Just thought of sharing this information about my citizenship application

[Swede]

That could be the problem right there. Have a look at risk indicator C4 on Eileenf's website:

http://residencequestionnaire.wordpress.com/rq-risk-indicators/

That looks about right. If this is such a big deal I'm surprised that they allow you to take non-PR time into account in the first place. I was going to wait, but I wanted to save money and so applied before the language requirement policy change. Serves me right for being cheap I guess... :

Swede,

Actually I don't know why did they wait that long since they started processing the application to send you the RQ !

It took them 6 months from the apication processing date to send you the RQ !

Some have to wait two years for an RQ, so I'm not too surprised really...

 

[professional 1]

I used 2 years of my pre PR status in my citizenship application, which counted for one year, and then 2 years after I became a PR.

When I go home tonight, I will check what it says exactly in my COPR.

As per the link provided, it does not say it is a problem to count the period of time spent pre the PR status. It just says that if they cannot verify it, they would issue a RQ.

It means that if they make a mistake in their records, the applicant will pay for it.

Anyway, did you submit a photocopy of your first entry visa pre the PR status with date stamp on it with your citizenship application ?

 

[Swede]

I used 2 years of my pre PR status in my citizenship application, which counted for one year, and then 2 years after I became a PR.

When I go home tonight, I will check what it says exactly in my COPR.

As per the link provided, it does not say it is a problem to count the period of time spent pre the PR status. It just says that if they cannot verify it, they would issue a RQ.

It means that if they make a mistake in their records, the applicant will pay for it.

Anyway, did you submit a photocopy of your first entry visa pre the PR status with date stamp on it with your citizenship application ?

No. Once the visa had expired, the next time I crossed the border they yanked it out of my passport.

I hope your COPR is ok!

 

[frege]

That looks about right. If this is such a big deal I'm surprised that they allow you to take non-PR time into account in the first place. I was going to wait, but I wanted to save money and so applied before the language requirement policy change. Serves me right for being cheap I guess... :Some have to wait two years for an RQ, so I'm not too surprised really...

Perhaps the way to deal with things would have been to make a request to correct your COPR well in advance of your application.

My wife and I have been thinking about this, as there's a discrepancy between her date of arrival and what's on her COPR. We never would have thought of it if not for Eileenf's information.

It's too late to avoid the RQ, but correcting your COPR might be useful someday anyway, since I get the impression OAS may use landing records to determine length of residence in Canada. If you leave it till later, good luck changing it in 30 years' time! Either that or hang on to your tax returns for all that time - I'm not sure.

Can you get ATIP files for citizenship applications? If so, that may give some idea of what the reason is for your RQ.

Edit: Here's the link for anybody who wants to do this.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/amend.asp

 

[professional 1]

No. Once the visa had expired, the next time I crossed the border they yanked it out of my passport.

I hope your COPR is ok!

Oh actually, my situation was the following:

I came as an international student with one entry student visa for 3 months and was issued a study permit for 6 months at the airport on the spot.

Then, I renewed my study permit for a year and half from within Canada prior to the expiry date of it. Aguain, i renewed my study permit for 2 years from within Canada and got an off campus work permit connected to my study permit.

Finally, I got my PR visa and landed while my study permit and off campus work permit were still valid for more than a year.

I gave them to the immigration officer during my landing, but she gave them back to me, which was wired as they were still valid on their dates, and they are considered a property of immigration Canada.

She said, you can keep those, we don't need them, and she handed me the COPR.

Therefore, my first date of entry in my application form and residence calculator were the first time I came to Canada as an international student.

 

[frege]

Oh actually, my situation was the following:

I came as an international student with one entry student visa for 3 months and was issued a study permit for 6 months at the airport on the spot.

Then, I renewed my study permit for a year and half from within Canada prior to the expiry date of it. Aguain, i renewed my study permit for 2 years from within Canada and got an off campus work permit connected to my study permit.

Finally, I got my PR visa and landed while my study permit and off campus work permit were still valid for more than a year.

I gave them to the immigration officer during my landing, but she gave them back to me, which was wired as they were still valid on their dates, and they are considered a property of immigration Canada.

She said, you can keep those, we don't need them, and she handed me the COPR.

Therefore, my first date of entry in my application form and residence calculator were the first time I came to Canada as an international student.

So you had continuous legal status in Canada from your arrival as a student until your landing. I imagine that ought to show up on your COPR. But if the officer who landed you didn't care to see them, maybe she made a mistake.

 

[professional 1]

So you had continuous legal status in Canada from your arrival as a student until your landing. I imagine that ought to show up on your COPR. But if the officer who landed you didn't care to see them, maybe she made a mistake.

Yes, I used to have a continuous status in Canada until i got my PR status. The immigration officer did take and check all of the documents I gave her:

Expired study permits, valid study and work permits. She did check them all in front of me, but gave them back rather than holding on them.

My COPR does not have any info that states the date of first arrival to Canada. It just mentions the date the date i landed as a PR.

However, I am sure that they have my first date of arrival to Canada correct on records, as every time i used to contact to inquire about the status of my PR application, they would ask about that date as one of the questions to verify my identity. If they didn't have it or it didn't match, they would have told me on the phone.

Swede,

Where does it say on your COPR the first date of arrival to Canada ?

 

[Swede]

Swede,

Where does it say on your COPR the first date of arrival to Canada ?

It's field number 36, in the middle of the form, slightly right of centre.

 

[professional 1]

It's field number 36, in the middle of the form, slightly right of centre.

That is actually the date you became a PR, not the date of the first arrival to Canada. It is repeated 3 times in the COPR in different areas "45, 36, and when it just says date"

 

[Swede]

That is actually the date you became a PR, not the date of the first arrival to Canada. It is repeated 3 times in the COPR in different areas "45, 36, and when it just says date"

As far as I understood from frege's posts and the link he provided, the original date of entry isn't necessarily the date you land but rather seems to be intended for the date you first came to the country. At least that's how I read things...

 

[professional 1]

As far as I understood from frege's posts and the link he provided, the original date of entry isn't necessarily the date you land but rather seems to be intended for the date you first came to the country. At least that's how I read things...

Yeah, that is right. However, this date does not show in the COPR anywhere. All it shows in that document is the date you landed as a PR.

For some people who first came to Canada as PRs, it is gonna be the same, but for people like us, the case is different.

That is why it asks in the online residence calculator to write the date you first came to live in Canada if different from the date you became a PR, as it makes difference in the calculations.

 

[frege]

As far as I understood from frege's posts and the link he provided, the original date of entry isn't necessarily the date you land but rather seems to be intended for the date you first came to the country. At least that's how I read things...

Yes, that's right, as far as I understand. I think it has to be continuous until you land, however.

Here's what I'm talking about. See page 17 of the following document, where it says "Date de première entrée":

http://www.afe.gouv.qc.ca/CONTACT_UC/Publications/DSCA/GUID_Documents_conformes.pdf

In this case, the field is blank. However, my wife's has a date that's different from the date she landed.


By the way, they yellowed out the name of this person, but missed the fact that her name and signature are at the bottom of the document. That's a 0 for privacy!

 

[Swede]

So, in conclusion, the likely reason for my RQ is that the immigration officer didn't put my original arrival date in 2008 on the COPR, but rather used the date when I landed in 2010, which in turn made CIC question my presence in Canada for part of the four years leading up to my application. Makes sense?

 

[frege]

So, in conclusion, the likely reason for my RQ is that the immigration officer didn't put my original arrival date in 2008 on the COPR, but rather used the date when I landed in 2010, which in turn made CIC question my presence in Canada for part of the four years leading up to my application. Makes sense?

Well, nobody really knows, do they?

But yes, quite possibly, especially if nothing included with your original application would have demonstrated your presence during that time.

Or it could be the period of unemployment, identified as code A5.

Perhaps the answer can be found through a Privacy Act request for your citizenship file, don't you think? We ordered our GCMS notes for the PR process, and the information provided some insight into the process. I don't know if for naturalization it's the same thing.

 

[Swede]

Well, nobody really knows, do they?

But yes, quite possibly, especially if nothing included with your original application would have demonstrated your presence during that time.

Or it could be the period of unemployment, identified as code A5.

Perhaps the answer can be found through a Privacy Act request for your citizenship file, don't you think? We ordered our GCMS notes for the PR process, and the information provided some insight into the process. I don't know if for naturalization it's the same thing.

Nobody knows and I don't really care. What matters is that I got and RQ and knowing why doesn't really help me at all.

Still, thanks a lot for helping to answer questions!