Quick Questions about PR Invitation

[HarryF]

Hello all,

I'm trying to finish off my PR application for British Columbia and have some questions I was hoping could be answered:

1. My first Express Entry profile was immediately deemed ineligible because I had accidently listed that I was bringing dependants when I am in fact going alone. I repeated my submission (without this mistake), it was accepted soon after and I was subsequently invited to apply.
When asked if I had applied to Citizenship and Immigration Canada before?
I wrote ‘No’ because I technically have not. Is this correct?

2. For the address history, the online system will not allow me to enter accurate flat numbers e.g. flat 2-1, so I left this part blank. Is this important? [I have uploaded many documents that have my accurate address anyway.]

3. For the work history, it asks for the hours per week that I work. However I have a variable hours position, so I gave the average based on my payslips and uploaded an official letter explaining this. Is this adequate for them?

4 For the personal history, am I supposed to say I was technically unemployed for two months between finishing my Masters and starting my PhD etc.? This is what I have done.

5. How detailed does the travel history need to be? I do not remember all of the dates for some brief holidays within the EU. I have listed almost all of them though (including every trip outside the EU). Does working in Switzerland for a year count as a trip? (I’ve uploaded my full work contract and mentioned it in address history)

6. For the Financial Support section, it asks that I include dates that each bank account was opened. However banks in the UK are only allowed to give that information verbally. Should I just provide this in my Letter of Explanation?

7. My Police Certificates for the UK and France do not have any dates/periods of validity on them. I shouldn’t get rejected because of this, right?

Any help would be greatly appeciated!!

HarryF

 

[JoacRy]

1) Correct
2) Should been fine
3) What do the official reference letters from your employees say for Working Hours? For each job you have worked at the requirement is at least 30 hrs for full-time work per week or 15 hrs part time per week. The Visa Office relies on the employment reference letter (not self-declaration of working hrs by the applicant).

4) If that time period falls in the last 10 yrs then yes state Unemployed

5) Everything that happened in the last 10 yrs must be listed. During the processing of your application the Visa Office can talk to a number of Canadian and foreign government agencies. Better to disclose than not disclose and they find out and you are accused of misrepresentation.

6) No it needs to be on formal bank letterhead stating bank balance, denominated currency, name of account holders and needs to be signed by bank manager. The VO does not accept applicant self-declaration of bank balances.

7) The Certificates must have date of Currency as the regulations state they must be valid for 6 months at submission date.

If you have any other questions please let me know.

 

[HarryF]

3. My official contract says I work 5 - 15 hours, which I've uploaded. My line manager signed a letter (on official letterhead) declaring my average working hours. The problem was that the system itself wants one numerical value that basically does not exist. Is there anything else I can do?

5. I'm not sure how I can disclose holidays I've taken if I never had my passport stamped (does not happen within the EU). I just don't know the dates for two of my holidays (I've listed the other 9, and these two holidays are for countries already disclosed). I was told by a lawyer that it was riskier giving information that cannot be backed up...?

6. I've got stamped official detailed bank statements for the past 6 months for all of my accounts; the only information I don't have in an official letter is the date I opened each account, only a verbal confirmation - each of my banks said this is not possible to confirm this in writing in the UK.

7. The Police Certificates I obtained were both found through the official CIC website. The UK one appears to be linked with my passport and the France one has a very long reference code (and is the specific file requested by CIC). Neither one has a date of validity and I assumed this was because it covers my entire duration in the country. Could it just be that some other countries only have a limited time period for this?

Apologies for going in a circle, I'm feeling a bit boxed in because some of the things they're asking for do not exist or aren't possible; although I'm sure they deal with UK/France all the time...

 

[JoacRy]

3) If you have the letter then input the average hrs as stated on the letter.

5) In that case if there are no passport stamps to indicate you have visited a certain countries you should be fine. Just give a record of the countries you have visited where they have actually stamped your passport.

6) You can try to submit a Letter of Explanation along with your Bank statements that you have and inform them that your Bank Managers are happy to verbally confirm the balances. During the time I have been on this Forum though I have read posts from others who have seen their application rejected (in part because they either could not get or did not submit) letters on bank letterhead confirming Account holder name, bank account number, date account opened, and current bank balance. The Visa Office is very strict and their process is to confirm the details on the letter (on bank letterhead) signed by the bank manager. (Sorry I know this is not what you want to read).

7) You may be correct in this regard. Ensure that if the French PCC is in French (you get it translated) and submit the original of the PCC and the translated document. Again the VO has strict requirements because in their eyes Police Certificates only have currency for a set period of time. Submit a Letter of Explanation along with the Police Certificates explaining as to why your Certificates do not have Dates of Currency.

If any other questions let me know.

 

[HarryF]

Thanks for this, it has been very insightful!

6. I understand it's quite strict. I feel like I've given 99% of what they want; everything except an official letter saying when each account was opened. I've scanned about 33 pages of official bank information (every transaction from every account for the past 6 months). Definitely between a rock and a hard place as it seems the banks here are just as strict about not giving out official letters of account open dates as the Canadian government is about wanting it. I could try to get the bank to explain their policy in writing. Both banks said it is actually illegal for banks in the UK to give out information more than 6 years old. So I scanned my first ever transaction from each account as a back up. I'll try your suggestion as I think it could help!

7. I've had a look at both PCCs, they look pretty official. I haven't found where it says in the CIC website that it must show a time period for when it is valid. I think it would be quite weird to be able to obtain a clean PCC if I was arrested e.g. 15 years ago, so I just assumed it was continuous.

 

[JJ777]

Thanks for this, it has been very insightful!

6. I understand it's quite strict. I feel like I've given 99% of what they want; everything except an official letter saying when each account was opened. I've scanned about 33 pages of official bank information (every transaction from every account for the past 6 months). Definitely between a rock and a hard place as it seems the banks here are just as strict about not giving out official letters of account open dates as the Canadian government is about wanting it. I could try to get the bank to explain their policy in writing. Both banks said it is actually illegal for banks in the UK to give out information more than 6 years old. So I scanned my first ever transaction from each account as a back up. I'll try your suggestion as I think it could help!

7. I've had a look at both PCCs, they look pretty official. I haven't found where it says in the CIC website that it must show a time period for when it is valid. I think it would be quite weird to be able to obtain a clean PCC if I was arrested e.g. 15 years ago, so I just assumed it was continuous.

6. It's a complete bi**h getting this sorted. I kicked up a massive fuss at my two banks and the bank managers wrote majority of the information on a letter- they can write when the bank account was open. Make sure you speak to the bank manager. If I remember correct I got all the information on the letter apart from a 6 month balance, for which I submitted the last 6 months statements and that was sufficient.
Basically kick off in a branch if you can, it was the only way I managed to get it done.

 

[HarryF]

I think Bank of Scotland should be fine if I twist their arm enough. But Royal Bank of Scotland flat out refused. (It was the bank that I opened the account in). I can keep trying though.

It's nice to know someone managed to get it done!

 

[JJ777]

I think Bank of Scotland should be fine if I twist their arm enough. But Royal Bank of Scotland flat out refused. (It was the bank that I opened the account in). I can keep trying though.

It's nice to know someone managed to get it done!

I'm with HSBC and barclays. I was ordering anything and everything from barclays because they were the most difficult. Somewhere along the line I ordered a complete set of statements from when I opened my bank account (over 10 years worth). Come like 4 months later, but who ever told you about keeping information for only 6 years out right lied to you.
Keep annoying the branch, eventually someone will break and give you what you need! Lol

 

[JJ777]

I think Bank of Scotland should be fine if I twist their arm enough. But Royal Bank of Scotland flat out refused. (It was the bank that I opened the account in). I can keep trying though.

It's nice to know someone managed to get it done!

Just had a look. HSBC called the letter "bank account information" and Barclays "status enquiry".
When in branch get them to phone customer service for you. Hope that helps a little

 

[JoacRy]

This is an interesting cultural learning experience for me. I opened my bank account 15 years ago in my Australian bank and I was able to get a letter (on bank letterhead signed by my bank manager), and 6 months of statements no problem and I opened the account in the year 2000. I don't know if this helps you but I am also going to use my Australian tax returns where I reported interest income generated on the bank deposits as taxable income. You could use your UK tax returns to show that you reported taxable interest income on your UK bank interest.

 

[HarryF]

Thanks guys, this is all a great help. I'm going to visit my branch tomorrow and demand a bank account status letter. The Royal Bank of Scotland guy was a bit of a jerk...

In the UK, I've never needed to fill a tax return because I'm on Pay as you Earn (PAYE). First time I had to do one of those was in France a couple of years ago!

 

[JJ777]

Thanks guys, this is all a great help. I'm going to visit my branch tomorrow and demand a bank account status letter. The Royal Bank of Scotland guy was a bit of a jerk...

In the UK, I've never needed to fill a tax return because I'm on Pay as you Earn (PAYE). First time I had to do one of those was in France a couple of years ago!

Thought I'd mention about your UK police check (I assume your French one must be the same). They don't have valid dates but will have a creation date (like 20/12/2015) and it will list everything up until that date that they have on record. Obviously I assume yours said no trace, in which case it means they have absolutely nothing on file since you date of birth. So I wouldn't worry about that

 

[HarryF]

Wow, thanks. It did indeed say 'No Trace'. I'm sure CIC must be very used to getting the ACRO PCC from the UK by now and know full well that they don't put dates on it, at least because I am both UK citizen and still in the country. Hopefully the French one (Bulletin No. 3) is fine too.

Cheers