Couple of things here.
First, points system, it is for skilled workers. You get points for Age(10), education(25), work experience(20), proficiency in an official language(15), proficiency in a second official language(5), adaptability(10), and arranged employment(15) - those are rough numbers. An applicant needs a total of 67 points out of 100. While it may seem tempting to go this route, other factors are at play such as finances, and now bill C. 50 which basically states that only applicants in certain professions (i believe there are 50 or so) will be approved. And it can take longer - unless there is a severe shortage of said profession. Emphasis is on familly reunification, the goal being to process applications for spouses and children within 6 months, while reality may tell a different story, this is indeed the goal.
What an officer is looking for is to make sure that a relation ship is bonafide / or if you prefer the more pesimistic view, the officer looks for signs of a marriage of convenience - and the other issue, likely hood that the person may use social assistance. Stories of younger trophy wives and younger studs hitting the road as soon as they arrive in Canada don't help colour the officer's lens as to the situation - these things make the press, and while they should not descriminate by country, it happens, so an officer will most likely look at an application differently in Haiti than in London. It is also good to remember that what they look for is the negative, and most probably have had people outright try to lie to them, decieve them, make contradictory statements etc. etc.
Now, all that being said, it is not 1 thing that will make an officer ask for an interview, but a combination of things that will lead them to certain conclusions. Age difference on its own is not a huge red flag, but combine that with a language barrier, financial disparity, and a short acquaintance before marriage/sponsorship, you have a red flag. Photos and evidence of communication are good, but what they truly want to see is that the lives are combined, and that things aren't one sided - more so to prevent a sanky from seeping through the cracks. It's not that I'm insinuating that for anyone, just that it has happened, and the sponsor was sure it was real, only to be duped - this now leaves the onus on the immigration officer to try and prevent that.
So, how to go about making a good application? Try to find holes in it, and fill them - if you cannot think of a way to fill those holes, perhaps a reevaluation is needed. For instance brown girl states she met her fiance in the US, and now helps support him. In a case like hers, I think it would be ideal to highlight somehow that when the relationship started that this was not the case, that he paid his bills, covered his way, and was not fully dependant on you, and that given the circumstances you support him, when the opportunity arrises he will carry his weight. Perhaps he can write letters showing his interest in Canadian companies in his field so that he can establish himself right away, he can show these letters to the official, or add them to the application.
If there is a language barrier, try to get some proof that each is attempting to learn the other's language, registration to courses, receipts for language books or CDs, etc.
Communications, show what you can, if you use phone cards, get a transcript of your phone records that show you call the access number.
Personally, I haven't done my sponsorship yet, but I should have it in within a few weeks. I will have a few holes in my application, as I'm not the type of person to document things. But, we have a child together, we will be getting married this weekend, and both my parents will be there. I have proof that our relationship has been going on for over 2 years now. I may be lacking in some photos, as in I don't have a huge quantity - not my style. Have phone records only dating for a few months - I do however have a few hundred phone cards, hehe. But i have proof over a span of time, we speak the same language, we're close in age, and while I might be supporting her now, she did support me for a while, and I will state that. I'll let you know how its going once all gets started.
Basically be as straight forward as possible, avoid anything that my look deceiving, avoid anything that may make it look as though the person is 100% dependant on you, think of tough questions and find answers to them, and if possible show that in your application.
It all comes down to two things really, 1) a legitamate relationship, and 2) a strong probability that the applicant won't use/abuse social assistance.
