Hi everyone. My name is Jade Calver. I own and operate Calver and Associates Canadian Immigration
Services. Today, I'm going to be talking about documentation that should be included with spousal
sponsorship applications. I get lots of questions from clients asking just exactly what they should
be providing in a spousal sponsorship application to really strengthen their application. Rhe
document checklist from the Government of Canada does outline the basic documents that you should
be providing in an application but today I'll be going into a little bit more detail about each of
those requirements and what exactly a government officer is looking for. When preparing an
application, one of the documents that I suggest that clients include is a relationship narrative.
This document isn't actually on the list of required documents for spousal sponsorship
applications, however, I include it as an addendum to the relationship information form.
So, in the application form, it asks you if there's any additional information that you
would like to provide about your relationship and this really gives the couple - both the sponsor
and the applicant an opportunity to provide any additional information that they would like to
about the relationship. It can be about when you met, how the relationship developed, and it
really gives the officer an understanding of the context of your story and so this is where - you
know - you include information that you wouldn't otherwise be able to provide in the application
and it really helps to strengthen and give the officer just an overall snapshot of your
application. I find that it really helps with applications to provide this narrative and
it allows you to address any concerns that you think the officer might have about your
relationship. In general, in the application they also ask you to provide supporting documents.
This is exactly what it sounds like - it's supporting documents to prove your
relationship. So these are proof of relationship documents. When it's an in-Canada application,
these documents serve two purposes. First, that you actually live together in Canada and second
that your relationship is legitimate. Some items that you can show for in-Canada applications are
proof of joint bank account, joint licenses, joint car insurance, a lease or a joint deed to a house,
joint life insurance - all showing both of you living at the same address. I
have a lot of clients who try to submit an application maybe with just a phone bill
and maybe something else maybe some insurance or another utility bill. Keep in mind it's really
important to think about the implications of the supporting evidence that you're showing.
For example, a joint bank account is a much stronger proof of relationship document than a
joint phone bill. It's a lot easier to get a joint phone bill than it is a joint lease or a joint
bank account. You have to really think about the implications of these documents and how
they help support your application. The officer is looking for financial interdependence,
especially with social sponsorship applications and that you really have supporting documentation
for the application. If you're outside of Canada, these documents look more like proof of
correspondence and proof of visits to one another. So you do have to include that and in addition to
that, I always say, always provide proof of financial interdependency.
Even if you don't send money back and forth, show that you do share finances and pay for things for
one another just to show that there is that financial interdependency in the relationship.
Another part of spousal sponsorship applications are the relationship photos. So in a spousal
sponsorship application, you need to include 20 photos from different dates and times
in your relationship. It's really important that this document shows photos from different dates
and times in your relationship. So it must include your wedding photos and any celebration that you
had but also include photos from different dates and times - so when you first met,
from different outings, etc. I really also encourage people to include photos with other
people. So don't include 20 selfies - it should be put in chronological order and it should show
you with your friends and family from both sides, especially showing that they know the other person
and that there has been natural progression of the relationship from when you first met
up until you were married or became common-law partners. In the case of common-law applications,
another thing that we include in spousal sponsorship applications
are letters from friends and family. These are really important and can be really crucial
especially in spousal or common-law sponsorship applications where there's maybe limited
other supporting documentation, it's really crucial that these letters from your friends
and family indicate that both sides of your families know about the relationship
and that they're as detailed as possible. When it comes to your relationship, they should state
when they first met the other person, what they know about the relationship, any time that you've
spent together as a couple with that person - if they attended your wedding and any other personal
anecdotes that they'd like to give about the application that supports the overall relationship
is really helpful. So again, I include at least four to five letters from each the sponsor and the
applicant. So that's ten - you know - eight to ten letters total and again you can include it from
family from both sides friends and then anyone else involved in the relationship. So maybe a
minister priest or religious figure especially if they performed your marriage ceremony. And I also
have linked a sample below for you that you can look at. These are really helpful and again, the
more detailed that these letters are, the better. So that's everything for today when it comes to
sponsorship applications and common reasons for refusal. I hope that this information was
helpful. If you have any questions regarding your Canadian Spousal Sponsorship or Common-Law spousal
sponsorship application, we're happy to help. We're online at calverimmigrationservices.com