heszak said:
I've been out of the country for a couple of time (150 days in total) since I landed as a permanent resident. I applied for the citizenship when I was 1460 days, however I wonder to know what are the chances that I get a questionnaire?
I'm not sure how the process looks like, cause I hears if I've gone out of the country I might been asked more question. Could someone elaborate on this?
In macro terms there are two scenarios in which citizenship applicants are issued questionnaires aimed at documenting the applicant's residency or physical presence, including being issued the dreaded RQ (Residency Questionnaire, which is CIT 0171):
-- random quality control check
-- there is an identified
reason-to-question-applicant's-presence/residency
Time abroad in itself does not constitute a
reason-to-question-applicant's-presence/residency.
We know what the formal, so-called
"triage criteria," was as of the summer of 2012, as used to identify applicants to be sent a pre-test RQ. That is the last version I am aware that those of us in the public have had access to. Those criteria included some more or less technical triggers. That is, they were not necessarily about what would trigger actual suspicions.
Obviously anything that would trigger actual suspicions is likely to trigger RQ. What else might, however, is largely an unknown at this stage.
Overall, no one can be guaranteed they will not be issued RQ. Anyone could be issued RQ.
Overall, however, it appears that very few applicants are being RQ'd these days.
Qualified applicants applying with a reasonable buffer over the minimum can probably be comfortable that their application will be routine, or close to routine.
heszak said:
I noticed that some applicants are being asked for FP (Finger Print) however I don;t know the reason. Does anyone know which applicants are asked for FP?
There are multiple reasons why an applicant might get a FP request, ranging from need to verify identity (such as because there are other clients with similar name and dob) to the need to verify lack of criminal record (similarly, due to others with similar name popping up in an RCMP name record check). Or a random quality control check.
There is no way to guarantee not getting either RQ or a FP. Most will not. Most by a big margin. Many times the FP request has a minimal impact, just delaying the process slightly.
Main thing: be sure to be qualified. Have a reasonable buffer over the minimum. Be sure to carefully and accurately complete the application. Be meticulous when completing the online presence calculation. Be sure to report actual dates of travel (many make the mistake of relying on what is stamped in their passports . . . totally forgetting that since Canada does not give an exit stamp, there is no stamp at all in the passport which shows the date a PR exited Canada . . . obviously, a stamp showing an entry into another country is not proof that is the date the PR exited Canada, just proof the PR was outside Canada on that date).
