Interview with CIC Officer

[links18]

I have requested CASA report so i can bring it along with me if I will be called for interview. If I get my exit movement then that will solve all their doubts and they will have no option except to accept my application.

Yeah, don't count on that. CBSA has no records of when you left the country. Only when you entered.

It is unclear to me what weight CIC would give to many entries on your record. On the one hand, it shows you traveled a lot. On the other, it shows you were coming back to Canada for some reason or another. Basically, the entry records are not terribly useful without corresponding exit records.

 

[Pippin]

Have you kept records of your flights like boarding cards and receipts to show dates you were away to prove you have enough days of residence? I hope all the questions other posters have raised help you see how confusing your explanation is to us and may appear to the judge. Have you maintained your required rolling days of residence since applying for citizenship? It could be useful to make a calendar showing your dates of absence from arrival to the present and attach documents of proof. Include anything that shows dates on either side of flight dates showing you are in Canada like credit card receipts or medical documents.

 

[keesio]

I have traveled a lot during the 4 year stretch before my application date. I didn't have a record for all my travels (missing some stamps, etc). What helped for me was documentation supporting my full-time residency in Canada. This included a letter from my Canadian employer stating that I have been a long time, full-time employee. Also several years of NOAs (I actually showed up with 13 years of it but they were just interested in the last 5), lease agreements for the last 5 years, etc. Basically anything that would support the fact that I had to stay in Canada for most of the time (proof of a full-time job is usually good enough).

 

[canada4evr]

Thanks all for your input. That was so helpful for me. I will keep all your advises in mind and I will keep you updated with my latest updates. Cheers

 

[Moe...]

I got notice to start preparing for the test on 6th Jan 2014 but no test date yet. I think they will send another letter with test date in it.
Every body in my situation, please keep updated.

 

[Msafiri]

My office is Niagara Falls and I believe they got only 1 cj. I never worked full time during the past 4yrs. I had part time jobs as I am handy man. I submitted notice of assessments for the past four years, lease contracts, car insurance, bank statements, some phone bills and letter from local community in my area that i have been member with them since my arrival to Canada on 2009.

GTA has 14 of the 32 CJs in Canada. Your Niagara Falls CJ just looks after your office so the hearing will likely be in the next 12 months. In contrast the whole of Manitoba has just the 1 CJ so if you need a full blown hearing here then you will find a different PM in office by the time the CJ gets to you!!

The CO doesn't trust your declared absences. Put yourself in the COs shoes - you have an applicant with multiple residence visas for the UAE including one that covers at least a year of the 4 year qualifying period. You work part time and have submitted passive evidence of presence that can be obtained even when you are not in Canada. The membership letter carries little weight unless it details you attendance record. How did you pay your rent? Are there deductions for these on the statements? How much was your NOA figure ballpark - 10K, 20K etc? Is this consistent with the cost and standard of your living to include allowing multiple travels? You then have another UAE visa post citizenship application and have left Canada only to return for the test.

You need your movement record from the UAE. Get records of your medical billing from OHIP too. Can you submit a letter from the UAE employer stating the date you left your job for landing? Anything official from the UAE tax authorities about exiting the relevant emirate? Did you apply right on day 1096 or you have a cushion as CIC just need to create doubts over a few days and you fall to less than 1095 days which if the CJ is one that goes with the strict physical criteria will be an issue? On the other hand the CJ may see things differently and approve though CIC can appeal.

Watch your absences to oath date so you don't breach the RO!

 

[farrous13]

Msafiri,

So basically I am waiting for my test to be scheduled. But I am a frequent traveller to the States. So I will have extra stamps on my passport. Would that raise any suspicion you think?

 

[Alurra71]

Msafiri,

So basically I am waiting for my test to be scheduled. But I am a frequent traveller to the States. So I will have extra stamps on my passport. Would that raise any suspicion you think?

It might, since a lot of folks us the US to 'sneak' out of Canada to fly to another country. I would be curious though. Are you a US citizen, and if so, exactly who is stamping your passport if you are only traveling to the US from Canada and then back to Canada from the US?

 

[farrous13]

I am not US citizen. I travel to the US for:

- Work (my previous company used to send me fro Expo shows, meet customers...etc.)
- pleasure. I have friends/cousins/aunt that are US citizens
- Shopping (wife can't resist the prices there )
- I did actually use the US to travel once or twice to Colombia to visit my in-laws (cheaper tickets, can't beat a $500 cheaper ticket per person)

I get stamps every time I enter the US and Canada. So yes Canada -> US -> final destination (if applicable) and then US -> Canada.

It might, since a lot of folks us the US to 'sneak' out of Canada to fly to another country. I would be curious though. Are you a US citizen, and if so, exactly who is stamping your passport if you are only traveling to the US from Canada and then back to Canada from the US?

 

[keesio]

From what I have read on the forums, it seems like frequent travel to the US does raise some suspicion, unless you are a US citizen. Just be prepared to provide good explanations for your travels.

 

[farrous13]

I am prepared. I have a notebook with all my visits to the US and the reason (Shopping [mall name,...], pleasure,...etc.). I am doing my best from my side. I cannot change the agent's suspicion though. I have couple of planned visits to the US in the next couple of months.

From what I have read on the forums, it seems like frequent travel to the US does raise some suspicion, unless you are a US citizen. Just be prepared to provide good explanations for your travels.

 

[Pippin]

With your preparation and diligence you will be able to answer any questions the VO may have. I am sure they are happy to get interviewees who come armed with clear evidence of their time in Canada. Good luck.

 

[gte439u]

From what I have read on the forums, it seems like frequent travel to the US does raise some suspicion, unless you are a US citizen. Just be prepared to provide good explanations for your travels.

Hi Keesio:
From your responses on the forum, I think that we're both U.S. citizens who travel to the "old country" every few months. In your post-test interview, what types of questions did you get about your U.S. travels?

I fly to see my family in the U.S. for three to five days every few months. I rarely get U.S. entry stamps when I travel back there, and I have not saved boarding passes.

I plan to show my connections to Canada with seven years of CRA Notices of Assessment, a copy of the land title for my house, a letter from my church board chair stating that I am a board member who attends regular meetings, a record of my Law Society membership, a letter from my current employer, Records of Employment form previous jobs, and reported court and tribunal decisions in which I was counsel of record. Have you got any other ideas about how to demonstrate my residence in Canada?

 

[keesio]

Hi Keesio:
From your responses on the forum, I think that we're both U.S. citizens who travel to the "old country" every few months. In your post-test interview, what types of questions did you get about your U.S. travels?

I fly to see my family in the U.S. for three to five days every few months. I rarely get U.S. entry stamps when I travel back there, and I have not saved boarding passes.

I plan to show my connections to Canada with seven years of CRA Notices of Assessment, a copy of the land title for my house, a letter from my church board chair stating that I am a board member who attends regular meetings, a record of my Law Society membership, a letter from my current employer, Records of Employment form previous jobs, and reported court and tribunal decisions in which I was counsel of record. Have you got any other ideas about how to demonstrate my residence in Canada?

Hi gte439u,
I had a TON of travels to the US. At one point I was traveling every other weekend to the US. I had at least 60 trips to the US alone in the 4 years preceding my application, in addition to other various international travel. I was worried I would get an RQ. During the interview, the officer checked all stamps I had but because I have NEXUS, I don't have a lot of stamps for my US travel. So I came armed with as much documents as possible to provide my residency in Canada. The stuff that helped the most was an original letter of employment from the HR/payroll dept of my Canadian based employer which stated that I have been a full-time employee there for over 6 years. I brought 13 years of NOAs which was overkill but I wanted to show that I have been paying tons of taxes to Canada for 13 years. The officer smiled and made copies of the last 5. I also brought my lease agreement for the last few years and a pile of T4s but the officer was more interested in the NOAs and didn't really look at the T4s. One of the reasons why I traveled to the US so much is because I was in a long distance relationship with my now wife. I explained that as the primary reason why I was going to the US - to visit her. And since then, I successfully sponsored my wife to Canada and she is now with me in Canada so I won't be traveling to the US as much and I gave the officer a copy of my wife's COPR. The officer wrote a lot of notes on this, about the fact that I was in a long distance relationship and that my wife is now in Canada as a PR. So I'm pretty sure that this explanation and proof was key in convincing the officer that I had good reason to travel so much to the US. I even made a comment on how "it looks good to CIC if you have a history of visiting your spouse before sponsoring her" and the officer smiled and said "yes, that is definitely true".

I think you won't have much problems. You being a US citizen visiting family there will not raise that much suspicions. The frequency of your travels is not that much. And you have plenty of ties to Canada, with a letter from your employer and NOAs, in addition to all your other documents. What CIC is looking for is reasons why there were travels to the US. US citizenship and family being there are two key things to reduce suspicion. In my own personal opinion, I got the sense that all the suspicion that CIC has towards frequent US travels are PRs who want to eventually live and work in the US and using Canada has a backup if they cannot secure residency in the US. Also there is the whole "stepping stone" thing of moving to Canada to make it easier to move the US (via NAFTA and such). So already being a US citizen removes this suspicion for you since you can already live and work there. My case was crazy because I had SO MUCH travel. But i was able to justify that with the sponsorship of my wife. Your case is pretty simple - you went to the US to visit the folks. Easy to explain.

 

[farrous13]

Thanks ;D

With your preparation and diligence you will be able to answer any questions the VO may have. I am sure they are happy to get interviewees who come armed with clear evidence of their time in Canada. Good luck.