Citizenship RQ - Please advice

[IBM]

Hello All,

I have received RQ for Citizenship application.

PR Date : December 2004. I went back to US because of job.

Returned to Canada : Sept 2007

Renewed PR : 2010

Applied for Citizenship: Feb 2011.

Test Date : Feb 15th 2012.

RQ letter is asking for documents from Feb 2007 to Feb 2011.

My Questions.

1. From Feb 2007 to Sept 2007 I was in USA because of my employment. Now will this create any problems?

2. Should I have stayed from Feb 2007 itself in CANADA OR Should I have applied for Citizenship in 2011 September as I moved to Canada again on this date?

In the 4 year period, I have more than 1095 days Physical presence in CANADA.

Please advice.

Thanks
IBM

 

[Leon]

1. No

2. No, you have no obligation to apply as soon as you meet the requirements.

For the RQ, they just want you to prove that you have 1095 days in the period between the day you applied and 4 years earlier.

Ways to prove that can include T4's, letters from employer or college, pay slips, lease on your apartment, utility bills, telephone bills, credit card and bank statements etc.

 

[Mary Chad]

You should be good, i have exact same case senerio, so i might get RQ soon as well, but i checked with
my friends brother who is an attorny, if you have 1095 and have proof like job, CC statement, lease,
most important Ohip record then you will be fine.
Are you working on site or its self employment?

 

[IBM]

You should be good, i have exact same case senerio, so i might get RQ soon as well, but i checked with
my friends brother who is an attorny, if you have 1095 and have proof like job, CC statement, lease,
most important Ohip record then you will be fine.
Are you working on site or its self employment?

I am self-employed. I have Canadian Corporation and some contracts (IT Related). I have paid all taxes during these 4 years.

Do I need provide bank statements, utility bills for all these 4 years, for each month? I think bank will provide only last 16 statements on-line.

Can I get more statements from bank?


I just want add one more thing as you have the exact same scenario (Hopefully you will not get RQ - good luck).

They have asked me to provide

Travel Record to and from USA : Mail your request to :

Freedom of Information Act Request U.S. Customs and Border Protection
FOIA Division
799 9th Street NW, Mint Annex
Washington, DC 20001

I have searched for the same and found this link.

NOTE: ZIP or postal code is different from letter to online.


https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/976/~/record-of-my-travel-in-and-out-of-the-united-states,-foia


Thanks
IBM

 

[Mary Chad]

I am self-employed. I have Canadian Corporation and some contracts (IT Related). I have paid all taxes during these 4 years.

Do I need provide bank statements, utility bills for all these 4 years, for each month? I think bank will provide only last 16 statements on-line.

Can I get more statements from bank?


I just want add one more thing as you have the exact same scenario (Hopefully you will not get RQ - good luck).

They have asked me to provide

Travel Record to and from USA : Mail your request to :

Freedom of Information Act Request U.S. Customs and Border Protection
FOIA Division
799 9th Street NW, Mint Annex
Washington, DC 20001

I have searched for the same and found this link.

NOTE: ZIP or postal code is different from letter to online.


https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/976/~/record-of-my-travel-in-and-out-of-the-united-states,-foia


Thanks
IBM

Now they asked you to submit documents in 30 days...and foia takes 4-6 weeks..hmmm, try to send the credit card statement and bank for the periods they asked for,
as far as bills concerned, My phone company asking $15 for each month if i go back 2010 which is ridiculous, just get few bills for each year,
i have online banking with RBC, they show uptil 16 month statements, but when i called them, they showed me the way where it says document/estatements, which let you download for past 5 years. But if you request your bank, they do provide statements for $10 each year.
Did you went on any vacations within Canada? that would be helpful..they just want to see the presence...
I will you best of luck

 

[Zaid21]

I applied with my family 2009. We received a RQ on my dad 2010, so he asked for separation. We got the test and did it oct 2011. We passed, and 4 months after, my mom received another RQ!!

We're still waiting on this life-long process to finish!!

 

[Mary Chad]

OK now here is the story.... i always listen to my home VM after work, so there was nothing on it related to CIC ... but today i was just browsing back to the caller id and to my surprise i saw a call from "CIC Mississauga" on Mar 16.... I am very concerned why they called 11:00 am in morning, they should have called my cell or office number which i provided as well in the application,
i already called the main CIC on Mar 23, just to check upon status and agent said all OK but i am sleepless since i saw this missed call today..wondering what that could be an RQ??Cry

 

[IBM]

Hello All,

I have US contract, but all the invoice amounts are paid to Canadian Corporation (my corporation), will this create any problem when I submit my RQ self employment tax documents?

Do I need to give client's name in RQ information?

Thanks
IBM.

 

[ajslp]

I think you are paying the price for the sins committed by people before. In the past, people have created some shady Canadian company and got payslip (sometimes fake) while actually living outside Canada. A lot of people actually lived or worked in US and then came to Canada for the test and oath and acquired their citizenship.

But now CIC is also getting smarter. Unless you are working for a government, public companies or big private companies, CIC may not completely trust small consultancy companies. The lease agreement, credit card, bank statements and utilities bills are fine as a supporting documents. But they don't prove primary evidence for physical presence. A family members or friends can make purchases or it can be done online.

I guess in IBM's case, the contract is with US company, so that raises a flag. You can use doctor visit documents or court documents if you have any as a proof. If someone trustworthy like judges or MPs can vouch for your physical presence, affidavit from them would help. But I doubt that is practical for everyone. The only option is to provide Entry/Exit record from Canada Border Services Agency(CBSA) and CBP in USA. This might miss some entry information. But you can back it up with other secondary documents.

In the end CIC does not want to be fooled by a lot of people as before. They want to be sure you have physically lived in Canada for 1095 days. Some people might still be able to cheat the system to some degree. But it is not as cherry picking as it was before.

You can request Entry Record from
Canada Border Services Agency
Access to Information and Privacy Coordinator
410 Laurier Avenue West, 10th Floor
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0L8

and
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
FOIA Division
799 9th Street Northwest, Mint Annex
Washington, DC 20229-1177

Don't worry about the zipcodes. It will end up in the right place after. They might have different offices or offices might have been moved. CBSA generally replies in 4 weeks. CBP can take few month.

If you can't get the document in time, ask for extension with your evidence that you have applied for it. Send whatever evidence you have in the mean time. Mention you will be sending other documents as you receive.

 

[IBM]

Hello All,

ajslp - Thank you for the update.

I have already sent a fax to CBSA (called them and they confirmed the fax).

1. As my wife also received same RQ, when I request CBP and health records, Is it better to send two different envelopes, so that I can show the receipts to CIC that I have mailed the request (planning to take tracking receipts).

Please advice.

2. Do I need send RQ information to CIC in two different envelopes, one for my wife and one for myself.

If I send two envelopes, Do I need make two copies all proof of residency documents? (Lot of papers .. CIC should consider accepting flash drive or online upload of proof of recidency documents.. )...

Thank you all,
IBM.

 

[IBM]

Hello All,


My PR Date is 2004 December and returned to Canada again in 2007

In RQ, there are some questions "since your arrival" to Canada.

1. Do I need to give information since 2007 OR landing date in 2004?


Thanks you all.