Citizenship Interview Took a Wrong Turn

[3bdcanada]

My understanding this is not illegal. What you have done is even recommended by IRCC and i quote:
"For PR Cards issued to new immigrants upon entry to Canada (Phase I cards), it may be appropriate for clients to provide the address of a third party (friend, relative, service provider or a paid representative) in Canada in order to facilitate processing and issuance of the card following their arrival in Canada, as new immigrants may not have a permanent address."

@dpenabill, i'm now concerned. I did the same thing with one my friend's friends. He came through Federal Skill worker program and not provincial nomination and he's studying currently in BC. My citizenship application is still in the initial phases. What do you recommend I shall do to avoid this hassle and ensure no misrepresentation is done?

 

[ChippyBoy]

I allowed him to use my address for the sole purpose of receiving PR card and forwarding later to his new address. I knew he was offered a job in Ontario before moving to Canada, but he was not honest in telling me that he wished (secretly) to keep my address on file as he is a Saskatchewan nominee. After returning home today, I have strongly told him to call IRCC first thing tomorrow morning, and remove my address from his records. It's been 4 weeks now he is using my address, although he spent the first 4 days in SK. I am considering to get something in writing from him, just in case CIC needs some proof. Will this help?

I think that the authorities would have been okay with things as some others above have said IF your friend had taken up residency & employment here in SK. But the fact that s/he had officially accepted an SINP or similar, which had led to CIC/IRCC then offering her/him PR in good faith, and had yet accepted a job in ON will, I believe, now that this has been discovered by the authorities, will invite extraordinary scrutiny of both of your cases. The authorities take a dim view of wilful misrepresentation, so if I were you at this stage I'd be seriously looking for an immigration attorney in SK asap. Helping friends & others in life's changes/struggles is a good and kind thing to do, but in this case I think that letting your friend use your address for what looks like could well have been a wilful misrepresentation on her/his part has brought a dark cloud over your own application.

 

[ZingyDNA]

From Regina, but had my interview in Saskatoon. The officer told me to discuss my case with her supervisor, followed by a review process.

So you're from Regina but have an address in Toronto? I don't think your citizenship application is in danger, as you can simply deny any involvement with your friend's PR issues, other than providing an address for PR card delivery. But a delay is inevitable due to a (hopefully not lengthy) review process.

 

[Krutika]

From what I've read, I think the OP gave his address to his friend in good faith, assuming he/she would move and get a job in Toronto eventually, while also getting the PR .. that's called helping friends and family (a duty of a Canadian citizen) .. yes, OP admitted that he helped his friend to facilitate PR app, because the friend had no address as such .. but the bigger picture was that the OP expected the friend to actually move there as a roommate or whatever, and start a job .. people do that all the time, to facilitate a job application that looks positive, they actually give an address in advance to where they expect to move ..
OP could have easily said "I had no idea my friend was using my address" .. but he didn't throw his friend under the bus.. he told the truth, and that is called integrity ..

I'd be shaken up too by such an interview, it's quite an unexpected question .. all in all I think the OP handled it the best, given the situation ..
I'd just wait to see what they come back with .. there's no sense in panicking .. they really have nothing on the OP to say 100% he did this just so the friend would get PR ..
Worst come to worst, they will take some time to see if they can dig anything else up on the OP to see if there is any past credibility issue .. which will simply cost some time .. but ultimately, assuming there is nothing, OP has not personally mis-represented anything his his citizenship app .. this is a separate case and application from the friend's PR .. so it should sail through ok ..
To set your mind at ease OP .. just consult with a lawyer on a hourly thing, and get a sense of what they say ..

 

[frotenacs]

From what I've read, I think the OP gave his address to his friend in good faith, assuming he/she would move and get a job in Toronto eventually, while also getting the PR .. that's called helping friends and family (a duty of a Canadian citizen) .. yes, OP admitted that he helped his friend to facilitate PR app, because the friend had no address as such .. but the bigger picture was that the OP expected the friend to actually move there as a roommate or whatever, and start a job .. people do that all the time, to facilitate a job application that looks positive, they actually give an address in advance to where they expect to move ..
OP could have easily said "I had no idea my friend was using my address" .. but he didn't throw his friend under the bus.. he told the truth, and that is called integrity ..

I'd be shaken up too by such an interview, it's quite an unexpected question .. all in all I think the OP handled it the best, given the situation ..
I'd just wait to see what they come back with .. there's no sense in panicking .. they really have nothing on the OP to say 100% he did this just so the friend would get PR ..
Worst come to worst, they will take some time to see if they can dig anything else up on the OP to see if there is any past credibility issue .. which will simply cost some time .. but ultimately, assuming there is nothing, OP has not personally mis-represented anything his his citizenship app .. this is a separate case and application from the friend's PR .. so it should sail through ok ..
To set your mind at ease OP .. just consult with a lawyer on a hourly thing, and get a sense of what they say ..

I really appreciate everyone here who has replied. I have been stressed out so much for the last 24 hours. I was totally unaware (lack knowledge) of SINP rules and obligations because I did not immigrate to Canada under SINP. I just shared my address with this person to help him and his family land in Canada. But I was aware that he came under SINP and he had a job lined up in Toronto.

I do not have a single dark spot on my citizenship application - not even a gap on employment or residency. I just panicked when I came to realize from the officer that I might be "misrepresenting" PR programs. Honestly I was shaken when the officer uttered the word 'misrepresentation' during my citizenship interview. I started explaining not very clearly. Officer interrupted me and put me on a spot asking me a "yes and no" type of question. To which I answered truthfully which sounded like I am jeopardizing my application. Later, I was not given ample time to explain the whole story and my lack of knowledge of SINP rules. I am considering strongly for hiring an immigration lawyer in Regina/Saskatoon. But probably I have to wait until I have a follow-up correspondence from IRCC because I do not have a document to discuss about with my lawyer.

 

[frotenacs]

So you're from Regina but have an address in Toronto? I don't think your citizenship application is in danger, as you can simply deny any involvement with your friend's PR issues, other than providing an address for PR card delivery. But a delay is inevitable due to a (hopefully not lengthy) review process.

Thanks. I am from Regina and my address is Regina. The friend and his family used my Regina address for their landing. They came to Regina to see me, and 4 days after moved to Toronto to start a job which he had arranged prior. The friend did not happen to update his address assuming he would be caught on violation of SINP rules. Unfortunately, I was not aware of the SINP rules but now I know. After my citizenship interview I got an impression that I will be reviewed/investigated for being part of the misrepresentation/fraud - which clearly happened without my knowledge or intention.

 

[ChippyBoy]

I think that if I were you at this stage I'd hire an immigration lawyer in Regina asap, so that s/he can get a factual statement from both you and your friend as well (i.e., especially before s/he lawyers up in her/his own interests). You have to advocate for yourself. Since your friend appears to have knowingly misrepresented things to the SINP authorities, and thus to CIC/IRCC as well, s/he's either wittingly or unwittingly embroiled you in a potential disaster for you both.

 

[keesio]

I allowed him to use my address for the sole purpose of receiving PR card and forwarding later to his new address. I knew he was offered a job in Ontario before moving to Canada, but he was not honest in telling me that he wished (secretly) to keep my address on file as he is a Saskatchewan nominee.

This is a bit messy. Looks like your friend had no intention of ever settling in SK when he landed - given that he already had a job lined up in Ontario before he landed. That could be misrepresentation on his part. Since you knew that he was not going to settle in SK, it could be perceived that you were in on the plan and trying to help him avoid being found out for misrepresentation.

 

[keesio]

My understanding this is not illegal. What you have done is even recommended by IRCC and i quote:
"For PR Cards issued to new immigrants upon entry to Canada (Phase I cards), it may be appropriate for clients to provide the address of a third party (friend, relative, service provider or a paid representative) in Canada in order to facilitate processing and issuance of the card following their arrival in Canada, as new immigrants may not have a permanent address."

The issue is not the PR cards. It is that IRCC suspects that the friend committed misrepresentation (which looks the case) and have questions on how much the OP is involved. The OP did know that the friend had no intention to settle in SK. But did not know that the friend is committing misrepresentation. The issue is convincing IRCC of that.

 

[ZingyDNA]

Thanks. I am from Regina and my address is Regina. The friend and his family used my Regina address for their landing. They came to Regina to see me, and 4 days after moved to Toronto to start a job which he had arranged prior. The friend did not happen to update his address assuming he would be caught on violation of SINP rules. Unfortunately, I was not aware of the SINP rules but now I know. After my citizenship interview I got an impression that I will be reviewed/investigated for being part of the misrepresentation/fraud - which clearly happened without my knowledge or intention.

Oh OK. If you provided a Regina address for SINP PR card delivery, then there's even less for you to worry about. I mean you provided a provincial nominee with an address inside the province. You simply couldn't control what s/he would do after landing and obtaining a PR card. His/her PR might be in trouble if s/he knowingly landed as provincial nominee but with a job already lined up in another province, but that doesn't have anything to do with you. It's also not your fault that your friend purposefully didn't change the SK address to an ON one after landing. That just adds more trouble for their PR, but nothing to do with you.

 

[KRP]

I had my Citizenship test and interview today. The interview was going smoothly. I was answering all the questions as I was asked. Towards the end the officer asked me why three other people living at your current address? I was surprised with the question (because no other people live at this address) then immediately asked the officer about their names. The officer left the room and came back after five minutes with the names. After hearing the names I instantly realized the names belong to the family of a friend who recently (4 weeks ago) used my address for PR landing in Toronto, although they were SK nominees. The officer asked me why they were using my address to which I replied I wanted to help them in receiving their PR cards in the mail because they did not have a home in Canada yet.

This discussion turned in an unpleasant direction, finally the officer said my friend is using my address to misrepresent PR program (SK nominee moved to ON, as he found a job in ON). In the end I was told my application will be further reviewed and I would be notified with the outcome. I left the interview room a little scared and have been thinking about this incident all day. To be honest I never thought about this before hand when my friend asked me my address.

After getting back home I have asked my friend to update his address on record. I am not sure how my citizenship application will end up? A lot of negative thoughts shroud my mind now - have I participated in misrepresenting PR nomination program? Will this lead to denial of citizenship? Will this lead to PR revoke? I am really scared. In the morning I left home excited for the citizenship test, and a few hours after I returned home nervous and skeptic. Any thoughts on what may happen to my application?

First thing you need to do is send this link to your friend and tell that guy to immediately change his address on CIC FILE.
https://services3.cic.gc.ca/ecas/introduction.do?app=coa

 

[canvis2006]

One major thing seems to be that when people give their address for PR Card mailing, its the address that remains in CIC's system for those people, until or unless they update it, by either applying renewal or citizenship, etc. Nobody cares to update CIC once PR Cards are received, because by then there is nothing "in process" anymore. Everything is deemed completed, hence even if they call CIC the agents would be perplexed to change address when there is no file in processing.
I doubt OP needs to worry about his application, since they can easily verify that OP's address was given for PR Card mailing. So many people are giving addresses of their friends, relatives, etc for mailing of the cards because they want a relatively secure place to have their pr cards mailed. Nothing wrong with that need.

OP should ensure his friend changes their addresses with CIC (for all their family members) by calling in to the call centre.
Secondly, OP should get their local MP involved, let em know what transpired and then see if MP can find out if CIC will scrutinise further or leave it at that. OP didn't commit any crime so there shouldn't be any reason to deny application.

 

[KRP]

I allowed him to use my address for the sole purpose of receiving PR card and forwarding later to his new address. I knew he was offered a job in Ontario before moving to Canada, but he was not honest in telling me that he wished (secretly) to keep my address on file as he is a Saskatchewan nominee. After returning home today, I have strongly told him to call IRCC first thing tomorrow morning, and remove my address from his records. It's been 4 weeks now he is using my address, although he spent the first 4 days in SK. I am considering to get something in writing from him, just in case CIC needs some proof. Will this help?

Just give him this link and tell him to do it immediately.
https://services3.cic.gc.ca/ecas/introduction.do?app=coa

 

[3bdcanada]

Just give him this link and tell him to do it immediately.
https://services3.cic.gc.ca/ecas/introduction.do?app=coa

His friend can't change his address via this link as he doesn't have any application in process. This link is only for those with running applications with IRCC

 

[links18]

It is regular standard practice for new immigrants to give a friend or relative's address at landing to facilitate the receipt of a a PR card. This has been recommended on this forum for years. Providing a mailing address is not the same as declaring that as your residence. In fact, IRCC distinguishes between a mailing address and a residential address on most forms. Still, the facts on the ground in the OP's case are a little murky and given that IRCC now appears to have doubts about his declarations a consult with a lawyer is probably a good idea. Are there any good immigration lawyers in SK though?