when did our common law relationship start?

[citrus255]

Hello every body...

Onthe form Application for permanent residence in Canada, question 9 asks :

If you are married or in a common-law relationship, provide the date on which you were married or entered into the common- law relationship.

I am in a common law relationship, do they want us to provide the date we met, the date we moved in together or the date we have been living together for one year.

i have asked CIC but keep getting different answers from different agents.

Thanks for the help!!!

 

[Rasha]

The definition is clearly stated on Page 4(depending on the language etc) in the Part 2 of the Application for Sponsorship guide IM3999.

"Common-law partner
You are a common-law partner if you are a person of the opposite or same sex, who is living with the
sponsor in a conjugal relationship and have done so for a period of at least one year. If your application is approved and you become a permanent resident of Canada, you will have to meet the definition of a common-law partner before you can exercise any rights or privileges associated with common-law status."

Your relationship normally would have started and progressed over time, BEFORE you were common-law, unless you met and started living together on the same day.

Start of relationship - date when you met and started dating
Start of Common-law - date when you actually started living together

 

[Rasha]

I meant to add....you cannot claim common-law rights and priviledges by CIC standards until you have been living together for at least a year - but you have to have been living together for a year, in order to claim that status....[catch 22'ish sounding sorry].