Hello
Im new here but I hope you could help. I'm 2019 applicant. Had my test done last year in Nov 2021. They scheduled me for an interview in 2 weeks time in person. Just going through my papers I realized I'm short 12 days in my physical presence! This mistake was made as one trip I had did not have any entry or exit stamps in my passport, as I never had it! Just realized now going through old emails looking for other stuff. I had a time buffer but even with that Im short 12 days.
WHAT SHOULD I DO?
Given how soon the interview is scheduled, probably not enough time to effectively communicate with IRCC about this before the interview. So, probably best to be sure to attend the interview and to be prepared to acknowledge the mistake, in detail (what was left out or inaccurate in your physical presence calculation and attendant travel history), and prepared to explain how you made the mistake. Generally isolated mistakes do not cause serious problems. IRCC is well aware people make mistakes. Main thing is to acknowledge it and make it apparent it was a mistake not misrepresentation.
For relatively minor or isolated travel history mistakes, which are recognized as a mistake (not misrepresentation), the issue is what impact the mistake has on the physical presence calculation. If the mistake means the applicant is one day or more short, as of the day the application was made, that application must be denied/rejected.
Thus . . .
If the mistake means that you are 12 days short of meeting the 1095 days physical presence requirement . . .
If the mistake means that you are 12 days short of meeting the 1095 days physical presence requirement, as of the day you made the application, there is not much that can be done at this stage but to attend the interview, acknowledge the mistake, and if asked explain how you made the mistake. Then your options are very limited, since being short of the presence requirement means the application must be denied . . . sooner or later, but only sooner if you more or less concede, in effect withdrawing the application. Otherwise, it will eventually be denied but that could be much, much later.
So, you will probably want to withdraw the application, which you may be able to do attendant the interview, if there is an opportunity to do that during the interview. If not attendant the interview, nothing to be gained by delaying withdrawing the application, so you should probably proceed to formally withdraw it as soon as practical. You should be able, then, to re-apply assuming you now meet the eligibility requirements.
If you still meet the physical presence requirement despite the mistake . . .
If you still meet the physical presence requirement despite the mistake, again you attend the interview, acknowledge the mistake, and if asked explain how you made the mistake. Depending on other factors, including how you are perceived by the processing agent or Citizenship Officer (whoever is conducting the interview), and their conclusions about you and your credibility, there might be no significant problem, or the interview might be followed by RQ-related non-routine processing. The nature and extent of the mistake, how much buffer over the minimum remains, the nature and weight of other information like address and employment history, the official's perception of your credibility (both generally and in particular as regards the mistake and presence calculation), will all influence whether there is RQ-related non-routine processing and the nature and extent of that . . . so what happens can range from being scheduled for the oath in the near future, to minimal requests for additional information, or it could trigger full-blown RQ, or even an investigatory referral to CBSA and its NSSD division. DEPENDS.
MAIN THING: is to be upfront, honest, and as accurate as possible. Usually better to acknowledge mistakes and uncertainties, to not be at all evasive let alone in any way deceptive. Accept responsibility for mistakes, especially for errors in reporting travel history. You were there each and every time you left and entered Canada, so YOU not only personally have that information, YOU are the one best source of that information in the whole world, being the ONE and ONLY person who was FOR SURE there each time. And of course IRCC is well aware that YOU are the one best source. So, if there were mistakes, best you can do is own up to not having kept good records and explain how and why you missed a trip or otherwise made a mistake as to dates.
