Good explanation. Thanks a lot.. How about applying Citizenship straight after 3 year 6 months where you satisfied the clasue of not staying more than 183 days in last 4 years.. Consider I have never visited any country, not even the home country... my date of entry as PR was Jan 15, applications sign should be July 2018. What is your expert opinion on this as I am crossing the clause of 183 days stay in any country... Am I still going to fall into the requirement of PCC? Why am I asking all these is I am unable to acuire any PCC from home country as my dad sold our permanent home and they all live in the USA with my sister.. Not sure how I am gonna collect one...
I am NO expert. (See my signature for further elaboration.)
If it is impossible or even practically extremely difficult to obtain a police certificate, the applicant who checks "yes" to item 10.b (yes, was in a country for 183 or more days during the preceding four years) can explain why the certificate cannot be obtained, and can do this as an alternative to providing a certificate. Of course, whether that reason, that explanation, will suffice depends on how valid it is. The IRCC website has information about how to obtain a police certificate from most countries and of course IRCC is otherwise well familiar with what it is required to obtain a police certificate from most countries in the world.
Stating a reason for why a police certificate could not be obtained should pass the completeness check. Again, beyond that whether IRCC accepts the explanation will depend on how valid it is, among other circumstances. (There is a fair chance, for example, that if the applicant has not returned to that country since before becoming a PR, IRCC will be liberal in accepting an explanation for why one was not provided.)
If, for example, there is no way to obtain a police certificate from a country without traveling to that country, that should suffice. It would be unreasonable for IRCC to require citizenship applicants to travel abroad in order to obtain information to be submitted with the application. (Again, however, IRCC is familiar with what is involved in obtaining police certificates from almost all countries in the world, and will of course take that into account when assessing an applicant's excuse for not providing one.)
Of course that does not mean this circumstance, and not providing a certificate, will have NO effect in other ways. IRCC could, for example, make an overseas referral to investigate whether the applicant has any criminality or security issues, and that could significantly delay the application process.
Waiting long enough that total time in a country does not add up to 183 or more days within the preceding four years:
Sure, if the applicant can truthfully check "no" in response to item 10.b, there is no requirement to include a police certificate from another country
WITH the APPLICATION. So the prospective applicant can wait and not apply until after enough time has passed the applicant can truthfully check "no" in response to item 10.b. For many this is probably a good idea, particularly if they do not need to wait too much longer and this adds a good buffer to their presence in the meantime.
Of course the applicant still must have NO criminal convictions (during the prior four years) in any other country. Of course IRCC can conduct inquiries or investigations to determine if an applicant has any criminal convictions in another country. AND of course IRCC can make an individual request for a police certificate later in the process (such a request must be reasonable, but such a request is reasonable if the applicant has spent any significant amount of time in the other country, even if way less than 183 days, or if there reason to suspect a potential criminal case in the other country).
The latter observation is NOT intended to suggest there is much likelihood the applicant will be asked to submit a police certificate if the total time in the other country, during the relevant four years, was less than 183 days. It is to highlight IRCC can nonetheless request a police certificate, that there is no guarantee IRCC will not.
