Sponsorship question option

[browneyes]

After reading many posts and digesting much valuable information, I decided to register and ask a few questions since Iam still confused in this process.

A bit of background information.

Iam a Canadian Citizen, who has been living in Europe for the past year and 2 months with my common-law partner who is a European Citizen. Within that year we have returned to Canada to visit family, 1 week stays. We have known each other for 10 years with some lost years in between, but fate brought us back to each other and have been in a serious relationship for the past year and 7 months. Both families and friends have been introduced and talk on a regular basis. We have a joint bank account together and such to qualify as common-law, but are making plans to marry in Canada. (We have both been divorced, him in Europe, I in Canada) We are making plans to return to Canada to live and start a family in the spring of 2013.

My questions are as follows:

1. Do I start the sponsorship now as common-law while we are both here in Europe, or wait until we arrive in Canada, marry and then apply while he is on a visitor visa hoping to extend it while we are filing the application?
a) Which are the proper forms to use for sponsorship under common-law while we are both here in Europe?
2. Is him being divorced in Europe going to complicate anything? What should I be informed about when it comes to that?

Thank you in advance for your time and response

 

[Sunshine87]

Welcome!

1. I would get a start on things now. The whole process is time consuming, so since you already qualify to sponsor, definitely get a jump on things.

a. http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/fc.asp is the Outland Sponsorship App. Just follow the instructions in the guide, as well as the region specific guide. There isn't a separate application specific for common-law, but there are a few extra forms within the app that apply to common-law partnerships.

2. Divorce won't have any effect on your application. As long as you both have divorce certificates and plenty of proof that your relationship is true and genuine, you won't have any issues.

Good luck!

 

[browneyes]

Thank you so much for your quick reply Sunshine87. Definitely clears things up

 

[browneyes]

Another situation needs clarification...

Well it seems that we´ve decided to move back to Canada, him on a visitor visa, and get married there with all the family and friends. I rather sponsor him as a spouse than common law. Will there be any problems to do this? I may not have a job as soon as we arrive, will this also be a problem to sponsor him? We will be living with my parents.

 

[Creampop]

Where are you moving to? Divorce won't have an impact on your application but, you should check with the province you plan on getting married in I know that in Ontario a Divorcee must obtain permission from the Ministry of Government in order to get a marriage license issued. I have no idea how long this takes to obtain my husband and I found it to be a hassle and hopped over to Niagara Falls NY and got married. There is no income requirement to sponsor a spouse, I'm sure by the time you get to second stage (they may ask how you plan to support yourself) you will have found a job. Just include a letter from your parents stating that once he is approved you both my stay with them until your on your feet. GL!

 

[browneyes]

Hi Creampop,

We´ll be moving to Ontario.

Thank you so much for your reply, I guess there is more information that I didn´t know about. I will have a look into the requirements for a marriage license and the steps for that. Thank you