Proving time spent with Canadian while abroad

[toby]

Sorry if this is a repetition, but I can't find where I posted this question before.

A permanent resident may apply time spent with Canadian spouse while abroad toward his ir her residency quote (of 2 years out of 5). The question is, how to prove the PR is with the Canadian spouse?

My solution is -- laborious as it may sound -- to take a photo each month of the two of us, with the day's newspaper showing the date. No other method seems safe from challenge.

Any other (hopefully better) ways?

 

[Leon]

You have bills or other mail sent you your address where you live together? Do you have a joint lease/utilities? If that is not enough, do you both have jobs/studies or something requiring you to be in that city? If yes, you can get a letter from employer/college stating that.

 

[toby]

Those would be proofs, Leon, but not always practical, or unassailable.

Bills (I assume you mean utility bills) are sent in the landlord's name, and we reimburse him. We have bank statements sent to us at our address, but that doesn't mean we are there together to receive them.

You understand, I am trying to think with the mind of a suspicious Immigration officer.

 

[Leon]

Do the bank statements show things like taking out money in an ATM? Does it show where the ATM is? Does it show you shopping with a credit card and where?

 

[toby]

Do the bank statements show things like taking out money in an ATM?

Yes, but these withdrawals don`t prove we were together when the withdrawals took place. Besides, one of the quirks of HSBC in China is that they don`t issue debit cards for joint accounts, just for sole accounts. So we have a joint account to receive transfers from abroad, but then we transfer all money from that joint account to our sole accounts, which DO have debit cards for purposes of ATM withdrawals.


Does it show where the ATM is?
Yes, and ATM withdrawals from her sole account and from my sole account in the same city places us in the same city, but not necessarily together in the same home.



Does it show you shopping with a credit card and where?
No, we don`t have a credit card. We have no regular income that would qualify us for a credit card.

I guess we would certainly use the bank statements as reasonable proofs, but I will still look for proofs that would satisfy even an unreasonable Immigration officer.

 

[Alabaman]

Does the rule require that you are physically together? I would assume it requires that you still married.

 

[toby]

I recall that we must be together physically.

 

[Leon]

I very much doubt that immigration is going to go into your home and make sure you sleep in the same bed. You are listed as married, immigration has no doubts that you are married, they will assume that you are still married unless you tell them otherwise.

 

[toby]

I hope you're right, Leon. Maybe a series of ATM withdrawals showing the same city will be enough. Plus, of course, a video of us together each day, duly notarized!! ;D

The reason for my (excessive?) caution is that I have learned NEVER to assume that the bureaucracy is rational.

Thanks