The Canadian Government Knows How Long You’ve Been in Canada
You may not realize it, but Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) can now track your presence in Canada. As CIC News reports, the Canadian Border Service Agency’s new Entry/Exit Program started tracking when foreign nationals come into and leave Canada by land in February 2019, and the program is expected to expand to include air travel in June 2020. Basic identifying information—including the name, birth date, nationality/citizenship, sex, and travel document information—about foreign nationals collected through this program makes it harder for people to slip under IRCC’s radar.
What does this mean for visitors and immigrants?
The number of days a foreign national has spent in Canada is relevant to many types of applications, and staying in Canada too long or not long enough can have serious consequences for many applicants, including those with or seeking work or study permits and visitor visas, as well as those submitting permanent residence and citizenship applications. Temporary residents who stay too long could risk their future ability to enter or stay in Canada, and those hoping to make Canada their home who lie about or fail to meet their residency requirements could ruin their chances of living in Canada. The Entry/Exit program allows IRCC to check on whether visa holders are overstaying the length of their visa and whether immigration applicants are meeting residency requirements. For example, citizenship applicants have to have spent 1095 days in Canada within the 5 years prior to their application, and the Entry/Exit program provides a way for IRCC to access records that can verify if applicants are telling the truth.
This verification method means that applicants and visa holders need to be extra aware of the requirements of the immigration programs they are trying to access and makes the chances of fraud and misrepresentation being caught significantly higher. The knowledge and qualifications of certified representation are, in turn, more important than ever. You need to know that the person guiding you through the immigration process has the experience and integrity to help you make the right decisions without taking shortcuts that could jeopardize your status.
If you are planning to come to Canada, either temporarily or permanently, Milmantas Immigration can help you prepare a complete, persuasive application that meets all requirements. To get started, contact us at info@milmantasimmigration.com.
