How to Prepare Travel History Records for Immigration and Citizenship Applications
Preparing for immigration and citizenship applications is a significant milestone in life. The completeness of travel history records is critical for a successful application. Frequent travelers or those with access to automated or expedited border clearance may lack entry and exit stamps on their passports, posing challenges in document preparation. By proactively obtaining complete travel records from relevant authorities and consolidating all necessary documents, applicants can significantly improve the efficiency and success rate of their applications. This guide aims to help you understand how to prepare and submit complete travel history records, from applying for the U.S. I-94 record to integrating Canada’s ICES report, providing clear directions and practical tips to achieve your immigration or citizenship goals smoothly.
1. Preparing Passport Data
Using the Taiwan passport as an example, it enjoys visa-exempt privileges for entry into North America. Taiwan passports are often scanned for record-keeping upon entry to Canada and the U.S., with entry and exit stamps rarely issued. Additionally, travelers to many countries with automated or expedited border clearance may also find no stamps on their passports. This can lead to challenges when applying for Canadian Permanent Residency (PR), PR card renewal, or citizenship due to incomplete travel records.
2. How to Prepare Complete Travel Records
- U.S. Travel Records
- Apply for the I-94 Record:
- Request the I-94 travel record from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) website to ensure complete entry and exit documentation.
- Canadian Travel Records
- Apply for the ICES Traveller History Report:
Request the ICES Traveller History – ATIP Traveller Passage Report from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).
- Apply for the ICES Traveller History Report:
- Consolidate Past Travel Records
- Integrating PR and Citizenship Application Data
- When preparing to apply for citizenship, it is recommended to include travel data previously used for PR and PR card renewal applications. Submit these as attachments with your application to demonstrate diligence in document preparation and avoid delays caused by travel record issues that may result in R01 or R03 manual review processes.
- Guidance on Requesting Records
- Request Records from Relevant Authorities:
Applicants should request detailed entry and exit records from the respective border, immigration, or customs authorities of each country to ensure document completeness. - Document Preparation:
Scan all pages of passports used for travel to and from Canada and compile them into a PDF file smaller than 4 MB.
- Request Records from Relevant Authorities:
3. Notes on Date Line Rules
- U.S. Date Line Rules
- The U.S. date line is based on the CBP headquarters time in Minnesota, not the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) headquarters time in Washington, D.C.
- Canadian Date Line Rules
- Canada’s date line is based on Ottawa time.
- Time Zone Impacts on Review
- In practice, immigration officers typically use the applicant’s local time zone to determine whether a full day is met. Exceptions may occur in cases of system errors or complex cross-time-zone travel, where Ottawa (IRCC and/or CBSA headquarters) time is used.
4. Recommendations for Time Calculation Buffer
- Preparing Before Submission
- Applicants should allow sufficient buffer time and avoid submitting applications immediately upon meeting the minimum residency days: 730 days for PR card renewal and 1,095 days for citizenship applications.
- Consolidating Important Documents
- Compile all relevant travel records in advance to eliminate discrepancies.
- For frequent travelers or cross-border workers, additional evidence of ties to Canada may be required, such as commercial entry records (e.g., truck drivers’ business lane records with “Commercial” marked on ICES travel reports), employment verification, duty records (e.g., pre-trip inspection reports), tax records, property ownership, children’s school enrollment, or pay stubs.
Conclusion
Completing travel history records is critical for applying for Canadian Permanent Residency, PR card renewal, and citizenship. Applicants should ensure all relevant documents are complete before submission, especially entry and exit records, to avoid unnecessary delays. Understanding border management requirements and proactively requesting records from relevant authorities can help avoid manual review processes caused by incomplete records. Additionally, planning sufficient buffer time for residency days and thoroughly consolidating documentation can significantly enhance application success. Accuracy and thoroughness in records are key to success. Applicants should approach every detail responsibly to ensure flawless submissions and achieve their immigration or citizenship goals smoothly.
