Worked outside Canada last year - no Option C printout

[091212]

Has anyone ever worked out of the country before applying to sponsor their spouse?
I didn't file a tax return for 2012 because I was living in China. I called the Canada Revenue Agency and they said that they don't think I need to file because I was out of the country, therefore I wouldn't get an Option C Printout.

All I have from my employer in China is a document saying what I made each month that I was working there. They signed it and stamped it. Do you think if I write a letter and send along that document from my employer in China then they will accept it?
Just wondering if anyone has been through this experience before. I'd rather know sooner than later if I really do need to file a tax return.

 

[bartjones]

I hadn't worked in Canada for 12 years when I sponsored my spouse for PR. I called CRA, requested the Option C and it arrived at my home in Korea about a month later, showing info from my last filing. Give them a call and your current address and they'll send it to you.

As for the question of whether you need to file a tax return, that will depend on your residency status, i.e. whether you were for tax purposes a "resident of Canada" even though you were working in China. That's a tricky question and you can read more about it here

http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/nnrsdnts/cmmn/rsdncy-eng.html