When applying for Canadian citizenship through naturalization, applicants are required to provide their complete travel history and details of any immigration statuses they’ve ever held. This requirement applies not just for the past five years, but for their entire lifetime.
Providing incomplete or inaccurate travel information can delay or complicate the citizenship application process.
This requirement for lifelong travel history disclosure was confirmed through recent correspondence between immigration lawyers and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
Today, we will discuss about the travel history one has to disclose for Canadian citizenship.
So, without further ado, let us begin!
Travel History And Status Must Cover Your Entire Life
When IRCC refers to “travel history,” it includes all countries or territories you’ve ever visited. Similarly, “immigration status” covers every status you’ve held from a short-term visitor to a citizen of another country.
Applicants must enter this information under Question 13 of the Application for Canadian Citizenship (CIT 002) form if applying on paper, or the corresponding section when applying online.
How Detailed Does The Disclosure Need To Be?
In order to understand what travel history one has to disclose for Canadian citizenship, one must know how detailed a disclosure must be.
In its communications with immigration representatives, IRCC has clarified that applicants must list all countries and territories visited since birth, even if they were only present for a few hours.
This means:
- You must provide a start and end date for each trip.
- You must specify the immigration status you held during each visit.
For example, if you had a short layover in a country on your way to another destination and stayed for just a few hours, this trip must still be listed in your travel history. In such cases, your entry and exit dates will likely be the same day.
While some people associate “immigration status” with work or study permits, this requirement also includes short-term visitor status. So in the layover example, the appropriate status to disclose would be “visitor.” This also applies if you traveled as a tourist.
The application form also includes an “other” option, which allows you to specify a status not available in the dropdown list.
How To Make Sure Your Travel History Is Accurate?
In order to know what travel history one has to disclose for Canadian citizenship, here’s how you can ensure that your travel history is safe.
Reconstructing a complete travel history since birth may feel overwhelming, but there are several reliable ways to piece it together. Using multiple sources can help ensure accuracy and avoid omissions.
1. Review Current And Expired Passports
Start by checking all your current and old passports.
Entry and exit stamps can serve as helpful references to determine travel dates. However, keep in mind that some countries don’t stamp on exit. It’s best to use passport stamps as a guide, not your only source of information.
2. Search Your Email For eTA Confirmations
If your passport allows visa-free travel to certain countries, you may have applied for an electronic travel authorization (eTA) in the past.
Search your email inbox for keywords like “eTA,” “eTA approval,” or the country’s name. These records often contain the exact date of travel.
If you’re unsure which email address might have received the confirmation, you can visit the official government website of that country to identify the address they use to send eTA notifications.
3. Use Airline Itineraries And Booking Confirmations
Old flight booking confirmations and itineraries are another excellent source of travel history. They usually include:
- Exact travel dates
- Departure and arrival locations
- Layovers that may otherwise be forgotten
If you frequently travel with the same airline, logging into your frequent flyer account can give you access to archived trip details.
You can also check your hotel or Airbnb accounts for reservation history, which can help confirm travel dates and locations.
4. Check Social Media And Personal Photos
Your social media posts including Facebook, Instagram, or X can help jog your memory about trips you may have forgotten. Posts usually include timestamps, which can help you identify entry and exit periods.
Even if you don’t post publicly, reviewing personal photo albums or cloud storage can help fill in gaps in your timeline.
5. Review Credit Card And Bank Statements
Credit card transactions and bank statements can also provide useful travel records.
Look out for:
- Currency exchange transactions
- Hotel or Airbnb payments
- Airline ticket purchases
- Charges from foreign merchants
These details can help you pinpoint when a trip began or ended.
Why Accuracy Matters?
Providing a complete and precise travel history is critical to a smooth citizenship application process. Any missing or inconsistent information can result in delays, requests for additional documents, or even application refusals in some cases.
This requirement reflects IRCC’s emphasis on accurately assessing residency and eligibility for citizenship. While the process may seem meticulous, being thorough from the start can save time and stress later on.
If your travel history is extensive, creating a timeline spreadsheet with entry and exit dates, countries visited, and immigration statuses can help keep the information organized before submitting your application.
By taking the time to gather records from multiple sources, applicants can build a clear and reliable travel history for their Canadian citizenship application. A complete record not only meets IRCC’s requirements but also minimizes the chance of delays during processing.
Explore your pathway to move to Canada with Immigtoronto. Our team of skilled RCICs offers customized immigration solutions, ensuring a trustworthy and professional process. Contact us at [email protected].
