will my vacations impact my citizenship application

[catwomancat]

Hi everyone,

Need your expertise here please

my husband, my child and I are PR holders. I live with my child here in Canada as PR holder but my husband lives abroad because of job commitments. So I have traveled a lot abroad to where my husband works so that we can spend time together, and we are planning to spend about 2 months every year with him abroad- basically because his job does not allow him enough time to come visit us frequently.

Do you think this will impact my application when I apply for Canadian citizenship for myself and for my child? I know it is a little unpredictable how the officers will react but what are your insights on this?

Thank you so much.

 

[applicant314]

As long as you qualify for citizenship and maintain your PR status, the result of your application won't be impacted by your travels or your husband living abroad. However, the road there might be rocky. I had several months of absences and received a Residence Questionnaire. Since you have travelled a lot, it's worth preparing extra documents such as travel records and other things. An idea of what you might be asked to provide is outlined in CIT0171 (google it). However, nothing of this is required at this point in time.

Good luck!

 

[catwomancat]

As long as you qualify for citizenship and maintain your PR status, the result of your application won't be impacted by your travels or your husband living abroad. However, the road there might be rocky. I had several months of absences and received a Residence Questionnaire. Since you have travelled a lot, it's worth preparing extra documents such as travel records and other things. An idea of what you might be asked to provide is outlined in CIT0171 (google it). However, nothing of this is required at this point in time.

Good luck!

Thank you dear, I am keeping my boarding passes and I hope this helps

 

[keesio]

Hi everyone,

Need your expertise here please

my husband, my child and I are PR holders. I live with my child here in Canada as PR holder but my husband lives abroad because of job commitments. So I have traveled a lot abroad to where my husband works so that we can spend time together, and we are planning to spend about 2 months every year with him abroad- basically because his job does not allow him enough time to come visit us frequently.

Do you think this will impact my application when I apply for Canadian citizenship for myself and for my child? I know it is a little unpredictable how the officers will react but what are your insights on this?

Thank you so much.

Is your husband the main income earner of the family? Basically, do you work? I ask because unfortunately one of the main triggers of an RQ is being unemployed and having a lot of travel outside the country. And if the reason of that travel is to be with your husband, who lives abroad, then the chances of an RQ being triggered is pretty high.

 

[catwomancat]

Is your husband the main income earner of the family? Basically, do you work? I ask because unfortunately one of the main triggers of an RQ is being unemployed and having a lot of travel outside the country. And if the reason of that travel is to be with your husband, who lives abroad, then the chances of an RQ being triggered is pretty high.

Hi Kessio,

Yes my husband is the main income earner, I am currently not working. I might in the future but I am trying to get to college. Does that mean I should expect RO?

Thanks

 

[goodman36]

Hi everyone,

Need your expertise here please

my husband, my child and I are PR holders. I live with my child here in Canada as PR holder but my husband lives abroad because of job commitments. So I have traveled a lot abroad to where my husband works so that we can spend time together, and we are planning to spend about 2 months every year with him abroad- basically because his job does not allow him enough time to come visit us frequently.

Do you think this will impact my application when I apply for Canadian citizenship for myself and for my child? I know it is a little unpredictable how the officers will react but what are your insights on this?

Thank you so much.

As vacations impact the number of days you are physically present in Canada, it does impact when you can apply for Citizenship. Under current law, you need 3 years of physical presence within the last 4 years. However, this may change as there is a new system that is most likely be implemented next year whereby you will need to stay 4 years within the last 6 years period. As long as you meet the physical presence requirement and have all evidence to prove that and also you don't commit any crime - Citizenship will be granted sooner or later.

Your husband should also keep note that, he will need to maintain the PR status by physically present in Canada for 2 years within last 5 years (under current system).

 

[keesio]

Hi Kessio,

Yes my husband is the main income earner, I am currently not working. I might in the future but I am trying to get to college. Does that mean I should expect RO?

Thanks

Unfortunately it seems like you have a good chance of getting an RQ. The (relatively) good news is that they are trying to streamline the RQ process to make it quicker. But you will certainly be in a slower timeline than the standard application. But as long as you keep proof of your time in Canada, you should eventually get it. You will just have to be patient. One thing that will help is that you have a child. I assume he is in school? If so, keep records of that. A child in school here is a very strong tie to Canada and easy to prove.

 

[eileenf]

Yes my husband is the main income earner, I am currently not working. I might in the future but I am trying to get to college. Does that mean I should expect RQ?

I don't agree with Keesio.

1. The CIC does not view homemakers, stay at home parents, retirees or students as unemployed. (Check pages 4, 9, 14 and 18 of this ATIP: residencequestionnaire.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/cic_rq_triage_interpretations_2012.pdf)

Also:
2. I do not believe A5 (unemployment or contract/freelance work at any point during residency period + any travel) is a current RQ trigger. While no one has been able to find the text of the new (OB 407D) RQ triggers (the CIC guards these and exempts them from ATIP as "active investigatory tools") a large number of pretest RQ recipients who got RQ because of A5 have seen their RQs retriaged and found that their cases no longer meet the revised qualifications for RQ. And their cases are moving forward or have moved forward (including your truly).

In any case, none of us can say for sure whether you will or won't get the RQ. It's good to be on the safe side though and keep any and all documentation of your travels as well as any documentation of your residence (rent receipts, utility bills, traffic tickets, school attendance records, daycare attendance records, etc. etc.) Now is not the moment to clear out your files.

Good luck.

 

[keesio]

CIC can state whatever they wish publicly, but going from the stories of people on this forum, it appears that unempolyment or self-employment with lots of travel abroad is a big RQ trigger.... at least it has been in the past. If they have changed this, then that is good but I not sure what is going on these days (sounds like you are more in tune with recent changes).

Technically all you need is 1095 days in 4 years to apply, according to CIC. But we all know it is not that simple and they have their own criteria on which applications they wish to delay to scrutinize further.

 

[eileenf]

Yes it was an RQ trigger in the past.

I got an RQ in 2012 because of A5. (My files show me as "une vraie A5".)
In Nov. 2013 my file was "retriaged" to check if it still qualified for RQ under the new criteria.
It did not.

 

[catwomancat]

Your husband should also keep note that, he will need to maintain the PR status by physically present in Canada for 2 years within last 5 years (under current system).


[/quote]

Thank you dear, yes we think that my husband may lose his PR status unfortunately.

 

[catwomancat]

Thank you guys. yes my child is in school. I will try to keep all relevant documents and hope for the best.