Spousal Questions ("living together" vs. Residing vs. Visiting)

[rollinsc]

I am a Canadian Citizen who is sponsoring my Peruvian husband to come to Canada. We are just in the process of doing the application forms and have run into a few questions. (We are doing the application for sponsoring your family members who are OUTSIDE of Canada).

On the Sponsor Questionnaire (IMM 5540) in Part 1 of the Immigration Family Class Application, on question number 8 (page 1) it asks if I have resided in countries other than Canada. I temporarily lived in Santiago, Chile for 8 months and Lima, Peru for 6 months; both on tourist visas. Because I did not have a resident visa, and Immigrations Canada considers you still to be residing in Canada if you are a tourist (or traveling) I am not sure what to put for this section.

I also have a question on the Sponsored Spouse/Partner Questionnaire (IMM 5490) on Part 2 of the Immigration Application for question number 24 on Maintaing Contact (page 5) and question number 27 (page 6). On question number 24 it asks if the sponsor has visited the sponsored person and we must provide details. On question number 27 it asks if the sponsor and the sponsored person have lived together. What would the time span be between just a "visit" and "living" together? I have lived with my husband for 6 months (under a tourist visa) as well as been with him for only a few weeks or months. Which am I supposed to consider for number 24 and which for number 27? Am I able to repeat them in both sections??

I know they can be really sticky about everything which is why I want to be as clear as possible to them... please help!!!! It seems like if nothing is done perfectly they will send back your application!

 

[RobsLuv]

If you are in another country on a tourist visa, you are not residing there. You are visiting.

As far as "living together" or visiting - as spouses, you are not required to have lived together. The only time that "living together" becomes an issue is for couples who are attempting to qualify as common-law partners and have to prove that they have co-habitated. So, no, technically, you did not "live together" when you were visiting him. Be sure you list those "visits" as time spent together, though, and for how long - but that's not what they consider "living together".

Also, they're not going to send back your application because you answer a question "wrong" . . . it may get your husband an invitation to an interview, but it won't get the application sent back. The types of things that get an application sent back are documents that are missing, forms that aren't signed, medicals and criminal clearances that are required not included, etc. But answers to questions: nope. You put what you put and they assess based on that information. Sometimes you wish they would send it back - or at least contact you to clarify things, but that's not how it works.