Road To Canada Forums

Hi again,
poring over these forms and within 5 minutes I already have another question...

For my non-Canadian spouse, "the applicant", there is a supplementary form required (it says for all Western Europeans, at least those applying through the paris office), it is the IMM 5562 (05-2004) E form found here:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/guides/3901e.pdf

Anyways, it says it must be filled out by the applicant, and it asks for the destination, duration, dates, and purpose of all the trips out of the country of residence for the past 10 years. Now nevermind the fact that in continental Europe there are nearly invisible borders and my spouse crosses the border to buy groceries, go out for dinner, etc. In fact, the most direct route to see his parents an hour away crosses the border in and out of Switzerland/Germany 3 times... so obviously this form is going to be a challenge... (do you think they mean outside Schengen?)

...but sorry, that's just griping - my REAL question is:
The title of the form is "Your Travels" and it's for the applicant, not the sponsor, but after asking about "your travels", they ask about "your spouse's travels (and dependent children) if applicable". Now if this form is for my spouse then when they ask about his spouse's travels, that's me... so why would they ask that of him, and not of me directly on one of the forms to be filled in by the sponsor?

Perhaps it is only if the applicant filling the form is my dependent child and they happen to be married? (can you get married when you are still a "dependent" yourself? Golly!) Or for polygamists?

I feel like this is a stupid question but... I just don't get it. Have any of you done this form and know what they mean? I just know it would take me a week to gather all that info and it seems very unlikely that it's really me they're asking about...

Thanks,
TLH

Some of the forms for an application for Permanent Residence are the same for all applicants, whether they've been sponsored as part of the family class, or are coming in on their own (like under the federal skilled worker class). I'm not sure if this one is one of them, but even if it isn't, a person can sponsor their parents under the family class, which means you could easily be sponsoring a married couple (one parent as principal applicant, and their spouse -- which likely would be your other parent).

I didn't fill out one, as I don't apply though Paris.

It's a Paris only form.

I'm not sure how you'd fill it out. Perhaps regarding the daily trips outside the country you could drop an email to Paris and hope they responde? Though from what I hear, they rarely do.

ditto anitsirk.

"If applicable . . . " and relative to the sponsor: not applicable.

Assuming that many of the border crossings you are referring to in order to buy groceries or visit family are brief excursions with the destination back in his home country, and did not involve any formal border crossing, I might try to truncate all that by adding a supplemental page explaining that in addition to the travels listed (in which I would list all non-brief excursions, definitely any overnight excursions) I might simply describe the circumstances and summarize in terms of frequency (as in usually made five or nine or whatever number is most accurate) border crossings a month attendant . . . describing the nature, general duration, and purpose of such trips in general (average of three trips a month on such and such a route in order to visit parents, and nine trips a month to xxyyzz to shop, and so on).

Hi all,
thanks very much for the replies We figure that since the Schengen zone is now "borderless" in a way, it's probably just easier to list only "real travel", as in overnight trips, and not bother trying to explain anything more. As those small border crossing are not really travel and completely inconsequential and uncontrolled and there are no passport checks or stamps or even proof he went over (other than credit card transactions and VAT refund forms for his shopping), it shouldn't matter.

Of course they should update the form because it's ridiculous for Europe in this day and age... but hey, after 4 years living in France I know that logic and efficiency are not as important to immigration bureaucrats as forms, stamps, and tradition...

And although the front page of the package specifically says "sponship of a spouse or dependent child" I agree that probably they don't really mean it and it's just a generic form stuck in there, with the spouse section still included.

If we do choose the family-class sponsorship route, we'll try this method and put an update later if there is any problem, just in case someone else has the same question in the future.

Cheers!
TLH