Residency Calculator - Listing Absence from Canada

[plus]

Hi All,
Here is my situation -
Became PR: 1 Nov 2010
Moved to Canada: 1 Feb 2012
Eligible to apply: 1 Feb 2015

Now in the Residency calculator, I am asked to feed in absences within the 4 year period.
And I was working in my home country for the initial 1 out 4 years.
- and my questions are:

1. Residency calculator allows for max 400 characters for listing absences - How detailed should my explanation be to list my one year absence while working in my home country?
2. While working in my home country, I was self-employed and had consistent monthly invoices & payments. What is the best way to prove this such that it does raise doubts or flags?

Thanks
Plus

 

[Goldline]

Hi All,
Here is my situation -
Became PR: 1 Nov 2010
Moved to Canada: 1 Feb 2012
Eligible to apply: 1 Feb 2015

Now in the Residency calculator, I am asked to feed in absences within the 4 year period.
And I was working in my home country for the initial 1 out 4 years.
- and my questions are:

1. Residency calculator allows for max 400 characters for listing absences - How detailed should my explanation be to list my one year absence while working in my home country?
2. While working in my home country, I was self-employed and had consistent monthly invoices & payments. What is the best way to prove this such that it does raise doubts or flags?

Thanks
Plus

Just a question that comes to my mind... Did you file tax for the year and a half you worked in your country of origin? Did you declare your income?

 

[thecoolguysam]

Hi All,
Here is my situation -
Became PR: 1 Nov 2010
Moved to Canada: 1 Feb 2012
Eligible to apply: 1 Feb 2015

Now in the Residency calculator, I am asked to feed in absences within the 4 year period.
And I was working in my home country for the initial 1 out 4 years.
- and my questions are:

1. Residency calculator allows for max 400 characters for listing absences - How detailed should my explanation be to list my one year absence while working in my home country?
2. While working in my home country, I was self-employed and had consistent monthly invoices & payments. What is the best way to prove this such that it does raise doubts or flags?

Thanks
Plus

Try to be detailed till 400 characters only by stating that you were in your home country for such and such reason and doing this and also mention if you accompanied by your spouse etc.

If you have tax returns filed then you can use that to show your employment proof outside canada. However, work records, tax returns etc does not need to sent unless RQ is issued

 

[plus]

I was working in my country of origin - what else could I state besides this?
Yes I do have my tax returns and other information and my spouse was with me but can you guide me more on the reason I state in 400 characters?

Thanks
Plus

Try to be detailed till 400 characters only by stating that you were in your home country for such and such reason and doing this and also mention if you accompanied by your spouse etc.

If you have tax returns filed then you can use that to show your employment proof outside canada. However, work records, tax returns etc does not need to sent unless RQ is issued

 

[OrangeCup]

I was working in my country of origin - what else could I state besides this?
Yes I do have my tax returns and other information and my spouse was with me but can you guide me more on the reason I state in 400 characters?

Thanks
Plus

Plus,

What I've done in my application is I attached a separate sheet of paper explaining why I was absent/where/when/for what reasons etc. I then stapled it to the residency calculation print-out.

Hope it helps,

cheers

 

[thecoolguysam]

Plus,

What I've done in my application is I attached a separate sheet of paper explaining why I was absent/where/when/for what reasons etc. I then stapled it to the residency calculation print-out.

Hope it helps,

cheers

I second that opinion.

 

[laxmikanthms]

Tell them you became PR on so and so date and went back to your home country to windup your business or settle things there and then from 2012 you are here continuosly working and send the tax NOAs from 2012 to till date.

 

[plus]

yes Goldline,
I did declare my income in my country of origin.
Why? does it matter?

Thanks
Plus

Just a question that comes to my mind... Did you file tax for the year and a half you worked in your country of origin? Did you declare your income?

 

[dpenabill]

Hi All,
Here is my situation -
Became PR: 1 Nov 2010
Moved to Canada: 1 Feb 2012
Eligible to apply: 1 Feb 2015

Now in the Residency calculator, I am asked to feed in absences within the 4 year period.
And I was working in my home country for the initial 1 out 4 years.
- and my questions are:

1. Residency calculator allows for max 400 characters for listing absences - How detailed should my explanation be to list my one year absence while working in my home country?
2. While working in my home country, I was self-employed and had consistent monthly invoices & payments. What is the best way to prove this such that it does raise doubts or flags?

Thanks
Plus

To reiterate what I have said elsewhere (with the emphatic caveat that I am NO expert and I am not qualified to give personal advice), there is no need to go into a lot of detail in the reasons.

For the from - to column entry regarding 2010 to February 2012, it should suffice to simply state that you remained in your home country preparing for the move to Canada. In address history accurately list your addresses for that period (well, and for all four years actually), and for work history list yourself as self-employed for that period you were self-employed.

Last I looked at the application, you do not need to submit any proof of employment with it. If you are later asked to submit proof of employment, you could go light on proof of employment for periods you declare you were outside Canada since it is highly unlikely CIC is concerned about those time periods let alone in a posture to challenge you about it . . . CIC will focus far more on the proof of place of abode and employment in Canada for any time period you claim to have been in Canada.

I understand the desire to approach the application in a way that will avoid raising any flags. In some sense I did that. But overall this is generally like shooting at an unspecified target in the dark while you are blindfolded and wearing ear plugs after being spun around a few times.

What matters most are the basic facts. They either work for you or they do not. Follow the instructions. Be complete. Be accurate. Triple check everything, especially numbers and dates. That's what works best for those who are qualified.

By the way: the delayed return to Canada to actually settle in Canada is very, very common. There is nothing the least bit unusual about your timeline for actually settling in Canada. CIC sees that pattern a lot, a real lot. The fact that you remained in your home country working for a year or so after becoming a PR should not raise any concerns in itself.

 

[applicant314]

there is no need to go into a lot of detail in the reasons.

This is true. However, it doesn't hurt, either. (As long as it's straight to the point, of course).
I included significantly more information in letter form, than the application asked for in both my PR and my RQ. I found this very effective to illustrate my case, if it differed from the answers the forms were asking for. In both cases, my application was processed in less than 30% of the stated processing time.