Stewart84

I've heard conflicting info about the declaration of common law union document. Is this required for spousal app?

The wording on the guide seems contradictory

SchnookoLoly

No, that's only if you and your common-law partner are sponsoring a third party.

Stewart84

Hey guys - my girlfriend and I are in the UK at the moment. So when it asks for proof that we intend to return to Canada if PR is granted what kind of thing would be good? Letter from parents there?

SchnookoLoly

Just put anything about what plans you have to move back.

In our case, we wrote that we would start applying for jobs once PR was through (since we figured we would be more successful that way), that we woudl be living with my parents initially (letter from parents to confirm this), and some information about what areas we'd started looking at for buying a house. We were able to say things like, "given Husband works in x field, he's likely going to have a job in y area, so we are considering a, b, and c for housing." That sort of thing - they just want to see you've given it some thought and have a broad plan in place, even if you don't have anything booked. (Of course, if you've signed a lease, or have a job offer, etc, then include that.)

Stewart84

Schookololy thank you for always having the answer!

That all sounds very reasonable info to give. While I dont have an offer my previous employer RBC worte me an amazing letter of recommendation so I might even throw that in there as possible place for working on my return.

They did say to me verbally that they'd have me back but I don't think that will cut it with CIC!

SchnookoLoly

Definitely worth including that. Shows you have some ties and at least a fallback plan if nothing else.

Good luck!

Stewart84

ALLLLLLLLLLMOST DONE (PROMISE)!

Just gathering letters of support. Are there any hard and fast rules about the letters?

Is typed out and signed at the bottom the best way to present it?

Should the person writing it talk much about themselves? How lengthy were most peoples?

Thank you

SchnookoLoly

First off, two of them have to be notarised. Make sure you do that. Some people haven't bothered and haven't had issues, but like everything else, my opinion is that it's not worth having your app rejected for something trivial. You just need a lawyer to witness you sign it, and to then sign it themselves, should cost about $10 per letter. If you're in the UK just call up a law firm and ask if they have someone there who can witness and notarise a letter.

Second, there's no structure or whatever to how the letters have to be.

I posted on this thread awhile ago - http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=739993. In Post 12 I wrote out a copy of what we did for our letters. We had 11 of them, 2 were notarised. We sent everyone a template so that the important information would be in there, but then also included space for people to write their own thing so that the letters weren't complete copies of one another.

Again, there's no hard guidance or hard rules, just search around for what others have done and do what you are comfortable with doing.

Hope that helps!

Stewart84

Thanks alot for the links. We've pretty much used your template but told our friends to be creative so they dont look uniformed. We've also had 3 notarized by a lawyer just incase!

How picky are the CIC on that background question. I know I have to do it until im 18 but I started Uni when i was 19 and I was at junior college for a year before, now the junior college finished in june and uni started in sep...do i need to fill in that gap? i honestly dont even remember if i had a job, it was so long ago!

Siouxie

They are very picky!

You can't have any gaps, anywhere, whether it is for jobs / studies / unemployment or where you lived.

You could apply to get your employment history through HMRC http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/leaflets/dp-fs1.htm#5 but if you can't then I would suggest putting 'unemployed' (start and end date) and where you were living at the time.

SchnookoLoly

+1 for what Siouxie said. Go back to since you were 18, and don't leave any gaps. If you were unemployed, then just write that. They aren't going to judge you for it or decline to give you PR because of it, they just want to know what you were doing.

The form asks for exact dates - we didn't remember a lot of the exact dates, so just put month and year where we didn't know the actual date. We didn't have any issues with that.

Good luck!

Stewart84

My girlfriend is wondering about the Sponsor evaluation- specifically the question that says "Write your net personal income for the 12 months preceding the date of your application. Also write the dates of that 12-month period."

We have her option-c printouts 2011 and 2012, but are assuming that this question means the twelve months before the application is submitted.. so end of February 2013- end of February 2014?

If so, does the amount need to be be exact? Do we need evidence of this?

Some of this 12 month period was spent in Canada where her income was in dollars, but obviously now that we are in the UK her income is in pounds.

Should we attach a document explaining this?

SchnookoLoly

Err, which form are you looking at?

Stewart84

IMM5481 Sponsorship Evaluation Question 3

SchnookoLoly

Right, my mistake.

For that question I just added up my pay slips for the 12 months preceding our application, and included copies of them in the application as proof. Just convert it at the current exchange rage and include a note that says your income was £xGBP and you used the exchange rate on d/m/y of y as the exchange rate, and then include the pay slips to back it up.