I meet the PR card renewal requirements, still got called for an interview.

[Alabaman]

I suggest that you organize by trip.

Example: Trip #1 to India (dates)
Exit Canada (see stamp on page x)
Transit through the USA (see stamps page y)
Arrival India (see stamp page z)

And so on.

By documenting your trips out of Canada, you make it easy to calculate time spent in Canada, and corroborated by your tax return and employment records, etc.

Good thinking... Good product.

Remember though "Exit Canada" will not have a stamp.

 

[toby]

Good thinking... Good product.

Remember though "Exit Canada" will not have a stamp.

Good catch. But there will be an entry stamp to another country, and you can always ask the Border Officer to stamp entry back into Canada (he/she will want to know why, but will do it).

 

[jckdry]

I dont think stamps on passport from canada really matters - they must have a software that shows ones entries in canada with criminal background when they scan pr card at border while seeking entry
Also, when u enter canada with your pr card without your home country passport - they can still let u in - just with your pr card and without passport
They let me in 2 times from US with just scanning my PR card as 1st time my passport was in my bag and while I was looking for it, the officer was like it is ok if u cant find it and you can proceed
these 2 trips do not have an entry stamp in canada on my passport but i think they know it as they scan it on their computer

 

[toby]

I dont think stamps on passport from canada really matters - they must have a software that shows ones entries in canada with criminal background when they scan pr card at border while seeking entry
Also, when u enter canada with your pr card without your home country passport - they can still let u in - just with your pr card and without passport
They let me in 2 times from US with just scanning my PR card as 1st time my passport was in my bag and while I was looking for it, the officer was like it is ok if u cant find it and you can proceed
these 2 trips do not have an entry stamp in canada on my passport but i think they know it as they scan it on their computer

I disagree, jckdry. The Border authority probably does have exit/entry records, as you say, but when it comes time to renew a PR card, it is the applicant who must provide the proof of time spent in Canada. CIC might then consult their internal records to verify the PR applicant's self-proclaimed record (we don't know this for sure, but it is possible), but it is still important to provide proof of time in Canada, and CIC itself asks for passport stamps -- so make sure to get them is my advice.

I'll agree with you part way: if a PR can exit and re-enter Canada without getting stamps in his/her passport, then passport stamps don't tell the entire story. It would be possible, for example, to take a two-week trip to the USA, and get passport stamps, but also visit the USA for two months without any passport stamps. (Personally I have never entered the USA without getting a passport stamp, but maybe it could happen.)

So, the passport record would indicate that the PR spent only 2 weeks outside Canada, whereas in fact he/she spent 2 weeks + 2 months outside Canada. That is why other supporting documentation to prove time spent in Canada is important too.

But at the end of the day, documents can't irrefutably prove time spent in Canada. Some can be faked by an inventive PR; others are not conclusive. All the PR applicant can do is present a reasonable case, and hope to find a reasonable VO.

But get those passport stamps!!!

 

[Alabaman]

I disagree, jckdry. The Border authority probably does have exit/entry records,

Toby I disagree with you to agree with jckdry. CIC do not have records. Haven't you ever heard about folks who have never lived in Canada getting citizenship by forging lease agreements receipts Some folks even allow some one else to use their SIN number so that they can generate pay stubs. I don't encourage it but it happens!

(Personally I have never entered the USA without getting a passport stamp, but maybe it could happen.)

Well I have entered the USA once (by road) without my passport stamped. The lady just looked at my visa and handed my passport back to me. So in this case where is their record of my entry? Nada. In the same way, I entered Canada too once with just my PR card. I did not show my passport.

 

[toby]

Toby I disagree with you to agree with jckdry. CIC do not have records. Haven't you ever heard about folks who have never lived in Canada getting citizenship by forging lease agreements receipts Some folks even allow some one else to use their SIN number so that they can generate pay stubs. I don't encourage it but it happens!

Well I have entered the USA once (by road) without my passport stamped. The lady just looked at my visa and handed my passport back to me. So in this case where is their record of my entry? Nada. In the same way, I entered Canada too once with just my PR card. I did not show my passport.

Ha ... this is getting confusing. I thought jckdry's point was that passport stamps were not important because CIC DOES keep its own records, and will consult them rather than pay attention to the PR re-applicant's passport stamps. My rebuttal was that even if CIC does keep those records, CIC still requires the PR re-applicant to prove time in Canada, without recourse to those internal CIC records. That is, it is important to get passport stamps to form a partial record.

Now you are telling me that CIC does NOT keep such internal records, which (in my opinion) makes it all the more important to amass as many passport stamps as possible. So, even if a border guard does not normally stamp one's passport, ask him/her to do so and explain it's for a PR record.

As you and jckdry have pointed out, one can exit and re-enter Canada without passport stamps, so a complete-looking passport stamp
"collection" might show that the PR re-applicant spent 3 weeks outside Canada, whereas in fact he/she spent much more time outside Canada.
To show that all non-passport-stamped time was actually spent in Canada, the PR re-applicant needs other evidence.

But passport stamps are important -- if only because CIC asks for them.

 

[steaky]

CIC and CBSA are two different departments, so CIC might not have the records.

 

[jckdry]

if they dont keep records - anyone can lie and abuse this system
also, i would not take chance as if u lie u may loose PR if they find out that u r not meeting requirements
my point being - they should be tracking it somehow
for eg.
I have 2 stamps on 4 april 2011 and 7 april 2011 from usa for day visits to usa
I do not have any return stamps of coming back to canada in april or may till now and i am in canada
It would be interesting as if they go by stamps, how is it possible that i entered usa twice on 4 and 7 april without coming back to canada as i dont have any canadian return stamps
Maybe my bad luck - Once last year in sept 2010 - the borderguard did not stamp even as i requested, begged and insisted to him - the borderguard convinced me that its not required
Nobody knows, how they work - n they wont tell

 

[toby]

if they dont keep records - anyone can lie and abuse this system
also, i would not take chance as if u lie u may loose PR if they find out that u r not meeting requirements
my point being - they should be tracking it somehow
for eg.
I have 2 stamps on 4 april 2011 and 7 april 2011 from usa for day visits to usa
I do not have any return stamps of coming back to canada in april or may till now and i am in canada
It would be interesting as if they go by stamps, how is it possible that i entered usa twice on 4 and 7 april without coming back to canada as i dont have any canadian return stamps
Maybe my bad luck - Once last year in sept 2010 - the borderguard did not stamp even as i requested, begged and insisted to him - the borderguard convinced me that its not required
Nobody knows, how they work - n they wont tell

Interesting.

Do I understand you correctly, jckdry? DId you explain to the border guard that you needed to prove time spent in Canada (to renew a PR some day) and he told you it was not necessary? Did he say WHY it was not necessary (e.g. that CIC would check with the border guard about your travels outside Canada) ?

 

[Alabaman]

It is good to get passport stamped but I think we are over stressing the issue here. Really, I would personally not worry about passport stamp so much if I am truly living in Canada.

The truth is that if you are really living in Canada, there are tons of paper trail that will follow you. Do you work? Do you spend? Do you drive? Do you go to the hospital? Do you volunteer? Do you rent? Do you bank? Do you fly (even if its within Canada)? Do you gym? etc etc.

 

[jckdry]

i did try to convince the border guard once last year but he did not stamp
first i requested - can u please stamp my entry in canada - then he said its not necessary
then, i sort of requested again to him saying i need it stamped for proving residency to apply for my citizenship - he said its ok, u do not need stamps - its all in the system
finally, i insisted to him that it wont hurt me to get it stamped as i can keep track of my days spent outside canada - when i fill residency questionnaire, he said u left this morning and are back in evening so u will not count this trip and not mention it while filling the questionnaire, dont worry about it

now how much can one argue with those borderguards
finally i agreed and did not get it stamped
since then i have other 2 trips to us that are not stamped return trip from canada, i hope eveything is ok since i have ample of other proofs of being in canada

 

[Alabaman]

i did try to convince the border guard once last year but he did not stamp
first i requested - can u please stamp my entry in canada - then he said its not necessary
then, i sort of requested again to him saying i need it stamped for proving residency to apply for my citizenship - he said its ok, u do not need stamps - its all in the system
finally, i insisted to him that it wont hurt me to get it stamped as i can keep track of my days spent outside canada - when i fill residency questionnaire, he said u left this morning and are back in evening so u will not count this trip and not mention it while filling the questionnaire, dont worry about it

now how much can one argue with those borderguards
finally i agreed and did not get it stamped
since then i have other 2 trips to us that are not stamped return trip from canada, i hope eveything is ok since i have ample of other proofs of being in canada

As long as you truly meet the residence obligation, you should be fine.

 

[melo]

i am having the same story with my Resident card , as soon as the officer seen my passeport he told me that i have too much stamps inmy paaseport and gave my an RQ . I sent all the proof and called them back they told me that it will take up to 10 months to review my file . i think that many stamps in the passeport raise the flag of RQ.

 

[Alabaman]

Melo, which City is this? Did you do urgent processing?

 

[melo]

halifax and i did urgent processing