To sponsor a common-law partner in Canada while living a nomadic “van life” or in an RV, you must aggressively document your travels to prove 12 continuous months of cohabitation. Because you lack a traditional residential lease, you must rely on campground receipts, joint vehicle insurance, and maintaining a solid primary mailing address in your home province.
The nomadic lifestyle is booming across Canada. Many couples are trading traditional apartments for RVs, converted camper vans, and the freedom of the open road. 🚖 While exploring the Rocky Mountains of Alberta or the coasts of Nova Scotia is romantic, it creates a massive legal headache if you need to sponsor your partner for Canadian permanent residence.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) defines a common-law partnership as two people who have lived together continuously for at least one full year (12 months). 📅 Traditionally, couples prove this with a joint apartment lease and shared utility bills. When your home has wheels, proving a shared address is incredibly tricky. If your application lacks a concrete paper trail, it will be refused. Consulting a local immigration lawyer from our directory who understands unconventional living situations can ensure your paperwork meets federal standards.
Step-by-Step Process for Nomadic Couples in Canada
You cannot simply tell IRCC “we drove across Canada together.” You must provide a mountain of documentary evidence that places both of you in the exact same location every single day for a year. 📋
Step 1: Establish a Primary Provincial Base
Even if you live in an RV, you need a primary mailing address for legal and tax purposes in Canada. 📬 Most nomadic couples use the address of a parent or a close relative in their home province (like British Columbia or Ontario). Both you and your partner must officially register this as your permanent address for your Canadian driver’s licenses, provincial health cards, and banking.
Step 2: Update Your CRA Tax Filings
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is a powerful tool for proving your relationship. 💵 Once you have lived together for 12 months, you are legally required to file your taxes as “Common-Law.” Your CRA Notices of Assessment showing the same home address and indicating your common-law status is one of the strongest pieces of evidence you can provide to IRCC.
Step 3: Hoard Every Single Receipt
Without a standard lease, your daily receipts become your lease. 📄 You must keep every receipt showing joint travel. This includes monthly campground reservations, Parks Canada passes, and ferry tickets that list both of your names. If the RV is only registered in one person’s name, you must urgently add the other partner to the RV insurance policy as a secondary driver to show shared financial responsibility.
Step 4: Provide Strong Statutory Declarations
Because your lifestyle is non-traditional, you must over-explain it. Submit a detailed letter explaining your van life journey, including a timeline of your travels. 📝 You must also complete Form IMM 5409 (Statutory Declaration of Common-Law Union) in front of a Canadian notary public. Gather sworn letters from friends and family who visited you at different campsites to verify you live together.
How Much Does it Cost in Canada?
Living in an RV might save on rent, but sponsoring a partner still carries significant federal fees. As of May 2026, expect the following costs in CAD. 💵
- IRCC Application Fee: $1,260 CAD (Covers sponsorship, principal applicant, and Right of PR fees).
- Biometrics: $85 CAD.
- Notary Public Fees: $50 to $150 CAD to swear your IMM 5409 declaration.
- Lawyer Fees: $3,000 to $6,000 CAD to properly structure a non-traditional common-law application.
How Long Does the Process Take?
Standard inland spousal and common-law sponsorship applications take roughly 26 months to process. ⏳ However, if the visa officer is confused by your lack of a standard residential lease, they may request additional documents or schedule an interview, which can delay the process by an additional 3 to 6 months.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can we use a P.O. Box as our address for IRCC?
No. IRCC requires a physical residential address for your application. While a P.O. Box is fine for receiving general mail, you must provide a physical street address (like a family member’s home or a registered RV park where you spend the winter) as your primary residence.
What if we spent the winter travelling in the US?
Time spent travelling outside of Canada together still counts towards your 12 months of cohabitation, as long as you were physically together. However, you must maintain your legal Canadian residency and provide passport stamps and US campground receipts to prove you were together.
Does the RV need to be legally owned by both of us?
While joint ownership of the RV is excellent proof of a shared life, it is not strictly mandatory. If one person owns the van, you should try to have both names on the vehicle insurance, roadside assistance plans (like CAA), and joint bank accounts used to pay for gas.
What happens if we separated for a few weeks to visit our respective families?
Short, temporary separations for work or family visits (usually under a few weeks) do not break the continuous 12-month requirement, provided the intention was always to reunite and you maintained your shared home (the RV).
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