can one apply for citizenship while living permanently abroad?

[notfromhere]

I know that maintaining the PR status while living abroad is possible in two cases: when accompanying a Canadian citizen who is their spouse, and when employed on a full-time basis by a Canadian business or in the public service of Canada or of a province.
My husband, sponsored by me, landed in Canada on March 2011. He left Canada 1 week later, without even getting his PR card, which was couriered to him later by someone. Now, all our "marriage" turned out to be fraud. He never had intentions to live neither with me, nor even in Canada. All he needs is Canadian passport.
Now he is trying to “make a friendship” with some people who are working at Immigration office in Canadian government, hoping that they will help him to get a Canadian citizenship.
My question is: Is it possible to apply for citizenship while living abroad under one of circumstances mentioned above? Let’s assume, these “officials” will manage to arrange for him a “full-time employment with Canadian business or in the public service of Canada abroad”.
Or one has to still physically live in Canada for 3 years out of 4?
How can I fight all this crime?

 

[Leon]

One still has to live in Canada but maybe he is trying to fake it. What people were doing before was faking employment, filing taxes etc. to try to prove that they were living in Canada when they weren't but Canada immigration is cracking down on that now. You can go to http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/manuals/cp/index.asp and check out the CP 5 on residence rules. The being in public services is only good for a spouse of a citizen where the citizen is working in public service and the spouse must stay outside Canada because of them. Of course people can also apply for citizenship with less than 3 out of 4 years and plead their case, state they have a strong connection etc.

 

[notfromhere]

Thank you Leon.
I am not worried if he tries to fake it. In this case, it will be easy for me to stop this fraud, as I have strong proof that he has never lived in Canada, and doesn’t intend ever to live. In case he tries to apply for citizenship using his fake factors, my evidences will be sufficient to reject his application, and to deprive him of any hope for such.
My concern is that he is trying to make everything “legal”, through getting strong support from the Canadian immigration officials, who might pretend “appointing him for some mission out of Canada” (or something like that), and later grant him a citizenship avoiding living in Canada for 3 years. How can I fight THIS crime?

 

[Leon]

What makes you think it will be so easy for him to make friends who will lie for him?

Anyway, he will not be eligible for citizenship until he has been a PR for 3 years at the earliest. If he spends these 3 years outside Canada without having been working for a Canadian employer who transferred him to another country or having spent the time accompanying a Canadian citizen spouse or a common law partner, he will lose his PR. If you hear about him having applied for citizenship and you know for a fact that he not only doesn't qualify for it but has also lost his PR, you can report him.

 

[notfromhere]

Ok, so, again, just to make sure I got it right. He has no any chance to apply for the citizenship unless he physically lives in Canada 3 years (or fakes it). I mean, there are no any legal exceptional circumstances, when one can apply for citizenship while never lived in Canada? That’s what I am worried about, that he can find a legal way to get a citizenship without living in Canada. So just want to make sure, there is NO such way. Correct? Unless he fakes it.
Thank you Leon!

 

[Leon]

Ok, so, again, just to make sure I got it right. He has no any chance to apply for the citizenship unless he physically lives in Canada 3 years (or fakes it). I mean, there are no any legal exceptional circumstances, when one can apply for citizenship while never lived in Canada? That's what I am worried about, that he can find a legal way to get a citizenship without living in Canada. So just want to make sure, there is NO such way. Correct? Unless he fakes it.
Thank you Leon!

It is possible to apply for citizenship without having lived in Canada for 1095 days but it would go before a citizenship judge and he would have to prove some exceptionally strong ties to Canada. There are no rules saying that he can get it if he is in public service. If you feel that he committed marriage fraud, why don't you report him for that?

 

[notfromhere]

I think to prove a marriage fraud is even more difficult than to get a citizenship without having lived in Canada for 3 years.
And as for "making friendship" with the government authorities.. I know he already has couple of friends from the Immigration office, and they already started working on involving him into "activities on behalf of Canadian governmental offices" in our region. The only thing, they probably don't know WHY he wants to get involved in it.. They probably think that he wants to expand his business or so. But I know his real goal. He is extremely smart, bright, strategical, ambitious, far-reaching charismatic young person. He uses all means to reach his goal.. And he uses people as tools, and manipulate them even without letting them feel it, and people help him... they only realize that they have been used when they are in trap... but it's too late...
In order to report him, I will have to know the procedures, how the officials deal with it. I still live at the same country with my ex, far away from Canada. And I am simply afraid of him. We don't have strong canadian lawyers here either.. Actually we don't have any.. Not sure how can I approach this issue.. but I definitely will have to...
Thanks Leon for your responses and your care.

 

[Leon]

How are they involving him? Is he working for them now?

You could send a letter to immigration detailing his plan but it will most likely be seen as a poison pen from a scorned wife and not be taken seriously. Just wait until he is outside Canada for 3 years, then you can report him for not meeting the residency requirements.

 

[notfromhere]

So far he has his own business. But I know that they want to make him kind of representative of governmental Immigration office in our region, or something like that. It won't be full time employment, at least not in reality, may be on papers only. I doubt, the officials will take such risk of getting into this semi-legal matter, you never know though... Most likely, they simply have no idea about his real plans and goals, and about what they are getting into. I am not sure how do they plan to present all this matter to the Immigration office later, and to make him meeting necessary requirements to be eligible to apply for the citizenship without having lived in Canada 3 years.
Yes, you are right, I think it is better to wait 3 years and to submit the evidences prooving that he has never lived in Canada, and had no intentions ever to live there. Unless by that time, his "friends" made enough efforts to get a citizenship for him. Which is my concern. And which will be absolutely wrong.
Thanks again, Leon!