I am a new PR and will apply for citizenship a few years down the line. I was just wondering what documents and paperwork should I keep to prove that I have stayed in Canada to be eligible to apply? I am currently staying in an Airbnb for few months and not sure when I will sign a lease for an apartment. How can I prove that I have been staying in Canada since landing? Are there any documents that IRCC requires for proof?
questions regarding applying for citizenship in the future
- Thread starter anandg12
- Start date
You can have a look at the application form and documents checklist on the CIC website to get a better idea.
My advise would be to keep detailed travel records for all trips outside of Canada - that you will definitley need.
My advise would be to keep detailed travel records for all trips outside of Canada - that you will definitley need.
Copies of passports, PRs, COPR, and diligently record all travels abroad.anandg12 said:
Often those who did not work get requests to prove their residence in Canada. Rental agreements, house purchase agreement, utility bills, dentist receipts, bloodwork, etc would be good proofs that you were in Canada then.
Keep receipts for payment of rent (however it is that rent is paid, to whomever, be for the day or week or whatever). Keep a paper trail of life being lived in Canada.anandg12 said:
But that is about assuring the outcome of the application. Remember, for qualified applicants what is usually of as much importance is avoiding non-routine processing as it is assuring the outcome will be favourable. Rushing the application can mean delays in taking the oath.
Why apply sooner only to have to wait longer, sometimes a lot longer, to become a citizen?
Thus, consider not applying until you meet the then-applicable presence requirement without counting days prior to establishing a place of residence. Sure, all days present count (under both current and proposed presence requirements), even if (as someone has said in the forum recently) a person is homeless. But the burden of proof is on the applicant. Why invite potential concerns if one can avoid it?
This is somewhat similar to discussions about how much of a buffer the prospective applicant should have before applying. Under current requirements, 1460 days meets the requirements. Not one more is needed. If the proposed changes take effect, which they probably will before you are eligible for citizenship, then 1095 days will meet the requirement, and not one more day is needed. But only fools apply with little or no buffer. And here again, it is not just about whether or not citizenship might be denied, but almost as much about avoiding concerns leading to non-routine processing and all the inconveniences and delays that can entail.
Consider the recent case of Al-Obeidi. See http://decisions.fct-cf.gc.ca/fc-cf/decisions/en/item/218372/index.do
Al-Obeidi declared actual presence in Canada of 1098 days (applied under the 3/4 rule). The case turned on whether or not he had proven he was present between March 4, 2013 and March 31, 2013. There was no entry stamp into Canada evidencing Al-Obeidi's declared return to Canada on March 4, 2013. The CBSA travel history did not show a return to Canada in March, 2013. There was a stamp in Al-Obeidi's passport showing a departure from Iraq on March 3, his declaration he arrived in Canada on March 4, and a payslip from his employer dated March 31 for 89 hours of work in Canada (thus indicating he was probably at work during the two weeks prior to March 31). Even though the Federal Court found that the CJ erred in concluding that Al-Obeidi failed to prove he was present in Canada at all between March 4 and March 31, because the payslip showed he was present long enough during that time to earn pay for 89 hours, the Federal Court nonetheless found that the CJ's decision to deny citizenship was reasonable because this still left a gap between March 4 and two weeks prior to March 31. As far as I can see, that's a lot of crap. Al-Obeidi effectively gave testimony he was present as of March 4, and the March 31 payslip supported his version by showing that even though there was no passport stamp and no CBSA entry record, he had obviously entered Canada sometime in March 2013 . . . and the best evidence of when was Al-Obeidi's declaration of when he entered Canada.
But that case stands. Al-Obeidi has been denied citizenship. There is no further appeal.
That is not representative of how it goes for the vast majority of applicants. It does, however, illustrate of how it can go, and particularly so if IRCC perceives reason to question the applicant's account of time present in Canada. My guess is that there are unreferenced suspicions about Al-Obeidi's credibility underlying how his case was decided. Probably a suspicion that he had some kind of alternative Travel Document.
Only fools depend on the technicalities protecting them from the burden of proof and suspicion, even if for the vast majority there never is a problem.
Try to keep boarding passes and airline tickets if you are travelling by air. That would help to show them your presence in Canada even if the records don't exist in CBSA report. If you are travelling by car outside Canada, try to buy something using credit card on your way in and out of Canada. Try to keep hard copies of all relevant documents because for example, if you close a bank account or credit card account, then it would take a long time to get bank statements and credit card statements for the closed accounts. They require investigation before issuing the statements. It happened to me, but I was lucky to bring my airline tickets for the interview, which saved me from getting an RQ.