Citizenship application - Critical and very important Tips from Experience

[arambi]

All, this forum has been great to me and I would like to share some critical tips that can help you in your citizenship application process. This is from personal experience and from the experience of others on this forum

Tip #1: Always add Mortgage/lease documeents, Work (Employment Letter, Record of Employment, First and Last Paystub of the year) and Tax (T4, NOAs) documents, even though these are not required by CIC
This will never hurt your application, but indeed can ONLY help your application. A lot of people have done that on this forum with success, even though we cannot say for sure that the additional documents speed up the process. One thing is true; this will never hurt your application, but indeed can ONLY help your application

Tip #2: Try to obtain your CBSA travel report 2 or 3 months prior to your application and ensure on your residence sheet that you have declared ALL trips, including SAME DAY trips to the USA. See below link.
http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/physical-presence-t270285.0.html
I mean... put yourself in the shoes of some Citizenship Officers... they see your CBSA travel report... with multiple dates... they have no idea whether that was a same day trip or more... and they start questioning that... and maybe send you an RQ. Simple way to reduce the likelihood of extensive unnecessary questioning and possible RQ is to declare all trips, including same day trip to the USA. That way, the officer will be able to check that all dates in your CBSA travel report are also on your residence sheet.

Tip #3: Add a nice cover letter with an Appendix listing all documents provide so the officer can easily navigate your file

Good luck.

 

[poison]

Hey,

Thanks for sharing valuable tips. I have a few things to say on your points above:

Tip #1: Always add Mortgage/lease documeents, Work (Employment Letter, Record of Employment, First and Last Paystub of the year) and Tax (T4, NOAs) documents, even though these are not required by CIC
This will never hurt your application, but indeed can ONLY help your application. A lot of people have done that on this forum with success, even though we cannot say for sure that the additional documents speed up the process. One thing is true; this will never hurt your application, but indeed can ONLY help your application
Quite frankly, I have personally experienced and known many. None of these things affect as long as you are sufficing their eligibility criteria. Again, there is no harm in adding these things but why provide more information when they do not need! I know a guy who has applied for citizenship in early 2013 with no foreign travel history and also sent all those information which you described above. Still he is yet to receive is citizenship test invite. So I think, it is on a case to case basis.

Tip #2: Try to obtain your CBSA travel report 2 or 3 months prior to your application and ensure on your residence sheet that you have declared ALL trips, including SAME DAY trips to the USA. See below link.
http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/physical-presence-t270285.0.html
I mean... put yourself in the shoes of some Citizenship Officers... they see your CBSA travel report... with multiple dates... they have no idea whether that was a same day trip or more... and they start questioning that... and maybe send you an RQ. Simple way to reduce the likelihood of extensive unnecessary questioning and possible RQ is to declare all trips, including same day trip to the USA. That way, the officer will be able to check that all dates in your CBSA travel report are also on your residence sheet.
As a routine procedure, a small interview/conversation with citizenship offer following to citizenship test. I was asked by officer to provide entry/exit records and I had a lot of same day trips to the US. Officer already shown me CBSA records that they had but in spite of that asked me to provide a most recent record of movement between Canada and USA. So I agree with you, there is no harm in doing homework. But to get CBSA records in too much advance can lead you to reapply for getting same records again. I am not sure what worked in my case, but even after sending CBSA records which they asked me, I never received anything for ~6 months. Then I wrote a letter to CIC providing all itineraries for which more than 24 hours were spent outside Canada. 8 weeks after sending that letter, I received an oath invite. So we may never know what works and what doesn't. It all depends on case to case basis.

Overall, great to read your post and thanks for sharing valuable tips to citizenship aspirants.

 

[chikloo]

All, this forum has been great to me and I would like to share some critical tips that can help you in your citizenship application process. This is from personal experience and from the experience of others on this forum

Tip #1: Always add Mortgage/lease documeents, Work (Employment Letter, Record of Employment, First and Last Paystub of the year) and Tax (T4, NOAs) documents, even though these are not required by CIC
This will never hurt your application, but indeed can ONLY help your application. A lot of people have done that on this forum with success, even though we cannot say for sure that the additional documents speed up the process. One thing is true; this will never hurt your application, but indeed can ONLY help your application

Tip #2: Try to obtain your CBSA travel report 2 or 3 months prior to your application and ensure on your residence sheet that you have declared ALL trips, including SAME DAY trips to the USA. See below link.
http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/physical-presence-t270285.0.html
I mean... put yourself in the shoes of some Citizenship Officers... they see your CBSA travel report... with multiple dates... they have no idea whether that was a same day trip or more... and they start questioning that... and maybe send you an RQ. Simple way to reduce the likelihood of extensive unnecessary questioning and possible RQ is to declare all trips, including same day trip to the USA. That way, the officer will be able to check that all dates in your CBSA travel report are also on your residence sheet.

Tip #3: Add a nice cover letter with an Appendix listing all documents provide so the officer can easily navigate your file

Good luck.

I provided all the details that you have included and went one step further and got CBP records. I still got my RQ. Reason being too many travel. So if you have to get RQd you will.
I would suggest keeping it simple and provide what they ask for.

 

[akheya]

Guys any help regarding the residence calculates dates. Which date am I to put the arrival date in to destination country which is stamped on passport or the actual date I travelled from Toronto. (Due to transit they are not the same sometimes a day or even 2 later then actual travel day+ the time difference)

 

[poushi24]

All, this forum has been great to me and I would like to share some critical tips that can help you in your citizenship application process. This is from personal experience and from the experience of others on this forum

Tip #1: Always add Mortgage/lease documeents, Work (Employment Letter, Record of Employment, First and Last Paystub of the year) and Tax (T4, NOAs) documents, even though these are not required by CIC
This will never hurt your application, but indeed can ONLY help your application. A lot of people have done that on this forum with success, even though we cannot say for sure that the additional documents speed up the process. One thing is true; this will never hurt your application, but indeed can ONLY help your application

Tip #2: Try to obtain your CBSA travel report 2 or 3 months prior to your application and ensure on your residence sheet that you have declared ALL trips, including SAME DAY trips to the USA. See below link.
http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/physical-presence-t270285.0.html
I mean... put yourself in the shoes of some Citizenship Officers... they see your CBSA travel report... with multiple dates... they have no idea whether that was a same day trip or more... and they start questioning that... and maybe send you an RQ. Simple way to reduce the likelihood of extensive unnecessary questioning and possible RQ is to declare all trips, including same day trip to the USA. That way, the officer will be able to check that all dates in your CBSA travel report are also on your residence sheet.

Tip #3: Add a nice cover letter with an Appendix listing all documents provide so the officer can easily navigate your file

Good luck.

Arambi,

Thanks for sharing your tips. I doubt those document will have any impact when CIC makes their decision. If they decide to send RQ they regarding those document been sent or not. Sometime They get annoyed of extra document been sent. I know someone who called CIC and they mentioned him why have he sent those document since they never asked for it. Those document doesn't have any impact on decision making.

 

[thecoolguysam]

Guys any help regarding the residence calculates dates. Which date am I to put the arrival date in to destination country which is stamped on passport or the actual date I travelled from Toronto. (Due to transit they are not the same sometimes a day or even 2 later then actual travel day+ the time difference)

You need to provide exact date when you left Canada and exact date when you came back to Canada regardless of the date stamped by your destination country.

 

[akheya]

hmm makes sense. So, another question

for examples m signing my papers for FEB 9 2015, so for residence calculator, so i start with feb 9 2011? coz i out off country during that period.

I was out from dec 25 2010.

 

[Maverick2k4]

I provided all the details that you have included and went one step further and got CBP records. I still got my RQ. Reason being too many travel. So if you have to get RQd you will.
I would suggest keeping it simple and provide what they ask for.

Would you mind sharing how many trips did you make in last 4 years?

Thanks!

 

[akheya]

oh umm 4, one every yr on averrage of 6 weeks.

 

[era1521]

Arambi,

Thanks for sharing your tips. I doubt those document will have any impact when CIC makes their decision. If they decide to send RQ they regarding those document been sent or not. Sometime They get annoyed of extra document been sent. I know someone who called CIC and they mentioned him why have he sent those document since they never asked for it. Those document doesn't have any impact on decision making.

I totally agree the course of process has nothing to do with sending or not sending any additional documents with initial application.
My processing time took little less than 5 months and:
- this was my second application; first time applied in 2006 and refused on residency concerns after hearing with a Judge
- in the last 4 years only since last year I had permanent employment; before that self-employed
- I did not send any work records (in fact no additional documents, except those mentioned in check-list), although the application form was the one requesting the work record (the reason was I just missed reading that)
- I changed address 2 months prior application (hence new issued DL) and altogether had 4 addresses in the past 4 years.

However I have ready all the required documents as I would receive the RQ.
So I would compile the two tips into only one:
Send only the requested documents with application and gather and have ready all documents required by an RQ and in case you get it send them right away.

 

[IllaBee]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts based on experience and other's posts. I will however, disagree with you on one thing and one thing alone. Why send information that is not asked for? CIC clearing says that you should ONLY send information or documentation that is asked for in the application. Especially if it will have no impact whatsoever why even include?

Think about it logically:- if you're the CIC officer reviewing what would otherwise be a straight forward case, then you have to go through all this paperwork that the applicant filled with his/her application unnecessarily. It just doesn't sense to me. Supplementary information is of course encouraged provided it supports an answer that requires you to do so. Mortgage/lease documents? Really? I mean, if you lived at all the addresses you put in the application, surely they will asked you for proof of residence "if" they feel the need to. Same goes for your travel days outside of Canada of lack there of. My firm belief is provide only the requested information in the most simplified and legible form. That way, there is no question in the officer's head when reviewing your application.

But as the saying goes, if you're going to get RQ'd you will get RQ'd period. And that my friend is the mystery of CIC. Good luck and God's blessings.

 

[thecoolguysam]

I totally agree the course of process has nothing to do with sending or not sending any additional documents with initial application.
My processing time took little less than 5 months and:
- this was my second application; first time applied in 2006 and refused on residency concerns after hearing with a Judge
- in the last 4 years only since last year I had permanent employment; before that self-employed
- I did not send any work records (in fact no additional documents, except those mentioned in check-list), although the application form was the one requesting the work record (the reason was I just missed reading that)
- I changed address 2 months prior application (hence new issued DL) and altogether had 4 addresses in the past 4 years.

However I have ready all the required documents as I would receive the RQ.
So I would compile the two tips into only one:
Send only the requested documents with application and gather and have ready all documents required by an RQ and in case you get it send them right away.

I suppose you did not get RQ then second time, correct?

 

[thecoolguysam]

hmm makes sense. So, another question

for examples m signing my papers for FEB 9 2015, so for residence calculator, so i start with feb 9 2011? coz i out off country during that period.

I was out from dec 25 2010.

When you use the residence calculator it will ask you when you first came to canada and when did you became permanent resident. Accordingly, it will ask you for the details.

 

[akheya]

Yes it does. It asks me from Feb 2 2011 onwards. My question is I was out of country prior to that date. So do I put original date of departure from Toronto or starting Feb 2nd onwards. Regardless what I put it on starts counting from Feb 2 2011. I tried putting DEC 1 2010, it still calculated same days

 

[alphazip]

Yes it does. It asks me from Feb 2 2011 onwards. My question is I was out of country prior to that date. So do I put original date of departure from Toronto or starting Feb 2nd onwards. Regardless what I put it on starts counting from Feb 2 2011. I tried putting DEC 1 2010, it still calculated same days

I would suggest that you put the actual date you left Canada, since, as you say, it will just start the calculation at the 4-year mark. You will likely get a warning, stating that the date is outside of the 4-year period, but you can disregard that.