Physical Presence Query

[karan1212]

I'm going to apply for my citizenship. I visited India from May 16, 2023 till March 20, 2024. During my stay in India, I travelled to multiple (5) trips in other countries. After taking those trips, I went back to India. So my question is, how should I enter my "Time outside Canada". I'm applying Online.
Option A: Should I enter 1 absence i.e. May 16, 2023 till March 20, 2024 and enter all the other countries that I visited under description with the dates
Option B: Should I enter separate entries for all the trips. Example
1st entry Visited India from May 16, 2023 till June 30 2023.
2nd entry - Visited country "X" from June 30 till July 10.
3rd entry - Visited India July 10 till December 1
4th entry - Visited country "Y" from December 1 till December 10 and so on.

 

[Seym]

One entry only.
You can keep it short. Something like : Visited family / took a long vacation in India. During my x months trip, I had 5 short visits to country A, country B, country C, country D and country E.
You can add the dates for those if space allows, but if not, whatever, these dates have no effect on your application anyway.

The one thing you may want to check is the PCC for India. In practice, you need one if you spent 6 months in a row somewhere, but your multiple short trips mean you probably never spent 6 months in a row in India, so don't need it for a complete application. IRCC may still decide they need one since you still spent a long time in India, so if you can easily get one, apply for it and keep it aside in case they ask, you'll save the time it takes to get it after the request, if the request comes... (or add it to your original application!)

 

[forw.jane]

I'm going to apply for my citizenship. I visited India from May 16, 2023 till March 20, 2024. During my stay in India, I travelled to multiple (5) trips in other countries. After taking those trips, I went back to India. So my question is, how should I enter my "Time outside Canada". I'm applying Online.
Option A: Should I enter 1 absence i.e. May 16, 2023 till March 20, 2024 and enter all the other countries that I visited under description with the dates
Option B: Should I enter separate entries for all the trips. Example
1st entry Visited India from May 16, 2023 till June 30 2023.
2nd entry - Visited country "X" from June 30 till July 10.
3rd entry - Visited India July 10 till December 1
4th entry - Visited country "Y" from December 1 till December 10 and so on.

I don't think Option B is even possible to input in the form as June 30, Jul 10, Dec 1, Dec 10 will become your return date to Canada which in reality is your return date to India. So Option A is the only way to do it.

 

[karan1212]

One entry only.
You can keep it short. Something like : Visited family / took a long vacation in India. During my x months trip, I had 5 short visits to country A, country B, country C, country D and country E.
You can add the dates for those if space allows, but if not, whatever, these dates have no effect on your application anyway.

The one thing you may want to check is the PCC for India. In practice, you need one if you spent 6 months in a row somewhere, but your multiple short trips mean you probably never spent 6 months in a row in India, so don't need it for a complete application. IRCC may still decide they need one since you still spent a long time in India, so if you can easily get one, apply for it and keep it aside in case they ask, you'll save the time it takes to get it after the request, if the request comes... (or add it to your original application!)

Thank you for your response. Another question I have is that what country should I put when putting an entry for adding an absence? Before going to India, I went o the US and took a flight from there to India and lived there for around 10 months. Now should I put India and list USA in the description along with all the other countries that I visited or should I put USA in the main heading and list India in description?

 

[Seym]

They usually ask to specify the 1st country you went to as it's the one in their records.
But to be honest, putting US or India there makes no real difference as long as you clarify it in the textbox or a explanation letter.

 

[karan1212]

They usually ask to specify the 1st country you went to as it's the one in their records.
But to be honest, putting US or India there makes no real difference as long as you clarify it in the textbox or a explanation letter.

Thank you for the clarity.
I had one more question -- In your first comment you mentioned that I should get Indian PCC done anyway. I already have that, but I am just wondering if I should upload it in the "Police Certificates" section while selecting yes for "
In the past 4 years, were you in a country or territory other than Canada for 183 days or more in a row (since the age of 18)?" or I should select no for this question and instead upload it in optional documents. (FYI, as mentioned earlier, I did not stay in India for more than 183 days in a row due to my multiple short trips outside India)

 

[Seym]

Answering no as you didn't spend 183 days in a row in India and adding it in the additional documents section seems like the proper way to do it. Maybe also add an explanation letter saying that although the maximum you spent in a row in India was X days, you still provided the PCC as you were there for an extended period of time.