Interview Question

[Fatima13]

Dear friends,

My Citizenship test/interview appointment is very close.

I have completed my 4 years consecutively in Canada and during this time I never travelled out of Canada. Note that I applied under 4/6 rule.

However, prior to this 4-year period, I had travelled a lot and have many stamps on my passport in languages other than English and French.

Do I need to get all stamps translated in English. I'm wondering if in the interview they really need to see stamps beyond 4 years.

Appreciate your expert opinion. Thanks.

 

[Seym]

Your eligibility period is 6 years if not mistaken. Stamps in the 6 years period should all be considered.
Beside, if not in french or english, there's no way for the IRCC agent to figure out the date and if it was old enough if it appears in a passport that expired less than 6 years ago.
Obviously, french or english is not a "strict" requirement regarding stamps, if they can understand the date, you're probably good. Numbers written in another alphabet would need a translation.

That being said, depending on the interview and if the agent is satisfied with your eligibility or not, he can either go thoroughly over each and every stamp or (happened in my case) have a very quick look at the passport and hand it over. Noone can say. But you may need the translation in the first case, especially to avoid a last minute translation request that may push your DM a bit further.

GL!

 

[sebbie]

I have a passport that spanned 2005-2015 with an egypt stamp from 2005. The date is in arabic, and the agent can't tell if it's from 2005 or more recent so I translated it. I didn't bother translating stamps in spanish.

I haven't had my interview yet so we will see if that was necessary.

The other thing is that I will hopefully have my oath the same day as the interview. If that wasn't the case, I might have take the risk not to translate and done the translation only if the agent requested it during the interview.

 

[Fatima13]

I have more than 50 stamps from UAE. The date, exit/entry phrase and the country name, all are in English. Besides I have one stamp for Chec Republic and another for Spain. The later two are in languages other than English and French.

What's your advice please.

 

[sebbie]

If the years on those 2 stamps is clear (e.g. "2008") and are before your time in Canada, I would personally not bother translating.

Maybe others have a different opinion.

 

[Fatima13]

Thank you Seym and sebbie for your input, which is very helpful.

 

[NewUser2018]

I would translate them damn ASAP. The cost of RQ is much bigger and gruesome.

 

[Seym]

I have more than 50 stamps from UAE. The date, exit/entry phrase and the country name, all are in English. Besides I have one stamp for Chec Republic and another for Spain. The later two are in languages other than English and French.

What's your advice please.

Do you understand the date yourself without speaking czech or spanish ?
That's all you need to ask yourself

 

[Fatima13]

Do you understand the date yourself without speaking czech or spanish ?
That's all you need to ask yourself

Yes Seym, even the Czech and Spanish stamps have dates and country/city names in English. Thanks for your further input.