Overall: It is not as if the sooner a person applies the sooner they will actually become a citizen. Does not work that way. Processing times vary greatly. Rushing the application can often result in the process taking longer, sometimes a lot longer. Especially for those who
cut-it-close in meeting the minimum physical presence requirements. As for links showing this: look at the dozens upon dozens of posts in topics here by individuals bogged down, sometimes for years, in non-routine processing.
dell said:
I have a question and am not sure if I can get an answer here. I will be eligible for citizenship at the end of next month, and I was planning on applying for citizenship and leaving immediately to visit family for 3 weeks. Is there a rule that states I have to be present inside the country when they receive the application or when I mail the application as long as I satisfy the residency requirement. I just have to take my annual leave at work before the end of the calendar year so that is why I am asking and also trying to put my application in as soon as I am eligible.
Other question is can I mail in the application from outside of Canada? Thanks to all who respond.
Technically there is nothing problematic about
temporarily leaving Canada soon (even real soon) after applying. And indeed, generally a short trip abroad after applying should not cause problems.
Re timing the application:
Practically, for most PRs (with some exceptions), applying as soon as one is eligible would be so foolish as to be, well, stupid. Really.
The serious question is not about whether one should apply with a margin or not, but rather the question to ask is
how much of a margin? The answer to this question varies a great deal from one person to another, relative to many, many diverse factors. I had good reason for waiting beyond a year (almost two years) before applying. For many, waiting a number of weeks makes sense. Those who rush the application, at the least, very much risk delays in processing due to non-routine inquiries and requests for proof.
There is no generic guideline for how long to wait before applying. And it is not necessarily true that the longer the better. This really is an individual decision best made based on the facts and circumstances and history of the individual himself or herself. Waiting an extra five or six weeks should not be a problem for most, and is probably enough, and thus in general terms a margin of five weeks or more is probably a fair
rule of thumb. But, again, it very much depends on the specifics applicable for the particular individual applying.
Making application while abroad:
As for mailing the application while you are abroad, on holiday or otherwise, no.
Make that
NO!
Apply before leaving if you meet the qualifications and otherwise conclude the timing is right. Or wait to apply after returning to Canada.
Think about it. There is no scenario in which you would meet the minimum presence requirements while you are abroad unless you met the requirements
before going abroad. There is no scenario in which the days abroad would add to your physical presence. There is nothing to gain by applying after leaving while still abroad.
And no link is necessary to see what should be obvious: mailing a citizenship application from abroad will almost certainly invite IRCC to make inquiries, to make the process non-routine. There is no guaranteed way to avoid having a non-routine application. But it would be foolish to approach making the application in a way which will most likely cause it to be non-routine. Mailing the application from abroad is not a good idea. In fact, it is a very bad idea (note that CIC in the past, and it is likely IRCC still, would look for things like photos that were taken abroad, as constituting a reason to question residency -- not the way to go if it can be avoided).
Occasionally some prospective applicants have asked about completing the application for a certain date and leaving it with someone to mail to IRCC on that date, while the applicant is abroad. This makes no sense. Post-dating the application is prohibited. The application must disclose the trip abroad. If the application is dated a date the applicant is abroad, that alone is likely to raise big red flags, especially since on its face it suggests misrepresentation (at the least as to the date the application is signed).
A person might complete and sign the application, as of a specific date, and not get it in the mail right away. That is not a problem unless the delay in mailing makes the application stale. So, sure, a person could complete and date the application, dating it as of the date they are in fact signing it, and leave it for someone else to put in the mail.
While generally there is little or no reason to pre-date the application, doing this would ordinarily not be problematic either, again unless the lapse in time renders the application stale. While technically the signature date is not the date the person is actually signing it, as a practical matter signing and dating the application as of a week or three weeks earlier is not likely to invite concern or questions, so long as the applicant is indeed affirming the truthfulness of the information in the application as of that date, and the delay in submitting the application is not unusually long.
But it is impossible to legitimately sign and date the application any date later than the date it is actually completed and signed . . . the applicant's signature affirms the truth of the information as of the date it is dated, including the fact that it is being signed the date it purports it is signed, and it is simply a misrepresentation to affirm information which has not even happened yet, no matter how certain one is that is what will happen.
Sure, in the business and personal world, post-dating a signature is fairly common. But in that context the signature does not constitute an affirmation, as if under oath, of certain facts as of the date of the signature.
Either:
-- Mail and submit the application before going abroad if you are qualified before leaving and are comfortable with the timing (including having enough of a margin), or
-- Wait to apply after returning to Canada
screech339 said:
You have to submit your application in canada before you leave canada for vacation.
Not true. It is not necessary to apply before leaving. Of course the OP can choose to submit the application
after returning to Canada. And rather than cut it close, applying after returning to Canada would be the better approach. By far.
