No, these are not all great tips. Some are misleading or miss the point entirely. Some contradict instructions. Some suggest making unnecessary requests with a frequency that would constitute a clear abuse of the system, which will not only impose unnecessary costs on Canadian taxpayers but just as importantly tend to make it slower and more difficult for those who have a legitimate use.
Yeah, for sure, applicants should make and carefully retain a complete copy of precisely what they submit. Like filing tax returns.
But some of this is just plain WRONG.
In particular:
Request a copy of entry/exit record from CBSA before applying and fill out your presence calculator precisely with that record.
NO. Apart from the obvious, as noted by
@Mexontario, that
IRCC explicitly instructs prospective applicants NOT to do this, CBSA does not necessarily have the most reliable record of an individual's travel history. The one best source for this information is someone who was there each and every time and thus in a position to keep a complete and perfect record: the PR himself or herself. There is no shortcut for this. The applicant is the only person in the whole world who for sure can make a complete and accurate record of the dates the applicant exited Canada and dates the applicant entered Canada.
The CBSA records are rarely wrong, but there can be omissions, especially in regards to dates of exit. If they wrong, and it happens, that is typically something IRCC officials will readily recognize. So if the applicant reports the same erroneous information, high probability IRCC sees that and recognizes the applicant's reporting is NOT accurate, not reliable. For omissions in the CBSA records, and these definitely happen, these are likely to be more obvious, and the failure to report dates of exit or entry outright risks the consequences for misrepresentation and, at the least, tends to significantly compromise the applicant's credibility. The importance of the applicant's credibility cannot be overstated.
The main thing is that IRCC expects the applicant to keep these records, and to completely and accurately report this information.
To the extent this "tip" suggests farming out responsibility for keeping these records and reporting them accurately, it really misses the point.
Sure, some applicants, particularly those with more frequent travel, those whose record-keeping might not be as good as it should, before applying they might be more comfortable obtaining the CBSA travel history and cross-checking what their own records show with the CBSA records (likewise other sources, such as U.S. records), to do a more complete job verifying the information they submit. This is a back-up, IF NEEDED. Of course Canadians, including Canadian PRs, can request personal records from CBSA. It is not prohibited just because it is contrary to the instructions. The much better tip, however, is to make sure to keep a complete and accurate record for oneself.
Ultimately the responsibility for accurately reporting travel is absolutely on the applicant. If, for example, for whatever reason, however it happens, if in the course of reviewing the application IRCC comes across evidence the PR was outside Canada during a time the PR reports being in Canada, even if that is entirely consistent with CBSA records, that is going to be a problem. And relying on the CBSA records may be enough of an excuse to avoid jail time, maybe enough of an excuse to avoid the application being denied on the grounds of misrepresentation, but short of convincing evidence disproving whatever IRCC discovered showing the PR to be outside Canada, it is at least going to send the application into full blown presence case processing and eventually, year or two or more down the road, a hearing with a Citizenship Judge. I realize most applicants do not need to worry about this. But the best insurance, by far, is to be sure to keep a complete and accurate record for oneself and report travel history based on that.
"- Request your case notes every 2 months through the process to stay updated with where the application is."
This one might warrant a report to the forum moderators, or the proprietors of the website, or someone might even be inclined reporting what the website is supporting to the responsible authorities . . . sure, it's not like advocating violence, or an outright crime, but this is clearly advocating an abuse of the system . . . and there is increasing indications this has been posing a heavy burden on the government. Sooner or later this sort of *advice* is bound to get some attention and . . . well . . . I am not in the forecasting business.
Checking the mailbox, email, and occasionally eCas, is all the applicant needs to do to stay updated with the application's status. Advocating overt abuse of a public resource is over the line. I realize that obtaining GCMS notes is a favoured hobby among more than a few in this forum. Once in awhile is one thing. Unnecessary, mostly useless, but not everyone can be expected to be entirely reasonable. So trying to stem that tide is wailing against the wind. But advocating making the request periodically, let alone so frequently as every two months, is just plain over the line, by a lot.
There are times when inquires should be made. Generally, however, for the vast majority of applicants there will NEVER be any need to request a copy of GCMS records. And those records almost never reveal any information an applicant can actually use. Again, with exceptions.
It is too bad there is not a reason-based discussion in the forum which could help applicants identify when the ATIP request process is an appropriate proactive action to take, for those who really do need to be more proactive and for whom these inquiries could help them navigate their case. Oh well.
