How would you go about this?

[ERJOPA]

I am sure that when I take my test, a CIC officer will have questions about having no stamps in my passport for the only trip I took outside Canada in 2011.

I have in my possession proof of that trip with ATIP and FOIA reports.

How should I proceed?

1. Hand in these documents with the passports when I start the interview?

2. Wait until they ask me if I am aware of the missing stamps?

3. Give them the reports when they give me the letter asking me for more documents (and how could I do that tactfully)?

4. Send the documents a day after so as to not upset the officer?

What do you think I can do here? Any other suggestions?

(waiting patiently for test invite from Edmonton - 1440 days of residency under 3/4 rule)

 

[cedarjet]

A part of the interview is about travel. They will ask u what travels did u make, and just be honest. Just answer the officer's questions simply and wait for them to ask you questions. Don't throw all documents you have on him when they didn't ask.

 

[dpenabill]

Ditto.

Be patient, including during the interview itself. Sure, take a few documents with you, if you are nervous, but mostly follow the instructions about what to bring.

It is worth remembering that there is almost nothing the applicant can do at the interview which will change things for the better. Lots of things an applicant can do to make things go worse. Nothing much will make things go better. It is NOT, after all, a hearing. It is a documents check interview. CIC wants to confirm certain documents and information. Ordinarily CIC is not interested, at the interview, in considering any additional evidence. They just want to verify what they have or to identify potential problems with what is in the record.

That is, it is not an opportunity to persuade CIC to act favourably toward you. Mostly CIC will be inclined to act favourably anyway. If not, the interview offers minimal, if any, chance to persuade CIC otherwise.

The extent to which the interviewer asks about travels and such varies a great deal. My interviewer only asked if I reported all my trips, and I said all except day trips although I did mention them in the residency calculation and she acknowledged that. That was it about travel.

I had no stamps in my passports (I had two passports at the time relevant to the time period covered). I reported well over a dozen trips abroad. I included one day trip for each calendar year in the residency calculator and in the "reasons" box noted that it was a day trip and said it was one of x number in that year, the number varying from year to year.

As I anticipated, my interviewer was more interested in my work than my travel . . . slightly more I should qualify, the interview was actually quite brief and perfunctory. Indeed, it went very quickly. Less than 48 hours later I swore an oath to the Queen, had my photo taken with the presiding CJ, took my certificate, and went out to celebrate the day with my partner.

 

[dpenabill]

Correction: actually I had quite a few stamps in my older passport. None since the date of my cancelled PR visa however.

In any event, the interviewer flipped through the pages way too quickly to read any of them.

 

[keesio]

Because I had a lot of travel, I brought some additional supporting documents. The ones that the interviewer was most interested in was my last 4 years of NoA (Notice of Assessment) and a letter from the HR dept of my employer stating that I have been a long time full-time employee. She made copies of both. I don't think they were necessarily needed but she did remark "oh, that's good" when I pulled them out. But again, I had A LOT of travel so if you didn't travel as much as me, then you likely don't need it. I didn't give them all at the beginning. I pulled them out to support an answer for a particular question the interviewer had. For example, when she noticed my travel, she asked if I have been employed the whole time at the same company I listed in my Application. I said "yes" and she then asked if I am full-time and I said yes, I have a lot of business travel. Then I said "I also have a signed letter from my employer about my employment status" and she was certainly interested in seeing it.

 

[ERJOPA]

The truth is that when I applied to renew my PR card last summer, that is when we saw my passport wasn't stamped by anyone for this lone trip to the States (for my father's memorial). My wife went to her calendar for 2011 (she keeps them for tax purposes) and said those were the dates. When I received my PR card, I assumed those dates were OK and put them on the Citizenship application.

So...I claimed 13 days. CIC will calculate 12 days (-1). My ATIP from CBSA has me entering Canada one day earlier (-1). My FOIA record has me exiting Canada two days later on the other end (-2). So - instead of 13, I now have 9, thus adding days to my residency to 1451. However, being 4 days off (in my favor no less) may be a concern for any CIC officer who is sworn to be vigilant on any application - even if this was the only trip I made to the US in my 4 year period.

This is why I am nervous - I used dates my wife gave to me not thinking about where we stayed before crossing the border into the US and if we actually drove for a long time after we entered Canada again. Does anyone believe that a hardened CIC officer would ever take this into consideration?

I am beginning to regret ever even going to my dad's memorial now - with all this to worry about

 

[dpenabill]

I am beginning to regret ever even going to my dad's memorial now - with all this to worry about

It is very, very common for passports to not get stamped in travel between the U.S. and Canada.

This particular trip, this particular aspect of your application, is NOTHING to worry about.

If you have status allowing you to relatively easily travel to the States, it is more likely the absence of travel would raise more questions than the lack of a passport stamp for such travel.

Unless you have something else lurking in the shadows, relax, enjoy the process, it is generally smooth sailing for applicants who are routinely processed.

 

[keesio]

So...I claimed 13 days. CIC will calculate 12 days (-1). My ATIP from CBSA has me entering Canada one day earlier (-1). My FOIA record has me exiting Canada two days later on the other end (-2). So - instead of 13, I now have 9, thus adding days to my residency to 1451. However, being 4 days off (in my favor no less) may be a concern for any CIC officer who is sworn to be vigilant on any application - even if this was the only trip I made to the US in my 4 year period.

You will be fine. I also had some miscalculations on some trips. I was one day off in total. I cant remember now if it was +1 or -1. The interviewer noticed this discrepancy and said that since I applied with a buffer of almost 2 weeks, it should be fine. Not only do you have a much larger (huge) buffer, but your net is actually you have an extra 4 days inside Canada. So everything is in your favor here. I'd say you are fine.