I have been here in Canada for over 3.5 years on temporary work permits.
Ms. orange247 has been here with me as my common-law partner for all of that time, she gets a WP linked to mine. We were common law for 1.8 yrs before we came on first WP so now totalling overs 5 years common law with an additional two years relationship before becoming common-law.

We are about to send in application for CEC. Initially we were just going to submit our IMM5409E Common Law union form and two leases but after getting a bit of advice we were told we may need more 'legal' documentary evidence. We're young-ish so things like wills and life insurance are not our radar just yet and I don't want to rush those things just for the sake of an application.

So I've come up with a list of all the proof we could possibly submit:

List of proof

1. Lease from Ireland (5 years ago)
2. Lease from Canada.(3 years ago)
3. Letter from former landlord in Ireland
4. BC Health MSP Account letters showing both Names on one account, one from 2006, another from 2009.
5. Private Health Insurance beneficiary statements.
5. Details showing our joint credit card accounts x 2
7. Details showing joint savings account
8. Letter from my employer in Canada showing he knows us as common law for x years etc..(same employer last 3.5 yrs)
9. Letter from parents as above
10. Letter from partners uncle as above (he's a retired police sergeant in the UK)
11. Letter from 2 friends stating to the effect that they know us for x years as partners.

Plus we were thinking of throwing in a few photos and details of holidays and travel together though
I've heard they don't add much weight to your case.

Considering that we are in Canada now and have been here together over the last 3.5 years and are already deemed common-law partners in the eyes of CIC, do you think I have enough proof for the CEC application?

Thanks

I'm sure someone who has been through the process will be along to help soon, but in my opinion the items you listed would be enough. I would send photos and if you have things like joint invitations to things like weddings, and any flights booked for you both.

The more you supply the better. Good luck

Yup we have lots of travel together. Plenty of airline reservations and boarding passes for trips together.

I just got a little worried today when told I would probably need more 'legal' docs, it came as a bit of surprise. But after googling around found lots of people who have submitted pretty much what is listed above. If there are any more posters who have similar CEC experiences please share them. It seems that CEC applicants are thin on the ground and the quota got cut again this year.

Surely the fact that CIC have issued your Mrs a Work Permit for 3.5 years is more than enough proof for CIC that you are Common-Law. Make sure you throw in copies of these, along with the leases for Ireland and I would say that would be more than enough proof.

I was thinking that myself but the immigration consultant we visited felt we needed a little more 'legal' proof?!

Anyway I'm on my fourth work permit and on each occasion we have submitted a new original IMM5409E i.e. we've declared our union four times in the past three and a half years!

Right now the folks and friends are on a letter writing campaign......

Who is your consultant? Maybe if you were a Spousal Sponsorship application - then that much information may be relevant.

I would say it was overkill. Your leases from Ireland show you were Common-law back there and then the 3.5 years of work permits covers the rest of the time.

Thats the thing, the consultant advised that we could submit our leases plus one other 'legal' document like a will or life insurance beneficiary statement and that would be probably enough. However as stated we don't have either of those so I've just listed everything that we could submit in lieu of those documents but not necessarily everything that we will submit.

If others posters feel that I could pare down that list to the pertinent documents that would lend weight to the application without burdening the visa officer with paperwork to examine, I'm all ears.