, women have a limited role in the management of the family finances; thus there may not be joint ownership of property or joint bank accounts. Some couples may choose to keep aspects of their financial affairs separate and yet are clearly in a conjugal relationship and have merged their affairs in other respects.
Officers should consider each relationship individually and take into account any other relevant information provided by the applicant (or information otherwise available to the officer), in order to assess whether a conjugal relationship exists.
Officers should also take into account to what extent the laws and/or traditions of the applicant’s home country may discourage the parties from openly admitting the existence of the relationship.
