Hello fellow forum members,
I finally became Canadian last week… Ceremony was great… This forum has been wonderful and I want to share some lessons learned so others can benefit from my experience
For those who don’t remember me, my application had several issues:
a. I worked in USA before landing and move back to USA with same company that brought me to Canada after submitting my application
b. During the relevant period, I was also student in USA… so I have a LOT of trips to USA
c. I landed in a province other than the province that nominated me (PNP) and received A44 report of misrepresentation (won the case before IRB).
d. I received full RQ before test.
Lessons learned:
1) Always land in the Province that nominates you. You can move afterward but be prepared to explain if asked during citizenship interview.
2) Get CBSA ICES border crossing report and, if traveling to USA a lot, get I-94 report from USA. Check all dates (along with passport stamps and other documents) and include all dates (even same day trips) in the residency calculator
3) Split family if you meet some of the RQ triggers. I did that and my family application was processed in 8 months while mine was more than double that time.
4) If you receive RQ, make sure response is well organized: I included an Index referencing each document I’m providing and related page number. My file received Decision Made less than 2 months after transfer to St Clair (typically the cemetery…)
5) If you moved to USA after applying, get ready for though questioning (somebody has referred to this as the “Great Wall of China” in a different post). You have good chance under old rules (no intent to reside). I knew I meet the letter and the spirit of the law, and that I will prevail at the end of the day.
6) Most importantly, If your file is taking too long, try to keep IRCC on their toes… remember this is a huge bureaucracy, with a lot good people, and some bad ones. Harass them, in an orderly manner, with
ATIP requests (one month order full physical file, another month request electronic file, another month request copy of specific document such as CIT 0065 – Record of decision or FPAT document). Sometime, these requests remind them to get moving, or they will be bothered by further requests
Case Specific Inquiry
Try to locate the email of your MP, the IRCC Director (or other Senior IRCC official in your location), and send email to all requesting update on your file. A good friend of mine got Decision Made 1 day after sending such email out (his file was sitting with CIC for 37 months).
7) Stay busy so the wait does not affect your psych too much and know that if you file is clean (no lies), you will prevail.
On a side note, I wanted the Cons out (very bad people, not just in Canada…), and now I have the chance to vote against them. The Liberals seems to be heading in the right direction and I hope we will all vote “anything but the Cons” in all future elections until the Cons wiped out any remnant of anti-immigrant mentality within the party.
Good luck to all!!!
Timeline
Application received: Dec 2014
Processing start: March 2015
RQ received and replied to: March 2015
Test: Nov 2015
File Transfer to St Clair: Dec 2015
Decision Made: Feb 2016
Oath: May 2016
I finally became Canadian last week… Ceremony was great… This forum has been wonderful and I want to share some lessons learned so others can benefit from my experience
For those who don’t remember me, my application had several issues:
a. I worked in USA before landing and move back to USA with same company that brought me to Canada after submitting my application
b. During the relevant period, I was also student in USA… so I have a LOT of trips to USA
c. I landed in a province other than the province that nominated me (PNP) and received A44 report of misrepresentation (won the case before IRB).
d. I received full RQ before test.
Lessons learned:
1) Always land in the Province that nominates you. You can move afterward but be prepared to explain if asked during citizenship interview.
2) Get CBSA ICES border crossing report and, if traveling to USA a lot, get I-94 report from USA. Check all dates (along with passport stamps and other documents) and include all dates (even same day trips) in the residency calculator
3) Split family if you meet some of the RQ triggers. I did that and my family application was processed in 8 months while mine was more than double that time.
4) If you receive RQ, make sure response is well organized: I included an Index referencing each document I’m providing and related page number. My file received Decision Made less than 2 months after transfer to St Clair (typically the cemetery…)
5) If you moved to USA after applying, get ready for though questioning (somebody has referred to this as the “Great Wall of China” in a different post). You have good chance under old rules (no intent to reside). I knew I meet the letter and the spirit of the law, and that I will prevail at the end of the day.
6) Most importantly, If your file is taking too long, try to keep IRCC on their toes… remember this is a huge bureaucracy, with a lot good people, and some bad ones. Harass them, in an orderly manner, with
ATIP requests (one month order full physical file, another month request electronic file, another month request copy of specific document such as CIT 0065 – Record of decision or FPAT document). Sometime, these requests remind them to get moving, or they will be bothered by further requests
Case Specific Inquiry
Try to locate the email of your MP, the IRCC Director (or other Senior IRCC official in your location), and send email to all requesting update on your file. A good friend of mine got Decision Made 1 day after sending such email out (his file was sitting with CIC for 37 months).
7) Stay busy so the wait does not affect your psych too much and know that if you file is clean (no lies), you will prevail.
On a side note, I wanted the Cons out (very bad people, not just in Canada…), and now I have the chance to vote against them. The Liberals seems to be heading in the right direction and I hope we will all vote “anything but the Cons” in all future elections until the Cons wiped out any remnant of anti-immigrant mentality within the party.
Good luck to all!!!
Timeline
Application received: Dec 2014
Processing start: March 2015
RQ received and replied to: March 2015
Test: Nov 2015
File Transfer to St Clair: Dec 2015
Decision Made: Feb 2016
Oath: May 2016
