Information sharing between CIC and CRA

[Felipe]

Hello everyone, I am getting ready to sponsor my spouse and have some concerns.
We met while both of us were working abroad for the same employer (in 3rd country) and my understanding is that we have to mention this in the application. Problem is I did not declare any revenue for that year (I know I should have but it was a low paying job and I would have paid very little tax if any).

What are the odds of CIC checking my income with CRA? Should I make a voluntary disclosure to correct my situation with CRA before applying to sponsor my spouse?

Thank you very much.

 

[frege]

Hello everyone, I am getting ready to sponsor my spouse and have some concerns.
We met while both of us were working abroad for the same employer (in 3rd country) and my understanding is that we have to mention this in the application. Problem is I did not declare any revenue for that year (I know I should have but it was a low paying job and I would have paid very little tax if any).

What are the odds of CIC checking my income with CRA? Should I make a voluntary disclosure to correct my situation with CRA before applying to sponsor my spouse?

Thank you very much.

If the employer is in a third country, the CRA might not have this information. I presume you're saying you needed to declare the employment in your Canadian tax returns because you were a Canadian resident who was temporarily abroad.

I'm not sure, but I don't think CIC checks directly. Still, they can ask you to provide information from the CRA or foreign tax authorities later in the process if they suspect anything. Then they can try to hold it against you if you don't provide the information, but if the evidence of your relationship is solid, I don't see what they can really do about it. Also if you provide the information and it shows you failed to declare the income to the CRA, it can affect your credibility for your sponsorship application.

In this situation, I would probably ask a lawyer for advice.