5 Spousal Sponsorship Mistakes You Need To Avoid At All Costs

1. 5 Spousal Sponsorship Mistakes You Need To Avoid At All Costs!

2. “Many self-prepared applications for common-law sponsorship to Canada are reviewed by immigration professionals, and they consistently see the same mistakes. Here are a few pointers to help you avoid some of the most typical mistakes.”

3. 1.  Ensure that you actually qualify as common-law. You must be able to show that you and your partner have lived together for at least 12 months. Include dated documentation with your application that indicate you've lived at the same residence for at least a year in the past. Keep in mind that travelling together or living together in a distant nation counts as common-law status – even if that country does not recognise it.

4. 2. After you've met the 1-year cohabitation requirement, sign and date your forms. On the date you sign your paperwork, you must already be common law. If you're preparing your application ahead of time, don't sign and date the paperwork until you've met the eligibility requirements. Your application will be rejected if you sign too quickly.

5. 3. Include a Stat Dec of Common Law.   Although the Statutory Declaration of Common Law form, IMM 5409, is not on the document checklist for a common-law partner sponsorship to Canada, I strongly advise you to submit it with your application. To swear the declaration, both partners must make an appointment with a Notary Public or a Commissioner for Oaths. You must specify when you began living together for a continuous period of time on this form If you have lived apart for periods of time, don't swear that you have lived together constantly since the beginning of your relationship; instead, specify only the times when you were actually living together. If you're still living together, don't put an end date on your relationship while filling out the form; instead, use TO PRESENT.

6. 4. Double-check your address history for both the sponsor and the major applicant. One of the application forms (IMM 5532) requests the sponsor's five-year address history, while another (IMM 5669) requests the sponsored partner's ten-year address history. Ensure that your addresses on these papers accurately reflect that you and your partner have lived at the same address for the required amount of time.

7. 5.  Include an open work permit application.  If you're looking for an inland sponsorship and wish to work in Canada, you'll need to submit an application for an open work permit together with your sponsorship package. You will not be able to stay or work in Canada if you only apply for sponsorship. This second application, as well as any associated payments, must be included.

8. Need more insights on the same? Get in touch with immigration consultants at TALENT CONNECTED WORLDWIDE today!