Question regarding physical presence

[Tanabannana87]

I apologize in advance if this question has already been answered.

We have been in Canada since 2016 and now meet the citizenship requirements by far. There are 5 of us, and 4 of us frequent to the USA for day trips at least weekly. When I have opened the citizenship application, it requires me to list all dates I have been out of Canada. I then went to the CBSA website to get my dates and it states: “If you are applying for Canadian Citizenship, you do not need to request your Traveller History Report from the CBSA. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) can collect the report on your behalf when needed since consent to share information about the entry/exit information is no longer required.”

My question is: do I need to manually enter all the dates I left Canada for the day on my citizenship application? If not, how do I get around the physical presence calculator requirement of the application?

 

[scylla]

I apologize in advance if this question has already been answered.

We have been in Canada since 2016 and now meet the citizenship requirements by far. There are 5 of us, and 4 of us frequent to the USA for day trips at least weekly. When I have opened the citizenship application, it requires me to list all dates I have been out of Canada. I then went to the CBSA website to get my dates and it states: “If you are applying for Canadian Citizenship, you do not need to request your Traveller History Report from the CBSA. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) can collect the report on your behalf when needed since consent to share information about the entry/exit information is no longer required.”

My question is: do I need to manually enter all the dates I left Canada for the day on my citizenship application? If not, how do I get around the physical presence calculator requirement of the application?

Yes, you need to manually enter all of your exits and entries.

 

[Seym]

You can also get your i94 report if you're not a US citizen.

 

[Tanabannana87]

Yes, you need to manually enter all of your exits and entries.

then why does the CBSA website say you don’t? I’m so confused. I am a US citizen and I have my travel records from CBSA.

 

[steaky]

then why does the CBSA website say you don’t? I’m so confused. I am a US citizen and I have my travel records from CBSA.

Because they assume you will do your own recording.

 

[Tanabannana87]

Because they assume you will do your own recording.

Sure but the website says CRC will collect the info if you consent. So why do I need to do both?

 

[steaky]

Sure but the website says CRC will collect the info if you consent. So why do I need to do both?

They might want to cross examination and compare both

 

[Ponga]

then why does the CBSA website say you don’t? I’m so confused. I am a US citizen and I have my travel records from CBSA.

Because you have to populate the fields to show the dates that you travelled from/to Canada before submitting the application. IRCC can cross check your dates with those that CBSA has, but...are you aware that your U.S exit data from CBSA may not be totally accurate? Many assume that CBSA must have accurate data for all entry/exit data for all who enter Canada. A U.S. citizen may be the exception to that assumption, although the Beyond the Border initiative between Canada and the U.S. was to [eventually] address and fix that.

https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/agency-agence/reports-rapports/pia-efvp/atip-aiprp/eei-ies-eng.html

An Act to Amend the Customs Act, which received Royal Assent on December 13, 2018, establishes new authorities for the CBSA to collect basic information on all persons leaving Canada. Canada will implement the expansion of the Entry/Exit Initiative to include the exchange of Biographic Entry Data on all travellers who enter either country via a land port of entry, including Canadian citizens, Registered Indians of Canada and U.S. citizens. Canada will also fulfill its commitment to develop a system to collect Biographic Air Exit Data on all travellers departing Canada directly from air carriers, similar to U.S. processes and systems already in place. These initiatives will be implemented once legislative and regulatory amendments are in force.

No idea if it is fully implemented yet, or if that is still in the "will implement" stage.

 

[Mitya-kun]

I apologize in advance if this question has already been answered.

We have been in Canada since 2016 and now meet the citizenship requirements by far. There are 5 of us, and 4 of us frequent to the USA for day trips at least weekly. When I have opened the citizenship application, it requires me to list all dates I have been out of Canada. I then went to the CBSA website to get my dates and it states: “If you are applying for Canadian Citizenship, you do not need to request your Traveller History Report from the CBSA. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) can collect the report on your behalf when needed since consent to share information about the entry/exit information is no longer required.”

My question is: do I need to manually enter all the dates I left Canada for the day on my citizenship application? If not, how do I get around the physical presence calculator requirement of the application?

CBSA website merely states that you do not need to request your Traveller History Report for the citizenship application. That is, that report is not required to apply for citizenship. However, you are still REQUIRED to enter all your travel dates to the Physical Presence Calculator as a part of your citizenship application. It's two completely different subjects.