Canada has one of the most diverse and comprehensive immigration systems in the world. As such, it considers the wide varieties of relationships that can exist between two people. Though common-law partners are recognized differently from province to province, Citizenship and Immigration Canada has a singular view of what a Common Law Partner means for the purpose of immigration.  As Canada recognizes many different kinds of relationships, in Canada, your common-law partner can be either of the opposite sex or the same sex.

What Fundamentally Makes a Common Law Partner:

• Have been living together in a conjugal relationship
• The relationship has been for at least one year in an ongoing 12-month period
• You are allowed short absences for business travel or family reasons

When demonstrating this relationship in your application, you will need to consider what sort of documentary evidence you might have that would prove to an officer making a decision that you are indeed in a genuine relationship and have been cohabitating for at least 12 months.

Further, you will need proof that you and your common-law partner have combined your affairs and set up a household together.

Documents That Could Demonstrate These Factors Might Be:

• joint bank accounts or credit cards,
• joint ownership of a home,
• joint residential leases,
• joint rental receipts,
• joint registration or payment of utilities (electricity, gas, telephone),
• joint management of household expenses,
• joint purchases, especially of household items,
• mail addressed to either person or both people at the same address.

These items can be used twofold. Not only do they satisfy an officer that you have joint affairs and therefore are in a “marriage-like” relationship, but having joint bills with the same address would also demonstrate cohabitation. The duration of the billing dates and the fact that both your names appear on the bill with the same address is certainly one way of satisfying an officer that you have been cohabitating for a minimum 12-month period.

Another factor to consider is the fact that you will also have to satisfy an officer of the genuineness of your relationship. This can be done by submitting such items as gift receipts, exchanged loved letters, photos of time spent together etc.

Sponsoring your Common Law Partner can be a complex matter if you are unsure of the right documentation to provide.  For example, you will also need to complete a Statutory Declaration of Common Law Union that must be notarized as part of your application. This document is a legal affirmation and joint agreement of the union.

Akrami & Associates has a wealth of experience dealing with such matters and understands that this can be a very stressful time for couples seeking to be reunited. Let us take this worry off your shoulders by working hard on your behalf to get the results you seek.