Sponsoring same-sex spouse

[jaketo]

Hi, I am a U.S. citizen who is here on a work visa. I live in Toronto with my common-law spouse, who is a Canadian (and U.S. dual citizen). We've been here in Toronto for about 2 months now, but we were living together in the U.S. for about 2 years and together almost 4 years total. We plan to buy a house together and want to make sure we start the PR process soon.

Would people recommend that we get an immigration to handle our case? How much does it cost? How long would we expect to wait?

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[Rob_TO]

Hi, I am a U.S. citizen who is here on a work visa. I live in Toronto with my common-law spouse, who is a Canadian (and U.S. dual citizen). We've been here in Toronto for about 2 months now, but we were living together in the U.S. for about 2 years and together almost 4 years total. We plan to buy a house together and want to make sure we start the PR process soon.

Would people recommend that we get an immigration to handle our case? How much does it cost? How long would we expect to wait?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Do you have proof/evidence of your living together for 2 years in the US?

Usually consultant/lawyer is not required and is usually a waste of money, unless you have a unique or complex case (perhaps involving criminality or inadmissibility issues).

 

[jaketo]

We have mail with our names on it for 2 places we lived in, as well as lots of photos with family and friends. Absolutely no criminal record and anything of that nature.

 

[Rob_TO]

We have mail with our names on it for 2 places we lived in, as well as lots of photos with family and friends. Absolutely no criminal record and anything of that nature.

Just mail addressed to both of you, is not much evidence. Do you have a joint lease/rental agreement? Declaration from landlord you lived together? Joint bank or credit card accounts? Joint utility bills? Life insurance on each other? Changing status with CRA to common-law? etc etc.

 

[jaketo]

I lived with him at his house. Here in Toronto, we do have a rental agreement together and a joint bank account, but that only accounts for our time here, not the time in the U.S. We are also purchasing a house together here.