Student/work permit since 2006 and applying citizenship

[sinpguy]

I landed in Canada as a student in 2006 sep. I become PR in Jan 20, 2012.. 2 years since I got PR... I will be eligible according to the calculator in Jan 20, 2014. But my 4 years starts in 2010 Jan in that case.. I just remembered that, in 2010 July and June 2011 May I travelled for a month to India.. So should I make up that 2 months.. The reason why I m asking is because it says we should make up 3 years in 4 years(even that 0.5 days) . I already made a lot of 0.5 days before that... but I might have missed couple of months in that 4 years by absence in Canada..
Or is that 4 year rule applies to only who came as a permanent resident straight, who need 3 out of 4 years and not for us who are here for years..

Another question,.. in my case do I have to give address and work history since 2006 or just 4 years? please advice?

 

[scylla]

If you became a PR in Jan 2012 and were away for a month each in 2010 and 2011 - then you won't qualify to apply for citizenship in January 2014 and will have to make up the time you were away before you apply.

The 3 years out of 4 year rule applies to everyone - including you. It doesn't matter that you have been here since 2006.

You have to give addresses for the last four years only.

 

[sinpguy]

Thanks for your reply.. But another question.. Would that make sense to have 2 years as PR + (2 years X 0.5 days in work permit) in last 4 years? That means guy has to be here in Canada for all those 4 years(without missing even a day unlike regular PR applicants.. Cos I went out for a month in 2010 and 2011..

Lets say I go with starting as 2010- 2013 as my 4 years - Then I am missing 2 months.. If I have to make up that 2 months I have to make that up in 4 plus years and not 4 years..

Lets say I go with 2011 as my 4 years and apply in 2015 and then still I am missing a month and still I have to make up that 1 month only after 4 plus years.. I would never be able to make up in 4 years..

So only way to make my 2 years PR + 0.5 days as a student/work (2 years) is to live here in Canada for 4 years without missing even one day.. In that I can apply only in 2014 Jan to make that 3 years in 4 years formula.. Does that make sense?

 

[sinpguy]

I think you know that we get half day before we live here as a permanent resident upto maximum of 1 year.. So if we live here for 2 years before PR that is taken as 1 year for citizenship.. If I live more than that is not considered for citizenship..

 

[scylla]

So only way to make my 2 years PR + 0.5 days as a student/work (2 years) is to live here in Canada for 4 years without missing even one day.. In that I can apply only in 2014 Jan to make that 3 years in 4 years formula.. Does that make sense?

Yes - that's 100% correct. To apply for citizenship in January 2014 - you would have had to have lived in Canada for the last four years without leaving for even one day. Since you left twice for a month, you do not qualify to apply.

To qualify to apply for citizenship, you must have 3 years of residency in Canada in the last four years. That's the rule. You cannot count more than four years of time. So in your case, let's say that you decide you want to try to apply in March 2014 - you will have to redo the residency calculation using the previous 4 years only (i.e. March 2010 to March 2014) to confirm if you now qualify to apply.

 

[scylla]

I think you know that we get half day before we live here as a permanent resident upto maximum of 1 year.. So if we live here for 2 years before PR that is taken as 1 year for citizenship.. If I live more than that is not considered for citizenship..

Yes - that's exactly how it works. And yes - everyone knows that days before you became a PR are only counted as half a day for citizenship purposes.

 

[sinpguy]

That's sounds like I should apply in 2015 jan then..

 

[suenim]

That's sounds like I should apply in 2015 jan then..

No. You don't have to wait another year. You will meet the residency requirements by March or April of this year if you don't leave Canada again before then.

 

[scylla]

No. You don't have to wait another year. You will meet the residency requirements by March or April of this year if you don't leave Canada again before then.

Agreed.

As I said before, you need to redo the residency calculation to determine when you qualify to apply. Use the CIC online calculator.

 

[sinpguy]

So according to you I should lie here as I came to Canada in 2010 January and not 2006

A *Enter the date when you first came to Canada to live (YYYY-MM-DD).

 

[scylla]

So according to you I should lie here as I came to Canada in 2010 January and not 2006

A *Enter the date when you first came to Canada to live (YYYY-MM-DD).

No - I didn't say that at all.

You should enter the 2006 date.

I am saying that only the last four years will be taken into consideration for your citizenship residency requirement. This has nothing to do with answering the above question. You need to answer all questions truthfully.

 

[sinpguy]

Cos when I say 2006 sep and fill up the other dates like day I was PR and Day I am going to apply, it tell me I am eligible now..
And now I called CIC and he said if online calculator says I am eligible, then I am go ahead..

Sorry I didn't mean u said to lie.. I used a wrong word..

 

[scylla]

Then you must have entered something incorrectly. Did you enter your two trips from 2011 and 2010?

 

[sinpguy]

where do I enter that? I don't see any option there.. I can see only 3 questions.. Do you know if there is an option for me to enter that info...

 

[scylla]

Yes - there's definitely an option to enter the dates you have been away. You can't calculate your residency requirement without this step. So this means you didn't go through the entire process. Likely what the calculator told is that you meet BASIC residency. This is not the same as physical residency. You need to enter your absences before you can find out if you qualify to apply for citizenship.