Citizenship Application - Strange result !! Seniors help pls :)

[homemaker]

Dear Senior members,

I applied for the citizenship on 1st March, 2014 knowing that it may take ages to get a response. The acknowledgment letter and Discover Canada book was received in a month time i guess. To my surprise i got a letter from CIC on 10th June for Citizenship and interview on 2nd July, 2014. Got pretty excited with the speed of affairs, until i actually went for the test and interview.

My test went well, got 20/20.

Interview was also alright until CIC officer started matching the stamps on the passport. All stamps were alright, except one of which was not very clear (faded and not readable). To my it was 10th FEB, but CIC officer insisted that it looks like 10th Mar instead. She also took opinion from other officers. She tried to find some credit card statements for Feb but somehow I did not have any of that particular month at the time of interview.

In the end, she has given me a paper to provide additional documents and have ticked to box "Entry/exit, movement records from two countries"

Now the misery is that i have contacted both countries rep offices and have been told that the only way i can get that record is by visiting their immigration office in-person. I definitely can’t fly to those countries just to get the movement records.

CIC has given me 45 days to submit these documents.

Now my question is :

Is this a RQ ? as the letter doesn’t say RQ but "Request for documentary evidence for your residency in Canada"

Does it mean that my application file will be kept on shelf waiting for years n years. And eventually a judge hearing.

What should i reply to CIC when i know it will be difficult to get these movement record !

Or should i simply withdraw my application and reply in 6 months !

 

[CanV]

Do you have plane tickets, boarding passes, etc. for that travel? That should help. Also, contact the embassy of that country and see if they would send you an email or a letter saying they wont give such info and you would have to travel there to obtain it. I doubt they will send you something but try. At the same time, gather any other info that could support your presence in the period in question.

This is not an RQ, relax.

 

[informatics]

Dear Senior members,

I applied for the citizenship on 1st March, 2014 knowing that it may take ages to get a response. The acknowledgment letter and Discover Canada book was received in a month time i guess. To my surprise i got a letter from CIC on 10th June for Citizenship and interview on 2nd July, 2014. Got pretty excited with the speed of affairs, until i actually went for the test and interview.

My test went well, got 20/20.

Interview was also alright until CIC officer started matching the stamps on the passport. All stamps were alright, except one of which was not very clear (faded and not readable). To my it was 10th FEB, but CIC officer insisted that it looks like 10th Mar instead. She also took opinion from other officers. She tried to find some credit card statements for Feb but somehow I did not have any of that particular month at the time of interview.

In the end, she has given me a paper to provide additional documents and have ticked to box "Entry/exit, movement records from two countries"

Now the misery is that i have contacted both countries rep offices and have been told that the only way i can get that record is by visiting their immigration office in-person. I definitely can't fly to those countries just to get the movement records.

CIC has given me 45 days to submit these documents.

Now my question is :

Is this a RQ ? as the letter doesn't say RQ but "Request for documentary evidence for your residency in Canada"

Does it mean that my application file will be kept on shelf waiting for years n years. And eventually a judge hearing.

What should i reply to CIC when i know it will be difficult to get these movement record !

Or should i simply withdraw my application and reply in 6 months !

As mentioned by CanV ,gather all possible alternative proofs to show your presence during that period i.e.CBSA records,tickets/boarding pass, pay slip , rent/mortgage payments, credit card bills ,doctor visit records,letters from neighbours/friends etc.However , boarding pass/tickets , CBSA record could be the most conclusive evidences .

BTW ,apart from the stamp issue ,I must say your application processing timings are examplary ! I do hope that your application date is March 2014 and not 2013 !

Would you mind disclosing your local office ?

Good luck!

 

[thepolestar]

Dear Senior members,

I applied for the citizenship on 1st March, 2014 knowing that it may take ages to get a response. The acknowledgment letter and Discover Canada book was received in a month time i guess. To my surprise i got a letter from CIC on 10th June for Citizenship and interview on 2nd July, 2014. Got pretty excited with the speed of affairs, until i actually went for the test and interview.

My test went well, got 20/20.

Interview was also alright until CIC officer started matching the stamps on the passport. All stamps were alright, except one of which was not very clear (faded and not readable). To my it was 10th FEB, but CIC officer insisted that it looks like 10th Mar instead. She also took opinion from other officers. She tried to find some credit card statements for Feb but somehow I did not have any of that particular month at the time of interview.

In the end, she has given me a paper to provide additional documents and have ticked to box "Entry/exit, movement records from two countries"

Now the misery is that i have contacted both countries rep offices and have been told that the only way i can get that record is by visiting their immigration office in-person. I definitely can't fly to those countries just to get the movement records.

CIC has given me 45 days to submit these documents.

Now my question is :

Is this a RQ ? as the letter doesn't say RQ but "Request for documentary evidence for your residency in Canada"

Does it mean that my application file will be kept on shelf waiting for years n years. And eventually a judge hearing.

What should i reply to CIC when i know it will be difficult to get these movement record !

Or should i simply withdraw my application and reply in 6 months !

Hi Homemaker, could you please share what kind of documents did you attach with your application?

Did you attach any work related documents such as Notice of Assessment / T4 etc? Were you having employment in all your last 4 years period?

Have you completed the 1095 days in last four years ? Exactly what was the total no. of days on your day of application?

In my opinion and reading from all the active threads , it seems CIC is trying to evolve itself on RQ by asking specific enquiry which concerns them rather than giving full RQ and hence it could be said a mini(specific) RQ related to your file. In many ways this is good news that you were not asked everything related to RQ but the specific enquiry needs to be addressed.

I think everyone has said right, try to call the airlines offices if you dont have your boarding pass/ tickets etc or try to prove the presence by some other active proof of your presence.

 

[eileenf]

Homemaker, you also may be able to designate a close friend or family member as a representative and have them request and receive the records of movement for you.

Regarding the due date for these documents, send everything you can by the due date and write a cover letter detailing which documents are still outstanding and when you expect to receive them.

 

[homemaker]

Thanks a lot everyone for your kind replies...

Well i did apply at the end of Feb, 2014 and file was received on 1st March, 2014, processing started within a month and within 4 months a test and interview. So yes i was pretty excited with the speed of it. Well i have seen many cases getting done within 4-6 months lately, specially ppl who had applied in Late Feb, 2014.

My profile -

Landed immigrant in 2008 (First time in Canada ) Previous residency Dubai/UAE !!
Travelled extensively almost every 2nd or 3rd month.
completed 1130 days physical presence in Feb, 2014 so thought of applying for the citizenship and i am glad that i did.
Had almost 330 days out of country in last 4 years

I am a homemaker and have never worked in Canada - have one Canadian child, born 3 years back

With my application, I i attached every possible documents in a very organise manner. Even the CIC officer showed my file to two other officers who commended that my file was well organised and everything was at its place. Visa office St. Clair Toronto

To be frank, I wasn’t expecting anything like test/interview before 1-2 years and found myself very lucky that it was going smooth .. but not that smooth in the end :-

I did email to UAE Embassy and their foreign office and have received a reply that the only way they can issues this movement record is if I visit them in-person, no consent letter would do !

So I am thinking of writing a cover letter to CIC local office with all the details about my travel in question, perhaps transit visa copies and also give them consent that they can collect this info If they want as I have tired with no luck.

Seniors, with your experience, what do you think where I am heading too .. a long wait , RQ, judge hearing !

Thanks in advance – guys, you are doing a great job by making all of us so well informed.

 

[thepolestar]

Hi Homemaker,

"Thank you" to you because in my knowledge you are the first person in the entire forum who being a homemaker has come forward to share her experience. I am sure others will get benefit from your experience as well.

Here are few more queries related to your experience.

I am a homemaker and have never worked in Canada - have one Canadian child, born 3 years back.

Q: Did you file your application alone or was there another applicant along with your application? (Ex: Spouse, parent, children etc.)

With my application, I i attached every possible documents in a very organise manner.

Can you please be very specific what kind of documents did you attach with your application? NOA ? Child's Tax Benefit ? Birth Certificate of Child? Doctors Visit, Lease/Rent documents etc ?

Please tell what kind of documents you used to prove your residency? Did you use any documents outside checklist

My wife is in similar situation, she has been homemaker most of the time with a three year Canadian born child.

 

[us2yow]

Homemaker,

Which local office did you apply from ? What city are you in ?

Wow..that was really fast...... ! That is definitely a big plus....all this doc request means you are in process..but your processing is very fast....seems like processing is indeed getting faster everywhere !

 

[MKJ]

Hi Homemaker,

Congratulations for super speedy processing of your application and passing the test, interview.

Can you please be so kind to let me know:

1)is your husband already a Canadian citizen or did you'll apply together?
2) Is he working in Canada or Dubai?

This info will help me a lot.

Kind Rgds

 

[eileenf]

I am a homemaker and have never worked in Canada - have one Canadian child, born 3 years back

Working outside the home is not a requirement for citizenship. (Canadians don't lose their right to vote if they lose their jobs!) The CIC just uses employment as a relatively easy way to establish residence, but it's not the only way. You are lucky in a sense that the CIC has told you specifically what document and information they want from you. If they had wide-ranging suspicions, they would have issued you a full RQ.

That leads me to guess (only a guess) that you have a good chance of avoiding a judge's hearing if you can provide the documentation they are looking for or a good alternative. It's best to avoid judges' hearings if possible because half of them result in denial and it's a really long wait to even get to see the judge (it varies by location, but it will add up to a year or more beyond whatever the CIC itself takes to process your application). Also, it's a good idea to bring a lawyer to a judge's hearing and that is expensive.

With my application, I i attached every possible documents in a very organise manner. Even the CIC officer showed my file to two other officers who commended that my file was well organised and everything was at its place.

It's a good sign that the CIC is viewing you and your documentation as clear, concise and credible.

I did email to UAE Embassy and their foreign office and have received a reply that the only way they can issues this movement record is if I visit them in-person, no consent letter would do !

Please check out this thread, as there is info regarding getting records of movement from Dubai/UAE. http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/uae-entryexit-stamps-asked-at-the-interview-t189887.45.html It seems a number of people have been able to do it with use of a representative, though the record provided is very minimal.

Here is another thread which also may be helpful: https://secure.immigration.ca/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=15003&title=cic-requesting-official-entry-exit-from-uae

It could be that you spoke to the wrong person at the Embassy. My experience as an RQ recipient unfortunately taught me that a lot of people, regardless of what office or job they hold, are either misinformed or are willing to tell people that their request is impossible in order to get you off the phone.

So I am thinking of writing a cover letter to CIC local office with all the details about my travel in question, perhaps transit visa copies and also give them consent that they can collect this info If they want as I have tired with no luck.

First off, it's possible that transit visa copies may qualify as an "entry/exit / record of movement" from UAE. At minimum, you need to provide these documents.

I'm not a lawyer and I've never been to UAE and I don't know the specifics of your case or UAE visas, so take my advice with a grain of salt, but I would recommend pursuing the record of movement as well. Don't ask the CIC to get this documentation for you. They won't. It's your responsibility to do your due diligence. You will show them that you did you "due diligence" by either getting the record of movement or showing them that the document they requested is not available and providing them a credible alternative (transit visas, records of residence in Canada during the time period in question, etc.).

Other applicants have provided UAE records of movement (or something similar) so read the above discussions and do your best to figure out how they did it. Good luck.

 

[homemaker]

Hi Everyone !! Hope all of you are doing great. And most of you, if not all, have received the privileged Citizenship.

Well there is an update from my end too.

As you can see from the history of this thread that I was asked to get some more documents to support my residency. To be specific, I was asked to get the movement records for my travel to UAE. I wasn’t able to get those records, however I had replied to CIC with copies of transit visas etc. It has been an year since then. And all I could do was “wait”. I had been checking the online status each month. On ECAS it always showed the status as “in Process” with last line about the correspondence that CIC had sent for my test/interview back in 2014.

But when I checked it last week, there is a change !

On the status, which always used to show as “In Process” have changed to “Decision Made”, however on the next page, the last line is still about my test/interview date. No addition or removal there.

I did call CIC to ask them about the change in status, but was told that they wouldn’t know anything more than what I already know and I shall wait for a communication from CIC. Either a letter or perhaps until there would be a line added in my ECAS mentioning that a correspondence has been sent.

My question is: I wasn’t called for any interview or judge hearing so what does this “Decision Made” status change means. Is it good or bad ! and how long can I still wait to receive a correspondence.

Please share your experience or advice.

Thanks
Homemaker 

 

[CanV]

Hi Everyone !! Hope all of you are doing great. And most of you, if not all, have received the privileged Citizenship.

Well there is an update from my end too.

As you can see from the history of this thread that I was asked to get some more documents to support my residency. To be specific, I was asked to get the movement records for my travel to UAE. I wasn't able to get those records, however I had replied to CIC with copies of transit visas etc. It has been an year since then. And all I could do was “wait”. I had been checking the online status each month. On ECAS it always showed the status as “in Process” with last line about the correspondence that CIC had sent for my test/interview back in 2014.

But when I checked it last week, there is a change !

On the status, which always used to show as “In Process” have changed to “Decision Made”, however on the next page, the last line is still about my test/interview date. No addition or removal there.

I did call CIC to ask them about the change in status, but was told that they wouldn't know anything more than what I already know and I shall wait for a communication from CIC. Either a letter or perhaps until there would be a line added in my ECAS mentioning that a correspondence has been sent.

My question is: I wasn't called for any interview or judge hearing so what does this “Decision Made” status change means. Is it good or bad ! and how long can I still wait to receive a correspondence.

Please share your experience or advice.

Thanks
Homemaker 

It may be a false "decision made" meaning a decision has not been made yet, or it might be a positive decision. It cannot be a negative decision however, they wouldn't refuse you without seeing a judge.

 

[tds69us]

Hi Everyone !! Hope all of you are doing great. And most of you, if not all, have received the privileged Citizenship.

Well there is an update from my end too.

As you can see from the history of this thread that I was asked to get some more documents to support my residency. To be specific, I was asked to get the movement records for my travel to UAE. I wasn't able to get those records, however I had replied to CIC with copies of transit visas etc. It has been an year since then. And all I could do was “wait”. I had been checking the online status each month. On ECAS it always showed the status as “in Process” with last line about the correspondence that CIC had sent for my test/interview back in 2014.

But when I checked it last week, there is a change !

On the status, which always used to show as “In Process” have changed to “Decision Made”, however on the next page, the last line is still about my test/interview date. No addition or removal there.

I did call CIC to ask them about the change in status, but was told that they wouldn't know anything more than what I already know and I shall wait for a communication from CIC. Either a letter or perhaps until there would be a line added in my ECAS mentioning that a correspondence has been sent.

My question is: I wasn't called for any interview or judge hearing so what does this “Decision Made” status change means. Is it good or bad ! and how long can I still wait to receive a correspondence.

Please share your experience or advice.

Thanks
Homemaker 

I don't know who told you that a consent letter doesn't work, but I got my UAE Entry/Exit record using a consent letter. Never stepped foot in the UAE for it.

I can e-mail you the format I used if you want.

 

[janoo]

Hi. to secure in and out record of dubai you need passport copy letter requesting the
record and handover to anyone in dubai your friend and he will pay the fees and
get the record in five minutes.. I just secure mine.

 

[homemaker]

Thanks for sharing your experience in regards with UAE movement records. I had written to DNRD, UAE and that is what they told me.

Nonetheless, that movement record requirement is gone by and CIC never asked for it again !

I am more intrested to know what happens next.

thanks