victorfoxtrot

Getting in a right pickle already trying to fill out these forms and just wondered if anyone else can help me out on this one. I am sure I am just overthinking it, but worried I will put something wrong.

OK, situation is that my Canadian boyfriend is going to sponsor me (a UK citizen) as his common-law partner. The questions I am struggling on are
8a + b and 9, mainly because my partner is separated from but therefore still legally married to his wife.

These are the facts:
He is legally separated from his wife and has been since May 2008. The divorce is pending, and should be final by the time I submit our sponsorship application in August. We met in May 2009, and our long distance relationship began a month later in June 2009. I moved here in July 2010 and we began living together and have been ever since.

So my question is for question 8a) Your marital status, how many boxes should he tick!? Because right now (assuming the divorce doesn't come through in time) he is both legally separated from his wife AND in a common-law relationship with me. So does he tick two boxes? Regarding the date he should put for the start of our common-law relationship, should that be the date I moved in (27 Jul 2010) or a June 09 date which is when our relationship began - albeit long distance?

Then question 8b) concerns me.....I'm not his conjugal partner am i (because we will have lived together for 1 year by then, so I am common-law, not conjugal right?!?)? So tick 'No' here?

Finally question 9: Have you been previously married, in a common-law or conjugal relationship? Well yes he has, and that part is relatively straightforward, I'm just wondering what to put when it asks for the 'from & to' dates, because there is a latter box that asks for divorce/separation/death date. Since they were married should I put the date of the marriage as the from (even though the relationship began some 4 years earlier), and the to date would be the date of their separation. Just thought also, for the name of his spouse, if the divorce is not final by the time we apply, should I put her married name down or maiden name?

I hope what I have put makes sense! Anyone else had a sponsor who was divorced/separated? I'd appreciate any info on what you put on the forms.
Thanks in advance.

mariar

I cant help with the previous relationship questions but for question 8b I said no. My thinking was the same as yours, you will be living together for a year by the time the app is sent so you are common law. Hopefully someone can confirm this for us both!

victorfoxtrot

Thanks for the comment. I think I have been over-thinking things - we can't be conjugal, we have to be common-law! Anyone else out there who's sponsor is divorced, or was legally separated from their previous partner at the time? All advice welcome. Thanks in advance.

BTJ

For a marriage I would put date of wedding to date of divorce. She can legally be known by either surname, I certainly know my own mother kept her married name after divorce.

In the overseas processing manual 2: Section 5.38 it discusses a married person having a common-law partner.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resourc...p/op02-eng.pdf