Up Front: if and when IRCC assesses a PR application as complex, it is subject to non-routine processing which can involve varying degrees of inquiry, potentially including an intrusive investigation. That appears to be the
@hpham1.ca situation being addressed. Not necessarily, but that's what is indicated.
Seems some contextual observations may help illuminate what's at stake.
That is a weird request. The guide does not say you have to submit the pages of your passport. Especially since, in this day and age, few countries actually stamp passports. For example my wife and I have made 5 trips out of Canada since she got PR and the only stamp she received in her passport was from the USA.
Nothing "
weird" here. Just some
common non-routine processing for what is likely a complex application.
Caveat: this is largely about the situation involving @hpham1.ca who, frankly, has not shared sufficient information to support conclusions about the merits in their case. While it is not clear this fits the scenario of someone who may have a tendency to read what favours them into things, there are some suggestions of that. Main thing is that it is not clear where the substantive merits lead . . . from all that @hpham1.ca has posted, neither the probable nor appropriate outcome is apparent, at least in so far as I can see anyway. More regarding this below.
In any event: Again, a request for all pages of passports is part of
common non-routine processing whenever a PR's calculation of compliance with the Residency Obligation is being investigated. This PR, for example, has also been asked to give consent for IRCC to access CBSA records.
Note that it seems likely this means access to CBSA records beyond the CBSA travel history of entries into Canada (to my understanding IRCC has access to CBSA history of entries into Canada without needing consent). That and the timeline suggest that IRCC has referred this to the Domestic Network as a complex application, which in turn suggests investigatory processing.
"Especially since, in this day and age, few countries actually stamp passports."
It is true that the physical pages of passports document far less, reveal far less, than they did in the past. But once processing is investigatory rather than just routine, even minor pieces of evidence are commonly examined. Moreover, passports sometimes have visas and permits indicating more than just travel history, especially if status indicates residency or work which can be (and will be) compared to the PR's claims about residency and work history.
Inquiry into such detail is more likely when there are multiple aspects of the PR's situation tending to increase concern . . . based on previous posts, this PR made a prior application for a PR card while short of being in compliance (at least short if days on "
business trips" outside Canada were not given credit . . . which is itself a lengthy and tangled tangent here, some going back to more than a year ago, itself raising questions -- see below) and apparently applied to withdraw that application, and then made a request for urgent processing of the current application based on an upcoming need to travel outside Canada. For PRs barely meeting the RO, let alone if short of RO compliance, signaling planned travel abroad can be a factor that invites elevated scrutiny -- after all, notwithstanding how lenient and flexible the RO is, the specific purpose for giving people PR status is so they will PERMANENTLY settle in Canada, and if five years after getting PR status the PR's situation does not comport with settling PERMANENTLY in Canada, that is bound to at least invite some additional level of scrutiny. (There is a tendency among many to focus on meeting minimum requirements, failing to recognize the impression it makes and how that can influence law enforcement assessment when a PR's actions are inconsistent with what they declared their intentions were when applying for PR; while settling in Canada PERMANENTLY is not required, not doing so is inconsistent with applying for PR, and this can have a significant impact in close call cases where credibility can be a big factor.)
As I noted in the caveat above, I cannot offer a view about the prospective outcome for
@hpham1.ca . . . not enough is known and . . . well . . .
I was requested to send:
Photocopies of ALL pages (including blank pages) of all your current passport- or travel document(s) - used to enter or leave Canada or other countries since your landing in Canada. All pages must be photocopied in colour and must be clearly legible.
I guess the copy I submitted was not acceptable since I only included the pages that have stamps.
No need to "
guess" IRCC wanted more than what you submitted. I do not know what the initial request to you said, but passport requests are generally very clear; it is almost always (if not always) clear that what is requested is one of the following:
-- actual passport
-- copy of pages with biographical information, or
-- copy of ALL the passport, all pages
Again, which of these is being requested is almost always, if not always clear.
You might
guess whether an IRCC official viewed the submission of a partial copy as merely a mistake or misunderstanding, or as evasive, or perhaps even misrepresentation by omission. Depends on the other circumstances, other questions, whether there are other aspects of your case raising questions about your credibility.
As I have noted a couple times now, it is difficult to forecast what the situation is, where things stand, where things are headed. All could be mostly OK, just IRCC exercising some caution, no real problem. A PR card might be on its way to you soon. Or there might be some lurking issue.
Further context:
https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/residency-obligation-to-renew-pr-status-with-frequent-overseas-business-trips.792903/#post-10412064
https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/residency-obligations-falling-short-of-730-day-ro-requirement-due-to-frequent-business-trips.833384/#post-10738014
The latter indicates an application for a PR card in January, which apparently has been withdrawn. As I indicated in a post in that discussion, in addition to identifying multiple risks I emphasized there is always a risk when making a PR card application while in breach, and that withdrawing the application would not necessarily cure things:
Withdrawing the application is not likely to change what IRCC does. Well, IRCC for sure won't proceed to approve the application and deliver a PR card if you withdraw. But a withdrawal is not likely to affect whether IRCC proceeds with an inadmissibility report. Your application put your admissibility into issue, and once that is done the horse, as some might say, is out of the barn and on the run (with exceptions of course).
Hard to say what effect that application and applying to withdraw it has in regards to the current processing.
There is also a somewhat more concerning aspect of the discussion in those two topics.
I have received mixed opinions on business travels. The consensus was the validity of the Canadian business and the nature of the assignment abroad.
This was in response to a caution that it was unlikely IRCC would give RO credit for their days on "
business trips" outside Canada.
Unless it was in some private messaging not shared in the forum,
@hpham1.ca for sure did NOT receive any opinion in this forum and absolutely
NO consensus so much as suggesting their business travel would count. In fact, I am the source of the most favourable view posted here (see posts in topics linked above), in which I clarify that the label "
business trip" does NOT determine whether the time outside Canada will count or not, while emphasizing "
qualifying for this credit is TRICKY," and emphasizing the criteria that must be met.
Again, I do not know the merits of this case. Not difficult to see how and why IRCC might have concerns. Whatever the reason was that
@hpham1.ca only provided a partial copy of their passport, what matters more now is what IRCC officials perceive about that. And how the previous PR card application fits. Among other apparent incongruities, perhaps even some inconsistencies.
In any event, for others: when IRCC makes a request for information, the best approach is to comply, to submit what is requested. And remember, IRCC will have its reasons even if we do not know what they are.[/quote][/QUOTE]
