PRTD 4.1 Address History (Inside and Outside Canada): Listing both permanent address in Canada and address abroad during same period?

[M&M23]

Hi,

I am working on the online application for PRTD. In the last 5 years I was mostly abroad but I should be able to prove residency because of case B (me travelling with my common law partner who is a Canadian citizen).

Question/doubt:

In the last 5 years I always completed my tax returns stating my Canadian address so I have all notices of assessment as proof. >> Under point 4.1 Address History (Inside and Outside Canada) shall I list both the permanent address in Canada and the one abroad for the same period like in the example below?

From 2018/01/01 to 2018/12/31: 24 White street, Vancouver, Canada
From 2018/01/01 to 2018/12/31: 13, James RD, London, UK

and so on..

HUGE THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!

 

[Ponga]

If you are applying online, I doubt that that section of the application would take duplicated `From/To' dates for two different entries. If applying via a paper application, you could do this and attach a letter explaining the duplication, however...

You really should just determine which of those locations were in fact your primary residential address and then show the other location and dates in your Travel History section.

As always, wait for others to chime in as this is merely my suggestion!

 

[canuck78]

Hi,

I am working on the online application for PRTD. In the last 5 years I was mostly abroad but I should be able to prove residency because of case B (me travelling with my common law partner who is a Canadian citizen).

Question/doubt:

In the last 5 years I always completed my tax returns stating my Canadian address so I have all notices of assessment as proof. >> Under point 4.1 Address History (Inside and Outside Canada) shall I list both the permanent address in Canada and the one abroad for the same period like in the example below?

From 2018/01/01 to 2018/12/31: 24 White street, Vancouver, Canada
From 2018/01/01 to 2018/12/31: 13, James RD, London, UK

and so on..

HUGE THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!

Do you mean that you have listed you mailing address as your Canadian address while stating your international residential address on your Canadian taxes? Have you informed IRCC that you are a non-resident when you moved abroad? Have they assessed whether you are a tax resident or not. If you list your Canadian address as your residential address on your tax return then it will appear that you are both a resident and tax resident of Canada which may not be the case. This can also lead to payment of benefits that you aren’t entitled to that may need to be paid back dependent based on CRA. You also are required to inform the provincial health authority of your absence.

 

[M&M23]

Thank you both!

Update: I called Immigration Canada and they suggested to include only one address and the one while I was abroad only. I had this weird doubt considering my permanent address in Canada.

 

[canuck78]

Thank you both!

Update: I called Immigration Canada and they suggested to include only one address and the one while I was abroad only. I had this weird doubt considering my permanent address in Canada.

The customer service line often gives out incorrect information so I would always suggest sending a webform so you have concrete evidence of the response from IRCC. I do agree that if you are living abroad filing taxes using you Canadian address could create the false sense that you are actually living in Canada. This can impact your taxes and any benefit payment you receive. It is very important that you inform CRA of any longterm absence from Canada and CRA should determine you tax residency status. If you were living abroad when you filed your taxes you should be refilling with the correct address listed. You also need to notify your provincial health authority of any long absences from Canada. It appears as though you don’t meet the residency obligation to qualify for provincial healthcare even if you have a valid health card. Upon your permanent return to Canada you will need to apply for a new health card even if the old one is valid and meet the residency requirement as a new applicant and complete any wait period.

 

[dpenabill]

I called Immigration Canada and they suggested to include only one address and the one while I was abroad only. I had this weird doubt considering my permanent address in Canada.

You really should just determine which of those locations were in fact your primary residential address and then show the other location and dates in your Travel History section.

The first part of this sentence, in the post by @Ponga, nails it. With a caveat.

And that probably underlies the reasoning of the call centre agent's response.

IRCC wants to know where the PR has been living, the address where they have been living. Not the address they use for bank accounts, tax filings (Canadian or otherwise), or the address of a residence the PR may happen to own or otherwise maintain as a secondary residence, and definitely not the address of family or friend they can *use* as their address.

In many scenarios there is no definite right or wrong answer. The PR needs to honestly report the most accurate answer based on the PR's best understanding of the question applied to the PR's genuine (honest) understanding of the facts. Hard to go wrong (as in make a misrepresentation) if the PR truthfully gives the address where they were in fact primarily living.

Leading to the caveat: in a variety of circumstances an individual might maintain a primary residential address that is not where they are usually staying. IRCC obviously prefers PRs give them the address where they were actually primarily living for any given period of time. It bears repeating that this may be DIFFERENT from the address used in other contexts, including tax filings. (Note: my perception is that most tax related advice in this forum is, well, not reliable; for tax filing purposes, there is even more variability depending on particular details in how to best populate information like address, way too much variability for anyone to offer reliable guidance here except in the most well-defined circumstances. For guidance on how to populate tax filing forms it is FAR FAR better to go to reliable sources for tax filing information.)

Supplementing detail in supporting document:

I am not sure how supporting documents are uploaded with the online application, but among the supporting documents submitted (in addition to those documenting common law partner relationship, common law partner's Canadian citizenship, and so on, as detailed in the appendix in the instruction guide), I believe that a self-prepared document detailing information showing ties in Canada can be submitted. This would be an appropriate place to inform IRCC that you also maintain a residence in Canada, and you can also include other documents showing ties in Canada.