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reason of absence in list of absences from Canada (PPC)

americandesimd

Hero Member
Aug 10, 2014
258
17
Hi There,

Do I need to provide a detailed genuine reason for the list of absence from Canada in the Physical Presence Calculator. Does the absences matter wrt to gaining citizenship?
I landed in July 2017 from USA and went back to USA the same day. Then I moved permanently in January 2018 and have been in Canada since then. So my absence is around 186 days. I had my personal reasons for doing this. So do I need to honestly explain in detail why there was such a long gap before I moved in permanently in January 2018 or if I just mention the reason as "family matters" will also work?

Thanks!
 

bluffmaster88

Hero Member
Jun 5, 2015
379
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Hi There,

Do I need to provide a detailed genuine reason for the list of absence from Canada in the Physical Presence Calculator. Does the absences matter wrt to gaining citizenship?
I landed in July 2017 from USA and went back to USA the same day. Then I moved permanently in January 2018 and have been in Canada since then. So my absence is around 186 days. I had my personal reasons for doing this. So do I need to honestly explain in detail why there was such a long gap before I moved in permanently in January 2018 or if I just mention the reason as "family matters" will also work?

Thanks!
Generic reason is good enough. All they look for is number of days and not 'why?'
 
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dpenabill

VIP Member
Apr 2, 2010
6,252
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I landed in July 2017 from USA and went back to USA the same day. Then I moved permanently in January 2018 and . . .
You describe what is typically referred to as a soft landing . . . individual comes to Canada to formalize process of becoming a Permanent Resident, but is not ready to settle in Canada. So the new PR stays briefly (a day, a week, a month; varies from person to person), returns to home country or the country where they have been living or working. And later makes the move to Canada to settle and stay. Very, very common.

Whether it is to continue working, settle personal affairs, to assist or accompany family, or whatever.

The applicant's explanation, in the box where the applicant provides a "reason for absence," does not need to be very detailed. It can be quite general. And, indeed, should be brief, thus general.

But it needs to be GENUINE. No doubt about that.


LONGER REMARKS in this regard:

Hi There,

Do I need to provide a detailed genuine reason for the list of absence from Canada in the Physical Presence Calculator. Does the absences matter wrt to gaining citizenship?
I landed in July 2017 from USA and went back to USA the same day. Then I moved permanently in January 2018 and have been in Canada since then. So my absence is around 186 days. I had my personal reasons for doing this. So do I need to honestly explain in detail why there was such a long gap before I moved in permanently in January 2018 or if I just mention the reason as "family matters" will also work?

Thanks!
As already noted, NOT much detail is required BUT OBVIOUSLY the purpose or reason MUST BE TRUE, GENUINE.

ALL INFORMATION submitted in connection with the application needs to be honest and as accurate as reasonably possible.

Sure it is easy to be, so to say, a bluff-master, and get away with fudging this or that information. NOT the way to approach the application for citizenship, no matter how good the odds are it will not be a problem.

OK, sure, if the reason was to run a criminal organization, confessing in the box provided for explaining the purpose or reason for being abroad could, well, trigger some issues. Those in this or a similar situation have already maneuvered themselves into a corner. I am an old guy, been around a few blocks, so yeah, in some regards been there, had to do this or that, managed. STILL NOT the way to approach things generally AND especially NOT the way to approach making the citizenship application.

REMEMBER: one of the most important factors influencing how things go is the applicant's credibility. This is largely about what IRCC officials PERCEIVE about the applicant. One of the quickest ways to sabotage the application is to make evasive (let alone false) statements which suggest the applicant might NOT be a RELIABLE reporter of facts . . . even facts that do not have any direct bearing on the requirements for citizenship.

Which leads to . . .

Generic reason is good enough. All they look for is number of days and not 'why?'
The applicant is specifically required to provide a "reason for absence" in the actual physical presence calculator travel history. There is a box specifically designated for doing this. That is, the citizenship application absolutely does ask for, and require, the applicant to state the "why" for the absence.

Whatever the particular reason is (unless, for example, criminal), it does not bear on whether or not the applicant meets the requirements. But there is a purpose underlying such questions, which includes, in large part, getting enough information with context to assess the credibility of the applicant.
 
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armoured

VIP Member
Feb 1, 2015
15,226
7,753
Hi There,

Do I need to provide a detailed genuine reason for the list of absence from Canada in the Physical Presence Calculator. Does the absences matter wrt to gaining citizenship?
I landed in July 2017 from USA and went back to USA the same day. Then I moved permanently in January 2018 and have been in Canada since then. So my absence is around 186 days. I had my personal reasons for doing this. So do I need to honestly explain in detail why there was such a long gap before I moved in permanently in January 2018 or if I just mention the reason as "family matters" will also work?

Thanks!
Just tell the truth in brief. If it was family matters, family matters is likely sufficient. "Work" would be another.

I suspect that the cases where this matters are rather rare -(for example) having been absent for reasons that were not disclosed in the original PR application and hence material and substantive misrepresentation. (To construct a hypothetical case - returning to serve in a foreign military where that service was not disclosed in the first place and might have led to more detailed security/background checks). A second and subsequent substantial misrepresentation could potentially be serious.

But complicated hypotheticals aside - simple advice is to tell the truth and keep it brief.
 
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jupiter16

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May 27, 2016
356
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Category........
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Hi, I have a question, if someone can help me. During my last 3 year in canada I stayed in US 8 days, 9 days, 2 months consequetively. Those are for my exam and observership purpose, but i have maintained my home address in Canada during this time. Can anyone provide me info- whether i need to include those usa addresses in my citizenship application? two of them were in hotels in USA.
 

Seym

Champion Member
Nov 6, 2017
1,456
717
Hi, I have a question, if someone can help me. During my last 3 year in canada I stayed in US 8 days, 9 days, 2 months consequetively. Those are for my exam and observership purpose, but i have maintained my home address in Canada during this time. Can anyone provide me info- whether i need to include those usa addresses in my citizenship application? two of them were in hotels in USA.
Nop, vacations are listed in the physical presence calculator, not the address history. The same way you won't list there the night you crashed at a friend's place or a weekend in a chalet (but still in Canada) in that tab... :)
 

jupiter16

Hero Member
May 27, 2016
356
21
Category........
Visa Office......
singapore
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
04-02-16
AOR Received.
AOR 12-03-6, AOR2 30-03-16
File Transfer...
28-03-16
Med's Request
Remed request 12th nov,16
Med's Done....
done
Interview........
interview queued on 24-08-16, interview 8th dec,16
Passport Req..
01-02-2017
VISA ISSUED...
09-02-17, passport back 19-02-17
LANDED..........
18-03-17
Nop, vacations are listed in the physical presence calculator, not the address history. The same way you won't list there the night you crashed at a friend's place or a weekend in a chalet (but still in Canada) in that tab... :)
thanks so much for the reply. You mean even I was doing 2 months of internship outside Canada , I dont need to mention the address, as i put my travel history? :)
 

Seym

Champion Member
Nov 6, 2017
1,456
717
thanks so much for the reply. You mean even I was doing 2 months of internship outside Canada , I dont need to mention the address, as i put my travel history? :)
It's about whether you "lived" in a country.
Not sure about a 2 months internship, but maybe you can skip the others and put that one on the list. That's what I would do I think. A 2 months road trip in US, in opposite, definitely doesn't need to be listed there :)