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Сitizenship application - Police Certificate Requirement

Kane89

Full Member
Dec 13, 2015
36
11
Hi all,

I will be applying soon for citizenship and would be thankful if someone could clarify whether I need to provide a police certificate along with my application.

My presence in the past 4 years:
  • 2016/02-2016/09 (230 days) – Russia (time spent in my country of origin prior to becoming PR)
  • 2016/09-2018/07 – Canada
  • 2018/07-2018/10 (107 days) – Russia (returned to the country of origin for vacation)
  • 2018/10 - present – Canada
I know that the note after question 10b states that I don’t need to provide a police certificate if I was in my country of origin immediately prior to becoming a permanent resident (I did submit one when I applied for PR), but I am not sure whether the following trip to my country of origin in 2018 for 107 days changes the situation.

Could anyone please advise?
 
Last edited:

jc94

Hero Member
Mar 14, 2016
830
163
Hi all,

I will be applying soon for citizenship and would be thankful if someone could clarify whether I need to provide a police certificate along with my application.

My presence in the past 4 years:
  • 2016/02-2016/09 (230 days) – Russia (time spent in my country of origin prior to becoming PR)
  • 2016/09-2018/07 – Canada
  • 2018/07-2018/10 (107 days) – Russia (returned to the country of origin for vacation)
  • 2018/10-2020/20 – Canada
I know that the note after question 10b states that I don’t need to provide a police certificate if I was in my country of origin immediately prior to becoming a permanent resident (I did submit one when I applied for PR), but I am not sure whether the following trip to my country of origin in 2018 for 107 days changes the situation.

Could anyone please advise?
No,183 days in a row is the current trigger.

That said, you are going to be entering your entire last 5 years in your application (regardless of how long you've been a PR for) and at 107 days in the last four years they may request one. But there is NO point in getting and including one however (giving bureaucracy extra stuff is not generally advisable) but if it's cheap and time consuming you may consider requesting one ahead of time.

If it's easy to get quickly (unlike say the US one that can take 3-4 months but is cheap) or costly but quick (like the UK one), wait until they request one, which they may, or may not do.

I find your dates off, did you mean 2020/02 as in Feb '20 for your return? Just remember you need to meet PR requirements 730 days in 5 years and Citizenship requirements 1095 days.
 
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canvisa13

Hero Member
Nov 21, 2019
504
200
Hi all,

I will be applying soon for citizenship and would be thankful if someone could clarify whether I need to provide a police certificate along with my application.

My presence in the past 4 years:
  • 2016/02-2016/09 (230 days) – Russia (time spent in my country of origin prior to becoming PR)
  • 2016/09-2018/07 – Canada
  • 2018/07-2018/10 (107 days) – Russia (returned to the country of origin for vacation)
  • 2018/10 - present – Canada
I know that the note after question 10b states that I don’t need to provide a police certificate if I was in my country of origin immediately prior to becoming a permanent resident (I did submit one when I applied for PR), but I am not sure whether the following trip to my country of origin in 2018 for 107 days changes the situation.

Could anyone please advise?
If you did soft landing before 2016/02 and returned back to origin of country and stayed outside of Canada for 230 days, then you have to get a PCC.
 
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Kane89

Full Member
Dec 13, 2015
36
11
Thanks, jc94.

I am in Canada at the moment and have already accumulated more than 1095 days of physical presence in the country.

I was just not sure whether the rule “a police certificate is not required if you were in your country of origin immediately prior to becoming a permanent resident and landing in Canada” still applies if you visited your country of origin after becoming PR (for less than 183 days in a row).

Also, from Example 1: “You lived in France for one year (365 days) before you became a permanent resident 3 years ago. You did not travel to France after you became a permanent resident. You would answer “Yes” to the question and you would need to provide a police certificate from France if you did not provide one with your immigration application. If you provided a police certificate from France with your immigration application, tell us this in the box provided at Question 10b.”

Would the person need to provide a police certificate from France if he/she visited France, let’s say, for 10 days after becoming PR 3 years ago?
 

Kane89

Full Member
Dec 13, 2015
36
11
If you did soft landing before 2016/02 and returned back to origin of country and stayed outside of Canada for 230 days, then you have to get a PCC.
No, I did my soft landing in September 2016. Thus, these 230 days outside of Canada were before I obtained my PR status.
 

canvisa13

Hero Member
Nov 21, 2019
504
200
No, I did my soft landing in September 2016. Thus, these 230 days outside of Canada were before I obtained my PR status.
So, just to make sure, you were outside of Canada for 107 days after landing, in that case, afaik you don't need to submit PCC as the duration is less than 183 days. Let's see what senior members say about it.
 
Last edited:

canvisa13

Hero Member
Nov 21, 2019
504
200
No,183 days in a row is the current trigger.

If it's easy to get quickly (unlike say the US one that can take 3-4 months but is cheap) or costly but quick (like the UK one), wait until they request one, which they may, or may not do.

.

Just a quick clarification. The US PCC takes around 1 or 2 days (from the day they receive the prints) now due to their online application process.
 

jc94

Hero Member
Mar 14, 2016
830
163
Thanks, jc94.

I am in Canada at the moment and have already accumulated more than 1095 days of physical presence in the country.

I was just not sure whether the rule “a police certificate is not required if you were in your country of origin immediately prior to becoming a permanent resident and landing in Canada” still applies if you visited your country of origin after becoming PR (for less than 183 days in a row).
Well the rule is that you don't need one. I don't know why this wouldn't apply, you weren't in any country for >= 183 days so technically don't need the certificate. However due to the length of time you may get one. 107 is after all about 3.5 months, and only 14 months or so ago the trigger was 183 days total - not in a row.

Also, from Example 1: “You lived in France for one year (365 days) before you became a permanent resident 3 years ago. You did not travel to France after you became a permanent resident. You would answer “Yes” to the question and you would need to provide a police certificate from France if you did not provide one with your immigration application. If you provided a police certificate from France with your immigration application, tell us this in the box provided at Question 10b.”

Would the person need to provide a police certificate from France if he/she visited France, let’s say, for 10 days after becoming PR 3 years ago?
You are answering Yes here because in the last four years you spent 1 year in France. 1 year exceeds 183 days so yes that would be required, unless you had provided one already - which you have with your PR application.

Just a quick clarification. The US PCC takes around 1 or 2 days (from the day they receive the prints) now due to their online application process.
Good to know thanks!
 

congp

Full Member
Oct 19, 2016
24
5
No, I did my soft landing in September 2016. Thus, these 230 days outside of Canada were before I obtained my PR status.
Hello! Did you end up submitting a police certificate? I'm in the exact same situation at you and I'm wondering if I would need to submit a police certificate with my application.