Citizenship Application - Feeling stressed out

[goodman36]

I have been living in Canada since 2008.

In the early years after settling here, I used to travel twice a year for a period of two to three months at a time, mainly to visit my parents. Basically I used to live in motel, or in a friend's house here in Toronto. I wasn't working and living using my savings (I moved after living/ working in the States). Then since late 2010, I bought a Condo and started doing a job here in Toronto.

Here are some information:

1) I don't have any documents showing evidence of address in the first three years
2) I was unemployed in the first three years
3) I have hardly visited doctor's office for medical check-ups or sickness
4) I have traveled out of the country a total 7 times in the first three times

1) I moved in my car from the States and always had insurance from the day I moved here - I still have the car and the same insurance company
2) I have always filed taxes and showed me as self-employed in those first three years and paid taxes (showing minimal income )
3) I have lived at the same address (owned condo) since late 2010
4) I have traveled a total 3 times in the last three years
5) I renewed my PR card last year and had no issues at all


I will be completing my Citizenship Application in the next 48 hours.

Any observation, comment and most importantly any suggestion will be helpful ...............

 

[rayman_m]

Looks you are fine. CIC will only go back to 2010 and if you have 1095 days then no issue here. As the new form illustrates that must submit work documents for last 4 years, in that case you can submit your Tax Assessment copies. Though CIC asking only Biographical pages of your passport, you can submit all pages of passport. You will have to go back last 4 years (From Feb,2010) for 7-8 month use an address (if CIC ask so that you provide a letter from friend/relative that you lived in their address) and onward your Condo address. You may attache a copy of your Condo title, car insurance..

Take note as per CRA a self-employed means own and operate business which has income/expenditure/HST etc. so, be sure to use the term Self-Employed. I will also file soon and I am an Investor with managing my investment property. My term of work will be "INVESTOR" and still my incomes from all sources goes under Individual Tax Return.

 

[bangloboy]

I think you are fine as long as you fulfill the residency requirements. Make sure you send all supporting documents - that way RQ can be avoided.

1. You have filed taxes which is excellent - so simply send copies of your T4 or NOAs for each of the years.

2. I would choose one of the friends you lived with and use that address as the one prior to your condo purchase. They will never really ask but you can tell them you lived there. Here is the question - if you had a car which address was your driver's license tied to initially? Use that one! ALSO IF THE CONDO HAS BEEN WITHIN THE 4 YEAR PERIOD THAT NOT REALLY ANY ISSUES AS YOUR CONDO ADDRESS WILL SUFFICE.

3. You say you were unemployed yet you were self-employed. Make sure you choose one that is valid and give explanations! Don't make up stuff with them! I was RQed most likely because I was self employed - but i used to leave the country on vacations and study. In my interview i explained to the officer and she said she was satisfied. I also have every exit-reentry seal on my passport. I even ensured that when entering back to canada. But i was well above my residency requirements by stleast 4 months but I still got RQed!

4. You brought your car from US and had insurance. The insurance is from Canada correct? Send them all the receipts - its good evidence.

Aside from that all looks fine! Good luck!

I have been living in Canada since 2008.

In the early years after settling here, I used to travel twice a year for a period of two to three months at a time, mainly to visit my parents. Basically I used to live in motel, or in a friend's house here in Toronto. I wasn't working and living using my savings (I moved after living/ working in the States). Then since late 2010, I bought a Condo and started doing a job here in Toronto.

Here are some information:

1) I don't have any documents showing evidence of address in the first three years
2) I was unemployed in the first three years
3) I have hardly visited doctor's office for medical check-ups or sickness
4) I have traveled out of the country a total 7 times in the first three times

1) I moved in my car from the States and always had insurance from the day I moved here - I still have the car and the same insurance company
2) I have always filed taxes and showed me as self-employed in those first three years and paid taxes (showing minimal income )
3) I have lived at the same address (owned condo) since late 2010
4) I have traveled a total 3 times in the last three years
5) I renewed my PR card last year and had no issues at all


I will be completing my Citizenship Application in the next 48 hours.

Any observation, comment and most importantly any suggestion will be helpful ...............

 

[goodman36]

I think you are fine as long as you fulfill the residency requirements. Make sure you send all supporting documents - that way RQ can be avoided.

1. You have filed taxes which is excellent - so simply send copies of your T4 or NOAs for each of the years.

2. I would choose one of the friends you lived with and use that address as the one prior to your condo purchase. They will never really ask but you can tell them you lived there. Here is the question - if you had a car which address was your driver's license tied to initially? Use that one! ALSO IF THE CONDO HAS BEEN WITHIN THE 4 YEAR PERIOD THAT NOT REALLY ANY ISSUES AS YOUR CONDO ADDRESS WILL SUFFICE.

3. You say you were unemployed yet you were self-employed. Make sure you choose one that is valid and give explanations! Don't make up stuff with them! I was RQed most likely because I was self employed - but i used to leave the country on vacations and study. In my interview i explained to the officer and she said she was satisfied. I also have every exit-reentry seal on my passport. I even ensured that when entering back to canada. But i was well above my residency requirements by stleast 4 months but I still got RQed!

4. You brought your car from US and had insurance. The insurance is from Canada correct? Send them all the receipts - its good evidence.

Aside from that all looks fine! Good luck!

Thanks a lot.

Yes, my car insurance was with State Farm Canada from 2008 till now and I think I do have the receipts.

I can also match the addresses in my NOAs.

I have the 1095 days requirement last month. And good thing is I have basically two address going back last 4 years - over 3 years in my condo itself.

The other thing is: even though in 2010 I didn't work, I still showed myself as self-employed and showed income (minimal) and paid taxes (instead of declaring a $0 income). Th nature of business I showed is Consultant. Now, will this deed will come back and bite me?

ALSO,
1) IS IT OK TO ATTACH THE NOAs from 2010 with the Application
2) Do I need to send all pages of my passport or just the biographical page?

 

[FL1040]

Feeling stressed out

Welcome to the the club

 

[bangloboy]

Well they only care about the 4 years preceding your application date so just ensure those dates are in there with whatever supporting documents you are submitting

I would photocopy every page just for the heck of it and show them you have nothing to hide

When I applied I didn't leave any dates out but I only photocopied my biometric page. I should have photocopied everything. To be honest I forgot to ask in my interview why I was RQed but I think mainly because I was self employed and I went out of the country few times (I never lied about them as I still met my res requirements but you never know!)

Good luck!

 

[goodman36]

Well they only care about the 4 years preceding your application date so just ensure those dates are in there with whatever supporting documents you are submitting

I would photocopy every page just for the heck of it and show them you have nothing to hide

When I applied I didn't leave any dates out but I only photocopied my biometric page. I should have photocopied everything. To be honest I forgot to ask in my interview why I was RQed but I think mainly because I was self employed and I went out of the country few times (I never lied about them as I still met my res requirements but you never know!)

Good luck!

The thing is I have traveled 10 times since coming to Toronto in 2008. These travels consisted of multiple countries. So, I am not sure if I should include all pages of my passport. Of course I do meet the 3 year requirement in the last 4 years though.

 

[bangloboy]

Things in CIC are moving fast now and not sure how often they are sending RQs now. I know in 2013 they issued RQs left and right! If you send every page then they can see and match up your exits and entries so nothing to worry about. But like me I left 10+ times and I didn't exclude anything including day trip to the USA but they still RQed me. But if I showed every page then they couldve have matched it which they finally did during my tests and interview! I'm just recommending - and I do not know who they RQ and who they don't. So at the end what you send is up to you!

The thing is I have traveled 10 times since coming to Toronto in 2008. These travels consisted of multiple countries. So, I am not sure if I should include all pages of my passport. Of course I do meet the 3 year requirement in the last 4 years though.