fishbone said:
Question 7 asks to list out all absences from Canada. Would it be OK if I just attach the output from my residence calculator instead of filling out each absence by hand? It is exactly the same information (I don't have any day trips to the US)
How to complete the CIT 0171 Residency Questionnaire depends, foremost, on the specific instructions in the version the applicant receives, including any additional instructions in a cover letter (if there is one), and beyond following those instructions, it is largely an individual decision based on personal circumstances.
Which is to say there is
NO one-rule-fits-all.
I doubt there would be a problem just because you attach the printout from the residency calculator and specifically reference that in the box for entering travel dates in the form itself. Such an approach would be responsive and constitute submission of the requested information.
That noted, RQ at this stage (based on your timeline, I am extrapolating that the RQ came after you attended the test and interview) indicates IRCC has identified a concern of some import (if not, IRCC has been using the CIT 0520 request rather than full blown RQ) and this means the burden of proof is squarely on you, and as a practical matter this means the burden of persuasion as well.
This is not akin to responding to a pre-test RQ, which was often issued based on a more or less technical matter. Your qualification for a grant of citizenship is challenged, requiring you to prove you met the residency requirement. You want to make your best impression, to submit a persuasive response, and not merely submit a response which just meets the technical requirements.
What makes a better impression? The form fully completed as instructed, or a previously completed residency calculation incorporated by reference? That, I think, is something you need to decide for yourself.
An additional observation: Many of the cases seen on appeal (in the past; going forward we will probably see far fewer published decisions in cases where applicants seek Federal Court review) reflect instances in which the applicant's initial residency declaration was inconsistent with the declaration submitted in response to RQ. Obviously, you want to avoid inconsistencies as much as possible. But
more importantly, you want the RQ submission to be as complete and accurate as possible, even if it results in some inconsistency with the original residency calculation.
The RQ submission is your opportunity to get it right, to be sure it is right.
