Personal Activities Inquiry - Express Entry

[qinran]

Hi there, I received ITA last week and I am in my progress of preparing for my application. Some background information for myself, I am currently in Canada and previously in Canada for my undergrad. After graduation, I went to the US to complete a Master's degree. I was in U.S. August 2018-Dec 2018 and Jan 2019 - May 2019. I was in Canada in between two periods and returned to Canada after May 2020 for work. In Personal Activities should I list these two periods separately? If I enter them together, they will ask for my FBI police certificate, if I don't, they will not ask. Just wondering if anyone has a similar experience or if anyone can share some insight, please?

 

[nom87]

I hired a representative and he said we don’t need a police certificate for the country that we have stayed under 6months.

 

[qinran]

I hired a representative and he said we don’t need a police certificate for the country that we have stayed under 6months.

Thank you for the response! Yes, that's why when I listed August 2018-Dec 2018 and Jan 2019 - May 2019 as separate trips to U.S., they do not ask me for it. If I combine them they will be around 8 months and the request for police certificate will pop up. However, I am a little concerned because these two trips are all one part of my U.S. Master's degree. Do you think it is OK for me to list them as separate items?

 

[nom87]

Sorry I read too fast lol
You’re fine then! According to CIC website :
You need police certificate if “stayed in during the last 10 years for 6 months or more in a row’. Just remember to put your time in Canada in between those trips.

 

[qinran]

Sorry I read too fast lol
You’re fine then! According to CIC website :
You need police certificate if “stayed in during the last 10 years for 6 months or more in a row’. Just remember to put your time in Canada in between those trips.

Thank you, my friend! That's such a relief

 

[qinran]

While it is true that you will not need to upload a police certificate upfront if you stayed for less than 6 months in a row, there is a chance that IRCC will ask for it anyway, especially in your case where there was only a short break.

Some candidates choose to provide a PCC upfront regardless to speed up application processing.

IRCC even suggest the same on their website:

"Lailah studied in Spain between 2014 and 2017, for several 4-month study periods but she did not stay there for 6 months or more in a row. The system will not ask for a police certificate, but an officer may ask for one from Spain after she submits her application. To avoid delays, Lailah could ask for a police certificate from Spain and submit it with her application."​

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/express-entry/apply-permanent-residence/police-certificates.html​

Given that FBI PCCs take a long time, I would recommend you submit your application without it (because it isn't mandatory), but still apply for one right now so you've already got it if and when they ask for it.

Thanks for sharing! I saw that as well and think I will do that as well just in case they ask for it.