Did you have a cover letter with your application? Why did you think was a good idea? Were you under impression CIC will have hard time understanding a simple form? Do you think Citizenship application form its a very complex and twisted form? If I send you my form filled do your believe you need also a cover letter to understand it?raymasa said:
Please HELP!-What to bring to the citizenship test interview to reduce RQ chance?
- Thread starter ximmihelpx
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Firstly, yes I did. Why? Because I was thought to always include a cover letter with all sorts of applications. Not because I think CC staff are stupid or that the application is complex. Far from it. I am sure they are all professional and appreciate a professionally submitted application. Of course, this is old school, but then I am old. So this may no longer be considered proper etiquette.era1521 said:
Secondly and more to the point, the poster had an issue with his passport not being stamped and explaining that in the letter is not a bad idea. That is my opinion
You of course have the right to your opinion, as do I. The poster requested a suggestion and you provided your opinion and I provided mine. I have no desire to get into a pissing match with you as to who is right. And it's not a question of right or wrong. Just suggestions. If it helps you sleep better at night thinking you won an argument on an online forum, please accept this as an acknowledgment that you have won. Hope you have a good night sleep.
Ray
Yeah, i understand that. I always sleep good.raymasa said:
This is not about being right or wrong; i'm just trying to point out how many think they smarter and superior that Immigration guys and feel that they need a cover letter to understand an application. After all this all about, right?
If you're that old school, did you have a cover letter on a credit card application too? Why not?
era1521, I understand you have strong opinions about many things such as, DO NOT send additional documents with the initial application, ONLY old school people send cover letter etc. But I would highly appreciate your presence in this forum if you could voice your opinions without undermining others in this forum. As much as people want to listen to what you have to say, I think it's ONLY fair that they hear from others too and make their own decision.era1521 said:
To set the record straight I included a cover letter because I felt the need to explain certain things in my application in addition to what was already covered in the form and not because, I assumed that the CIC officer is retarded and won't get the content of my application.
Oh now I remember, I had something like that too. They did not take my I94 back during my return visit from US on Sept , 2012 - When I went back in 2014 they were no stamps associated with the 2014 visit at all. I actually explained that in my resident calculator, also included my flight tickets as additional proof.ximmihelpx said:
If you are reporting those days in your resident calculator, feel free to explain that those stamps are missing from your passport. You should be OK with that. If i were you, I would include the flight itinerary as additional proof but I will leave that to you to decide. I think declaring additional days proves that you are being honest.
I did include a cover letter though, just to call out a few things that I wanted the officer to note in my application. Make sure though that the cover letter is no more than one A4 size page. If you are including additional documents in your application PLEASE - make two separate bunch - 1) for the application and the required document from the attached checklist 2) for any additional documents you want to provide. That way, if they wish NOT to look at the additional documents they can just dump it!
Again, it's upto you to include additional documents or not. For the sake for FULL DISCLOSURE, i would like to say that I have seen two different schools of thought on this forum, one that believes additional document gives you RQ, and one that thinks if the case is not "NORMAL" it's good to provide additional documents upfront. At the end of the day remember, you have to make that decision. RQ to me is not an exact science. I have had friends who got RQ'd with JUST the application (NO additional documents were sent) and have friends who never got RQ'd because they sent additional documents. The key is to present the information in a structured manner where you leave it up to the officer to choose or disregard it.
I hope this helps.
My opinion, and I'm not sure if its strong or not, is just follow the rule and and prepare the application as per guideline attaching the required documents.desigirltoronto84 said:
As for the cover letter and old school, i don't know what school the other guy Ray went to, maybe he needs to revisit that school for updated curriculum. But in my school if I have to fill a simple form and attach a description of what I filled out, that means I either consider the recipient of the form having a limited understanding hence the cover letter, or I, myself, have issues expressing myself and the form has to be accompanied by a descriptive note.
Otherwise you can set how many records you want with your needs.
Once again, I do not claim that adding additional documents will delay application or trigger RQ; I only say additional documents have no value to the application (initial one) and there is nowhere even by far suggested to include any piece of document apart of the checklist.
No era1521, I did not attached a cover letter with my credit card application as it was online and did not had a way to attached. But more importantly, what does that has to do with the price of tea in China? Does it make you feel better that you caught me? Make you feel better that you were right? Make you sleep better tonight?era1521 said:
Let me tell you why I am on the forum. This forum has been incredibly helpful to me. Reading everyone's opinion allowed me to complete my own application. Even when the information provided was contradictory, it helped me understand the situation and make up my own mind based on my own situation.
When someone asks for an opinion and they get different perspective from different people based on different situations, that person can make up his or her own mind based on their own situation and having heard different points of view.
You, of course, believe that there is only one correct answer and that is yours. Anyone who disagrees with you, you will jump all over them. Ridicule them, bully them, simply because they don't share your opinion. I find that attitude amusing for someone applying for a citizenship of a free country where pluralism is not only celebrated but enshrined in the constitution.
Of course, you are not the first person, on many forums people like you exist, and that's life. Despite your attempt to silence others by belittling them, I will continue to post my opinions, so that someone reading can make up their own mind, like others who have posted their differing opinions had helped me.
It's obvious that you like to show people that you are right and will not tolerate any other opinion, so let me once again acknowledge your superiority in all its form, including your superior knowledge, deductive reasoning, ability to analyse and come up with one and true answer to every question.
I am sure that, like your credit card application comment, you will find something amusing to come back at me with and you are welcome to. However, I won't respond to that (unless directly relevant to a citizenship question) because as I stated in my previous post, I have no desire to get into a pissing match with you.
Ray
I already told you I'm sleeping good nights and definitely I'm not here to catch anyone or anything.raymasa said:
I only ask people who decide to not follow the rules and regardless the guideline they decide to make their own checklist, what is the reason of that. I am trying to understand what is the motivation behind that.
On this subject I really dont have a personal opinion, my opinion is the same one that is in the guideline.
Whats the story with price of tea in China? Your semantic is too elaborated to my not so old school.
If your Citizenship Test / interview in in March, then I wouldn't advise on sending anything now.
At the interview, the Officer most likely will ask what are you doing now? Note the question is not what have you been doing in the last 6 months - which could be asked too but have a different answer. Anyway, since your entry to US was after the application, it doesn't affect residence calculator - however you have to be prepared to answer your travel history regardless.
Bottom line, you may take as much documents as you want at the interview, however it is the Officer's discretion what to ask. They can always ask you for more documents by mail later if they are not satisfied with the interview. If you volunteer documents yourself at the interview, it could be good or bad.
At the interview, the Officer most likely will ask what are you doing now? Note the question is not what have you been doing in the last 6 months - which could be asked too but have a different answer. Anyway, since your entry to US was after the application, it doesn't affect residence calculator - however you have to be prepared to answer your travel history regardless.
Bottom line, you may take as much documents as you want at the interview, however it is the Officer's discretion what to ask. They can always ask you for more documents by mail later if they are not satisfied with the interview. If you volunteer documents yourself at the interview, it could be good or bad.