Schedule A Background Declaration - gaps in employment

[goldfinger]

Hello,

my wife has worked off and on throughout the past few years, but has attended university the entire time. In situations where she is unemployed, would I put unemployed, or would I list that she was engaged in educational activity?

How specific do I need to be? If she was unemployed and on a summer break while enrolled in a semester for the fall, would I need to break that out?

Let me know. Thanks!

 

[thevisawhisperer]

If your wife was pursuing a degree and worked part time during the school year or full time during regularly scheduled breaks you could cover the entire period as post-secondary (or post graduate) study.

 

[goldfinger]

If your wife was pursuing a degree and worked part time during the school year or full time during regularly scheduled breaks you could cover the entire period as post-secondary (or post graduate) study.

For real? We went to heroic lengths to track down her employment history. We don't have to include any of that while she was at school?

 

[thevisawhisperer]

Well, you wouldn't want to waste that heroic effort so put in everything.

 

[goldfinger]

Well, you wouldn't want to waste that heroic effort so put in everything.

Hahah well it doesn't bother me to leave it out. I mainly want to do this right.

Based on what you're saying, I'll leave any employment gaps as educational activity I suppose. The form itself says "Under 'activity type,' write your occupation or job title if you were working. If you were not working, provide information on what you were doing (for example: unemployed, studying...). That ordering says to me that work takes priority and that other activities are secondary.

Thoughts?

 

[thevisawhisperer]

My thoughts are based on the purpose of the question and your tolerance for ambiguity. Does IRCC really want to know what every applicant was doing every minute of every day leading to the application? I think not. But if the thought that they actually might keeps you up at night, put in everything.

 

[goldfinger]

My thoughts are based on the purpose of the question and your tolerance for ambiguity. Does IRCC really want to know what every applicant was doing every minute of every day leading to the application? I think not. But if the thought that they actually might keeps you up at night, put in everything.

I am *highly* intolerant of ambiguity, and I generally want to follow instructions very specifically. I wouldn't ever want to misrepresent anything on these forms.

I appreciate your input though! I get the feeling that I should chill out a bit on this.

 

[thevisawhisperer]

You'll have to live with your decision for at least the next year so please do whatever will keep you comfortable throughout.
My parting gift is an example of how to fill out the form from the Complete Guide (IMM 5289)

014-02

2015-04

Unemployed

unemployed

Beijing, China

Citizen

2009-01	2014-01	Educational Activity	student	Toronto, Canada	Study visa	University of Toronto
2007-11	2008-12	Unemployed	vacation	Toronto, Canada	Visitor visa

Do you believe that the applicant did nothing but study between 2009 and 2014?
Back over to you.

 

[goldfinger]

You'll have to live with your decision for at least the next year so please do whatever will keep you comfortable throughout.
My parting gift is an example of how to fill out the form from the Complete Guide (IMM 5289)

014-02

2015-04

Unemployed

unemployed

Beijing, China

Citizen

2009-01	2014-01	Educational Activity	student	Toronto, Canada	Study visa	University of Toronto
2007-11	2008-12	Unemployed	vacation	Toronto, Canada	Visitor visa

Do you believe that the applicant did nothing but study between 2009 and 2014?
Back over to you.

Heck, I don't know. I assumed that was a sample. I appreciate the information, though!

 

[goldfinger]

My thoughts are based on the purpose of the question and your tolerance for ambiguity. Does IRCC really want to know what every applicant was doing every minute of every day leading to the application? I think not. But if the thought that they actually might keeps you up at night, put in everything.

I missed this - what is the purpose of the question?

 

[thevisawhisperer]

It's the background check form. They want to know if you were doing anything worthy of further scrutiny.