can one leave Canada after applying for citizenship

[mrnice]

Hi Guys
im new to the forum but have been reading a lot of informative posts...im sure this Q has been asked and discussed over and over again...but i have been getting mixed information from various blogs so lets try this once again
i am going to discuss my case

My 1095 days are going to be complete in june 2012 and i will apply for the citizenship
also i recently renewed my PR card and that is good till 2017
i want to leave Canada while my citizenship is in process, the reason for leaving is to be with my elderly parents, also while i am abroad i am planning on working temporarily there, specifically Middle East.
i will have my address in canada and my room mate will check my mail and in particular any correspondence from the CIC and will promptly notify me
i do understand that i would have to come back on short notices every time CIC requires me to show up for processing.
i also understand that it would be costly to do so and i am ok with that
but since this is 2012 and the laws change all the time, i wanted all of your opinion that is this something i can pursue and still get my citizenship? has any one hear done a similar thing? and if yes did they have any problems?
P.S Mr. Leon your intake on this will be really appreciated as i have read lot for your posts and i believe you have sound knowledge on most citizenship and immigration laws.
if there are any attorneys in this forum and would like to clear this up for me kindly advise
regards

 

[Leon]

You should be in Canada when you apply for citizenship but there are currently no rules stating that you can not leave after you have applied. I do not foresee any changes in that. After all, Canada is not a prison. Even PR's are free to leave for up to 3 years at a time without losing their status.

 

[mrnice]

thx Leon
i do know that i can be out of Canada for up to 3 years period out of 5 years without loosing my status
my main Q was that when i am out of Canada and am working overseas will that affect my citizenship application processing while im abroad or will it trigger RQ even though i had met the residency requirement to apply for citizenship to begin with?

 

[Leon]

thx Leon
i do know that i can be out of Canada for up to 3 years period out of 5 years without loosing my status
my main Q was that when i am out of Canada and am working overseas will that affect my citizenship application processing while im abroad or will it trigger RQ even though i had met the residency requirement to apply for citizenship to begin with?

As far as I know, it will not affect your processing or trigger an RQ. In any case, you will be keeping an address in Canada and they most likely won't even know you are gone.

 

[mrnice]

nice
one more thing dont they check ones passport for recent travels?
i may be gettin paranoid over this issue and may be reading too much onto it but then again i want to make sure all of my ducks are in a row before i consider going overseas to work

 

[Leon]

nice
one more thing dont they check ones passport for recent travels?
i may be gettin paranoid over this issue and may be reading too much onto it but then again i want to make sure all of my ducks are in a row before i consider going overseas to work

When you are called for the exam and they look at your passport and see some stamps, they might ask if you have travelled but you can say yes, absolutely and they will not do anything about it because there is no rule that says you must stay in Canada after you have applied for citizenship as long as you met the requirements when you applied. Even if they then decide to call you for RQ, what are you going to do about it? You can not erase the stamps from your passport. Are you applying with exactly 1095 days to the day or more?

 

[Alabaman]

This is my take on this from reading posts on this forum. Too many stamps on your passport has the potential of triggering an RQ. On that premise, there is an even higher potential of an RQ if you are leaving abroad when you take your exam. Now the decision to give an RQ of course is subjective. If you are examined by someone that is overly suspicious and perhaps lazy, the easiest thing (if he finds out you are living outside) is to give you an RQ. It also seems some CIC offices have a reputation for acting this way.

If I were in your shoes, and I know I truly meet residency obligations, I wouldnt worry about an RQ. I will go prepared to defend my time spent in Canada and if at the end of the day I still get an RQ so be it. In the long run, you will eventually get your citizenship only that it would take longer.

 

[mrnice]

thx Leon and Alabaman
Leon : my 1095 days will be up on May 20th 2012, but i am dropping my app on june 1st with 12 days over my 1095

Alabaman: i totally understand that there is no hard and fast rule on getting an RQ i am just gathering all the facts before o take this step as i want to procede with my carrer and after looking for jobs in Canada for 4 years without any success i have come to terms that i can earn money somewhere else and build my home in Canada.

i like both of you gentleman's answers....so i am now a bit at peace with my decision to go ahead and pursue the opportunities overseas
i will be leaving before my exam and when the call for exam comes my roommate will notify me immediately and will come back here

 

[ksshokry]

thx Leon and Alabaman
Leon : my 1095 days will be up on May 20th 2012, but i am dropping my app on june 1st with 12 days over my 1095

Alabaman: i totally understand that there is no hard and fast rule on getting an RQ i am just gathering all the facts before o take this step as i want to procede with my carrer and after looking for jobs in Canada for 4 years without any success i have come to terms that i can earn money somewhere else and build my home in Canada.

i like both of you gentleman's answers....so i am now a bit at peace with my decision to go ahead and pursue the opportunities overseas
i will be leaving before my exam and when the call for exam comes my roommate will notify me immediately and will come back here

hi mrnice, I'm more or less in the same boat as you, and wondering what happened with your citizenship application? I hope it went through with no hassle. Appreciate your feedback. Thanks

 

[mrnice]

I never left the country
ditched the idea as i love Canada too much 8)
my citizenship appl is still in process applied back in 2012 and still no answer
but hopefully it will come thru