"Are you a Canadian citizen living exclusively outside Canada?" (form IMM1344)

[Qifulife]

On form IMM1344 regarding Sponsor residency declaration and Sponsor eligibility assessment, I am asked:
"Are you a Canadian citizen living exclusively outside Canada?"
and "Do you reside in Canada and in no other country?"

I am currently living with my Chinese wife in China and am confused if that means I am living "exclusively" outside of Canada?
"Exclusively" means "only" to me. But I have only been outside of Canada for 2 years.
I am under a visitor visa in China and am not a official resident.
I am not sure what answers to give to these 2 questions.
There is a mention of consulting some guide, but I cannot find one that deals directly about this on CICs website...
What have any of you answered on this?
I don't want to create a delay due to answering incorrectly!
Thanks in advance

 

[Gary_87]

On form IMM1344 regarding Sponsor residency declaration and Sponsor eligibility assessment, I am asked:
"Are you a Canadian citizen living exclusively outside Canada?"
and "Do you reside in Canada and in no other country?"

I am currently living with my Chinese wife in China and am confused if that means I am living "exclusively" outside of Canada?
"Exclusively" means "only" to me. But I have only been outside of Canada for 2 years.
I am under a visitor visa in China and am not a official resident.
I am not sure what answers to give to these 2 questions.
There is a mention of consulting some guide, but I cannot find one that deals directly about this on CICs website...
What have any of you answered on this?
I don't want to create a delay due to answering incorrectly!
Thanks in advance

The answer to this is yes.

You dont have a home or job in canada. Therefore youre exclusively outside.

You will need to prove in your application your intention to return to canada once pr is granted.

 

[Qifulife]

Well I do have a house in Canada currently rented and I am a partner in a Canadian located business that I receive payments from.
Would this change my "exclusively outside of Canada" status?
Thanks for your inputs

 

[canuck_in_uk]

You live in China, so yes, you live outside of Canada.

 

[Liiaa]

Well I do have a house in Canada currently rented and I am a partner in a Canadian located business that I receive payments from.
Would this change my "exclusively outside of Canada" status?
Thanks for your inputs

It does not matter if you have a house rented in Canada. If you are LIVING outside of Canada then this applies to you. Does not mean you can't sponsor your wife, Just means you have to proof to Immigration your intentions are to go back to Canada once your spouse is granted PR status.

 

[Qifulife]

Thanks for weighing in.
It was just the "exclusively" part of the "living exclusively outside Canada" that got me.
Like I never lived in Canada in the past or something, or don't come back sometimes...
Guess its not to do with that, eh

 

[canadianwoman]

That 'exclusively' does not mean ever since you were born. It also does not matter what kind of visa, if any, you are on in another country. If objectively speaking, you are living in another country, then say so.

Since you have been living in China for two years, you are living outside of Canada for the purposes of the forms. Even if you tried to say that because you have a house and business in Canada, you are not residing exclusively outside Canada, the visa officer would not accept this. He or she would see that you are living in China, and would then ask for proof you are intending to return to live in Canada. It is better to just provide this proof in the application. Waiting until the visa officer asks for it will delay the processing.

 

[Aquakitty]

Thanks for weighing in.
It was just the "exclusively" part of the "living exclusively outside Canada" that got me.
Like I never lived in Canada in the past or something, or don't come back sometimes...
Guess its not to do with that, eh

"Exclusively" just means you aren't moving back and forth between countries, such as living in Canada for 6 months, then China for 6 months. I agree with the others, provide a lot of proof you intend to return to Canada to save yourself a headache. Provide info on your plans for jobs, housing etc.

 

[Qifulife]

Well, I am exiting China every few months for visa reasons, but that has no bearing on Canada because I am only going to adjoining countries... This question is primarily about proving intention to return upon approval it seems. Any idea why this is so important, btw? I can give lots of proof, but I am curious why they are so concerned about it. Its not like we can transfer or sell this approval if we don't want to use it...

 

[Gary_87]

Well, I am exiting China every few months for visa reasons, but that has no bearing on Canada because I am only going to adjoining countries... This question is primarily about proving intention to return upon approval it seems. Any idea why this is so important, btw? I can give lots of proof, but I am curious why they are so concerned about it. Its not like we can transfer or sell this approval if we don't want to use it...

They want to make sure youre going theough all the effort to live there and not just so your spouse/partner can get benefits there or give birth there etc.

They want to know that theyre giving you pr for a reason.

Thats basically it. Whether you do or not is another matter but cic want to see effort.

 

[MilesAway]

There are quite a few people who use their PR as a glorified tourist visa. People use it to visit Canada and/or to use the social services that are there, without any intention of actually living in Canada.

 

[Qifulife]

Thanks so much for this clarification.
I have heard about multiple month delays coming from incomplete or incorrect answered forms, so I am quite worried when I am not sure of something.
I didn't expect anyone to act flippant with their PR privilege, but I guess it has happened enough for CIC to ask proof of Canada settlement now...

 

[BamBamBing]

My point of view is different from the other posts.

My opinion:

As you are a "tourist" in China, you cannot consider yourself a resident of the country. You haven't been admitted with apermanent legal status there.

Since you have to be a resident of somewhere... By default it's Canada.

That I'm more certain of:

CRA would also see it like this so hopefully you filled taxes for the last 2 years

 

[Taddy]

My Canadian husband (my sponsor) had been living outside of canada for 16 years when we submitted our PR application. In the year before we intended to move to Canada we bought a house. We submitted proof of the house purchsse with our application as prof of intention to return. We have children so we also provided copies of emails we sent to schools enquiring about enrolling out children in schools.

 

[BamBamBing]

Taddy: The difference is I'm sure he wasn't a tourist for 16 years outside Canada. He probably had a legal status where he lived (like the situation described by the original post)

Citizens live outside can be sponsors as long as we prove our intention to return (like you did)