reference letters

[Fiore]

Hi eveyone,

We are almost done with all the preparing, filling in etc required but we still have some questions which someone may be able to answer.
1st: do the letters have to be notarized or handwritten or can they be typed?
2nd: I´m applying outside Canada, in Argentina, so in "Appendix C" which has to be presented to the doctor for the medical check, when it asks for the Visa Office that will be processing the file, would it be Mississauga (where my sponsor is going to hand in all the paperwork) or Buenos Aires?

Thank you very much!

 

[nyssa]

1. Do you mean support letters? Or the "letters to prove relationship is genuine and continuing?" No matter anyway I suppose, the answer is the same - they can be handwritten or typed. Just sign and date them. For the support letters, have your family/friends have some contact info as well. They do not have to be notorized unless they are not in English (someone will have to confirm this, but I believe that to be true). Otherwise they do not have to be notarized, but it certainly does look a little nicer.

2. It would be Buenos Aires.

 

[Suin]

we had those letters typed and signed by our relatives/friends in notary public presence.

 

[Karlshammar]

We just had our friends type them up, sign and date them. We didn't have them notarized or witnessed or anything similar, though if you are able to do that it certainly won't hurt as that will guarantee that they were written by the person whose name is on them.

 

[AllisonVSC]

I seem to remember needing two to be notarized, though the rest of them were prints of emailed letters with contact info (address and phone numbers).

 

[nyssa]

Spouses are exempt from the 2 notarized letters. I looked into that myself initially!

 

[Suin]

Spouses are exempt from the 2 notarized letters. I looked into that myself initially!

what letters you are talking about? please do say more.

 

[nyssa]

On the Immigrant's Checklist (atleast for the USA one, which is what I've been looking at) it says:

"If you are a common-law or conjugal partner, provide evidence that your relationship is genuine and
continuing and has existed for at least 12 months prior to your application. Also provide details of the
history of your relationship and at least two statutory declarations from individuals with personal
knowledge of your relationship supporting your claim that the relationship is genuine and continuing."

Albeit it doesn't say 'notarized', my apologies. I am applying under spousal so did not look into this heavily. But this was the 2 letters bit I was referring to.

 

[tgchi13]

On the Immigrant's Checklist (atleast for the USA one, which is what I've been looking at) it says:

"If you are a common-law or conjugal partner, provide evidence that your relationship is genuine and
continuing and has existed for at least 12 months prior to your application. Also provide details of the
history of your relationship and at least two statutory declarations from individuals with personal
knowledge of your relationship supporting your claim that the relationship is genuine and continuing."

Albeit it doesn't say 'notarized', my apologies. I am applying under spousal so did not look into this heavily. But this was the 2 letters bit I was referring to.

By definition, statutory declaration means notarized:

statutory declaration
Definition (1)
1. Assertion of the knowledge of a circumstance, event, or fact, made in a prescribed manner before a Commissioner of Oaths, Justice Of Peace, or a Notary Public. Although a statutory declaration has the same effect as an affidavit, it is used only in out-of-court (extra judicial) proceedings.

OMG nyssa! Our ex lawyer never even told us that!

 

[ColorMePanda]

But spouse are exempt from this, correct? (meaning the two notarized statutory declarations)
I mean of course unless they want to include it.

 

[tgchi13]

But spouse are exempt from this, correct? (meaning the two notarized statutory declarations)
I mean of course unless they want to include it.

Check the document checklist for inland applications. I checked the outland checklist as nyssa is applying outland (as are we) and knew that's where she saw the info.

I'd suggest they will be the same, but do not know and so you need to check your checklist.

 

[nyssa]

Haha, I've memorized a lot of the information now. It's sick

Spouses are exempt from that, they say common law/conjugal. You can always call CIC I suppose! We are including roughly 10-15 support letters ourselves (excessive, yes) none notarized, but they include contact info for the one who wrote it.

I think they want the notarized letters for common law/conjugal as further proof that others have witnessed said relationship whereas a wedding has its attendants, etc. Just a hunch!

 

[tgchi13]

Haha, I've memorized a lot of the information now. It's sick

Spouses are exempt from that, they say common law/conjugal. You can always call CIC I suppose! We are including roughly 10-15 support letters ourselves (excessive, yes) none notarized, but they include contact info for the one who wrote it.

I think they want the notarized letters for common law/conjugal as further proof that others have witnessed said relationship whereas a wedding has its attendants, etc. Just a hunch!

We are including some letters and statements and emails from others too but not asking anyone to have anything notarized. It is seems pathetic, when someone asks about my partner, to say 'can you send me an email' but they are bright people and understand what's going on.

I'd highly doubt an inland application would need the letters notarized because the letters, theoretically, would likely come from in Canada and the person's easy to contact and since they aren't required for outland (where language barriers and distance may hinder confirmation). But I don't know!

 

[Karlshammar]

If they ask for them to be notarized on the inland form, I would strongly advise you to have them notarized...

 

[Fiore]

We were talking about the reference letters proving that our relationship is genuine and also the ones sent from the family and friend as support letters. Thank you for all your advise. i guess we´ll have to notarize at least two of them.

Thanks again!