Mistake / misrepresentation please advise

[Lorikeet]

Citizenship Application - Possible Misrepresentation? Withdraw or Correct?


Hi everyone,


I’m looking for some opinions before I make any decision.


I submitted my Canadian citizenship application on April 30, 2026 but I have not yet received an AOR.


After submitting, I realized there may be a few mistakes:

1. 2025 tax question: I answered:
   • Filed taxes? No (correct at the time)
   • Required to file taxes? No
2. I said no mistakenly but I had Canadian employment/self-employment income in 2025. I usually file my taxes later in the year and had not filed yet when I submitted the application.
3. Activity history (2021-2022):
   I listed myself as “Unemployed” while living in Pakistan. In reality, I was enrolled in an external/distance-learning LLB program, although I was not employed during that period.
4. There may also be some differences in how my Canadian work was described compared to an earlier PR card renewal application (employee vs. self-employed characterization), although the underlying work and income were real and declared. So my employer switched me from payroll to cash. I have declared my income on my taxes as self employed person but I work for one organization

None of these affect my physical presence calculation, travel history, addresses, identity, or criminal history.


My questions are:

• Would you withdraw the application before AOR and reapply with corrected answers?
• Or would you keep the application, file my 2025 taxes, and submit a webform correcting the errors?
• In your experience, do these issues raise concerns about material misrepresentation, or are they more likely to be treated as correctable inaccuracies?

I’m looking for practical experience, especially from anyone who has dealt with similar situations or knows the relevant IRCC policy/manuals. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Note been in Canada since 2011 student work permit PR PR renewal all went through smoothly

 

[RamyMN]

Since you didn't receive an AOR, and have doughts in your application. I see it would be better to withdraw, correct and reapply. This way you clear any doughts of misrepresentation, and avoid losing the application fees.

 

[Seym]

1 and 2) doesn't matter in itself. IRCC is well aware of tax season... It only really becomes relevant if you didn't accumulate 3 other years where you complied with tax requirements.
3) no biggie either. And it's outside Canada, so doesn't affect how the answer here helps IRCC establish physical presence.
4) same, no big deal.

These are all small details really , and at worst , honest mistakes that don't amount to misrepresentation. It's not worth withdrawing once you get your AOR. Send a small letter of explanation via webform after AOR and call it a day.

 

[Lorikeet]

Since you didn't receive an AOR, and have doughts in your application. I see it would be better to withdraw, correct and reapply. This way you clear any doughts of misrepresentation, and avoid losing the application fees.

Thank you so much for taking the time out and replying. I am leaning more towards your suggestion just for the peace of mind I know what Seym has said is true and accurate but anxiety hahah

 

[Lorikeet]

1 and 2) doesn't matter in itself. IRCC is well aware of tax season... It only really becomes relevant if you didn't accumulate 3 other years where you complied with tax requirements.
3) no biggie either. And it's outside Canada, so doesn't affect how the answer here helps IRCC establish physical presence.
4) same, no big deal.

These are all small details really , and at worst , honest mistakes that don't amount to misrepresentation. It's not worth withdrawing once you get your AOR. Send a small letter of explanation via webform after AOR and call it a day.

Thank you for taking the time out to reply in detail. I understand that these do not have an impact on my residency, I am just paranoid, it is the final stretch after so many blocks, hurdles etc. I cant leave anything on chance. Your response gave me the much needed grounding. I hope a couple of other seniors also reply. Thank you once again

 

[armoured]

Thank you so much for taking the time out and replying. I am leaning more towards your suggestion just for the peace of mind I know what Seym has said is true and accurate but anxiety hahah

I'm going to echo Seym - no need to withdraw and submit, will just waste time - and potentially more time than you might think - if the claim that all apps withdrawn and resumbitted go through extra clearance / checks

 

[Lorikeet]

Hello Everyone, I spoke to a couple of consultants and they were like withdraw and just refile. Thank you for all your support !!

 

[Lorikeet]

Hello Everyone, I spoke to a couple of consultants and they were like withdraw and just refile. Thank you for all your support !!

 

[Lorikeet]

Hello everyone,
I’m looking for some guidance on how to handle my citizenship application while a withdrawal request is still pending.
I submitted a request to withdraw my citizenship application on July 25, but the withdrawal has not yet been processed or confirmed by IRCC. Since submitting the withdrawal request, the application has continued moving forward and I have received:

• AOR
• a fingerprint request, which I have already completed
• a citizenship test invitation, with a deadline of September 12

Just to recap why I withdrew the application was, after submitting the application, I became concerned about a couple of inaccuracies/inconsistencies and wanted to review my previous immigration records before submitting a fresh and completely accurate application.


The main issue concerns my activity history while I was in Pakistan. I completed an LLB between 2019 and 2022. For the period relevant to the citizenship application, I was in Pakistan from 2021 until March 2022, and that time outside Canada was disclosed in my physical-presence/travel information. However, I listed myself as unemployed in the activity history rather than identifying the LLB/student status. I was enrolled in the program, although during part of that period I was not actually attending lectures. My concern is that I cannot currently remember exactly how I described this same period in my previous PR card renewal application. It may have been listed as student or unemployed but I do not want to guess. I have therefore requested my notes as well as my complete PR renewal file so I can compare the records properly.

The second issue concerns my work history. In my PR card renewal application, I listed myself as employed at the place where I was working. At the time I submitted the PR renewal, I had not yet filed the relevant tax return. When I later filed my taxes, I reported the income from that work as self-employment/business income rather than employment income. The work itself was genuine. I actually worked there, I have supporting records such as emails, schedules, memos and other workplace documentation, and I was paid through a combination of e-transfers and cash. The income was also declared for tax purposes. My concern is simply whether describing myself as “employed” on the PR renewal, but later reporting the same income as self-employment for tax purposes, creates an inconsistency that needs to be addressed. Finally, there is also a tax-related error in the citizenship application. For one year I answered that I was not required to file when I was actually required to file. However, I already had four other compliant tax years during the relevant five-year period, so I still exceeded the three-year tax filing requirement. I intend to correct/file anything outstanding before submitting a new application.


My questions are:

1. Since the withdrawal request has not yet been processed, should I still complete the citizenship test before the September 12 deadline and simply wait for IRCC to finalize the withdrawal?
2. Would not taking the test and allowing the application to be treated as abandoned be a worse approach than continuing to comply while the withdrawal is pending?
3. Should I send an LOE/correction now, even though I have already requested withdrawal?
4. Would it make more sense to wait until I receive my PR renewal records before sending any explanation, so that I do not accidentally provide information based on memory rather than the actual previous application?
5. Has anyone had a withdrawal request remain pending while the application continued through fingerprints/test processing?

I am not trying to conceal the period abroad ,the Pakistan absence itself was disclosed. My concern is specifically the way the activity during that period was described, and I would rather correct the record properly than make assumptions about what was written in older applications.


Any experiences with a similar situation would be greatly appreciated.

 

[armoured]

Any experiences with a similar situation would be greatly appreciated.

No experience. Since you followed the advice of some consultants in doing this, suggest you ask them.