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Day trips to US and police certificates

2_of_5

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Aug 16, 2012
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Looking for opinions here: if someone lives in a border town and makes regular (one to three times a month) day trips to the US for shopping, visiting relatives or for a meeting in their company's US office for anywhere from three to eight hours at a time, do those trips count as days toward the requirement for getting a FBI clearance letter? Or do you count days absent from Canada as days in the US?
 

iboua001

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May 22, 2013
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Looking for opinions here: if someone lives in a border town and makes regular (one to three times a month) day trips to the US for shopping, visiting relatives or for a meeting in their company's US office for anywhere from three to eight hours at a time, do those trips count as days toward the requirement for getting a FBI clearance letter? Or do you count days absent from Canada as days in the US?
In my opinion I believe it counts as days in the USA. based on the below quote from CIC website
Within the last 4 years, if you spent 183 days or more in another country (other than Canada), you must provide a police certificate. You must provide a police certificate for each country where you spent 183 days or more. If you cannot get a police certificate, tell us why.
Example 2
In the past 4 years, you took 10 trips to the United States of America (USA). Each trip lasted 3 weeks, for a total of 210 days. You would answer “Yes” to the question and you would need to provide a police certificate from the USA.
 

abdoulome

Full Member
Jan 9, 2014
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Hey ,
In my opinion I believe it counts as days in the USA. based on the below quote from CIC website
Within the last 4 years, if you spent 183 days or more in another country (other than Canada), you must provide a police certificate. You must provide a police certificate for each country where you spent 183 days or more. If you cannot get a police certificate, tell us why.
Example 2
In the past 4 years, you took 10 trips to the United States of America (USA). Each trip lasted 3 weeks, for a total of 210 days. You would answer “Yes” to the question and you would need to provide a police certificate from the USA.
Hey,
for your above post...I am not sure how their examples apply. I have moved to Canada as a PR on July 9th 2014. my trips outside of Canada never went more than 2 weeks within my 3 years in Canada. do u think I would require a new fbi check knowing I had already submitted one from the states ?
 

uncomfortable

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May 11, 2017
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I have posted a similar question in the past. The documentation is not very clear as to how the days of presence in a foreign country are calculated.
Considering that when calculating the physical presence in Canada an individual is considered present in Canada if they spent at least part of a given day in Canada, then if we apply the same principle we would need to conclude that whenever you have spent any part of a day in a foreign country (in this case the US), that day will need to be counted as a day when you were present in that foreign country.
 

hfinkel

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Feb 23, 2012
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Looking for opinions here: if someone lives in a border town and makes regular (one to three times a month) day trips to the US for shopping, visiting relatives or for a meeting in their company's US office for anywhere from three to eight hours at a time, do those trips count as days toward the requirement for getting a FBI clearance letter? Or do you count days absent from Canada as days in the US?
I called the IRCC about this yesterday as I have been commuting daily cross-border for work as a temp. Their answer was if you don't stay down there overnight, then the day does not count toward the 183 day criteria for a police certificate. I was relieved.
 

uncomfortable

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May 11, 2017
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I called the IRCC about this yesterday as I have been commuting daily cross-border for work as a temp. Their answer was if you don't stay down there overnight, then the day does not count toward the 183 day criteria for a police certificate. I was relieved.
That's good to hear, but I'd love to have that in writing...
 

punk

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Feb 15, 2010
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I called the IRCC about this yesterday as I have been commuting daily cross-border for work as a temp. Their answer was if you don't stay down there overnight, then the day does not count toward the 183 day criteria for a police certificate. I was relieved.
I won't take risk with that so better to be on safe side
 

hfinkel

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Feb 23, 2012
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That's good to hear, but I'd love to have that in writing...
I'll be sure to post in sackcloth and ashes if they contact me requiring the US certificate, in the event it happens. I don't expect this will happen.

I missed requiring one from Europe by only 3 days due to business travel. :)