The IMM 5562 (Supplementary Information – Your Travels) form is a mandatory document where you must list every single trip you have taken outside your country of residence for the last 10 years. Accuracy is critical, as IRCC and CBSA cross-reference this data for national security screening.
When applying for family sponsorship in Canada, the amount of paperwork can feel overwhelming. Among the many documents, Form IMM 5562 is one of the most tedious but important. This form is designed to map out your global footprint. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) wants to know exactly where you have been, how long you stayed there, and the purpose of your trip. This helps the government ensure you do not pose a security risk and that your timeline matches the rest of your application.
Whether you are currently living in Montreal, Quebec, or applying from outside of Canada, you must account for all international travel over the past 10 years, or since your 18th birthday, whichever is more recent. 📍 Failing to disclose a trip-even a quick weekend shopping run across the border-can be viewed by IRCC as misrepresentation, leading to severe delays or even a 5-year ban from entering Canada.
Step-by-Step Process for Filling Out IMM 5562 in Canada
Completing this form accurately requires patience and a good filing system. Because this is a federal form, the rules are identical for applicants in Halifax, Nova Scotia, or Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Step 1: Gather All Current and Expired Passports
Your first task is to locate every passport you have held over the last 10 years. 🗂 Look through every page for entry and exit stamps, visas, and border notations. These stamps are your best tool for pinning down exact dates. If you travel frequently, you should also check old emails for flight itineraries or hotel booking confirmations to fill in any missing days.
Step 2: Request Travel Histories (If Needed)
If you have travelled frequently to the United States, you can download your free I-94 travel history report from the US Customs and Border Protection website. This report lists all your land and air border crossings into the US. If you are already inside Canada, you might also request your entry/exit records from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) through an ATIP request to ensure your dates are perfect.
Step 3: Document the Applicant’s Travels
Open the IMM 5562 form and start with the Principal Applicant. 📄 You must list trips in chronological order. For each trip, you need the start date, end date, length of the trip, the country visited, the specific city, and the purpose of travel (e.g., tourism, business, visiting family). You do not need to list trips taken within your own country of origin or within your current country of residence.
Step 4: Document the Family Members’ Travels
If you have a spouse (the principal applicant) and dependent children over the age of 18, their travels must also be recorded on this same form. If they did not travel at all during the 10-year period, you must check the box that says ‘Did not travel outside of country of residence’. Do not leave the section blank, or IRCC will return the application as incomplete.
Step 5: Write a Letter of Explanation for Gaps
If you absolutely cannot remember the exact dates of a trip, and have no stamps to prove it, do your best to estimate the month and year. Then, draft a formal Letter of Explanation (LOE). State clearly that despite your best efforts, you could not find the exact dates for a specific vacation. Honesty is always the best policy with Canadian immigration.
How Much Does it Cost in Canada?
While the IMM 5562 form itself is free to download from the IRCC portal, preparing it correctly can sometimes incur minor costs. Here is a breakdown of what you might spend as of May 2026:
- Government Form: $0 CAD.
- CBSA Travel History Request: If you file an Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) request to get your Canadian border records, the government fee is $5 CAD.
- Passport Translations: If your passport stamps are not in English or French, you must hire a certified translator. Expect to pay $30 to $80 CAD per page.
- Law Firm Review: If you hire a lawyer to verify your application and ensure your IMM 5562 matches your background declaration, fees generally range from $500 to $1,500 CAD.
How Long Does the Process Take?
Gathering 10 years of travel data can easily take an applicant 1 to 2 weeks of dedicated digging through old documents. ⏱ Once submitted, this form becomes a key part of your overall spousal sponsorship file. As of mid-2026, the standard processing time for a family sponsorship application (both inside and outside Canada) is approximately 10 to 12 months, largely because security agencies like CSIS take time to verify these travel histories.
Comparison: Trips to Include vs. Trips to Exclude
| Type of Trip | Include on IMM 5562? | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Weekend shopping in the USA | Yes | It is outside your country of residence, even if only for a few hours. |
| Flight from Toronto to Vancouver | No | Domestic travel within your country of residence is not required. |
| A 3-hour layover in Germany | Yes | You physically entered a foreign territory, even in transit. |
| Deployment with military abroad | Yes | All foreign locations must be documented for security screening. |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Does the Canadian sponsor need to list their travels?
No. The IMM 5562 is only for the Principal Applicant (the person being sponsored) and any of their dependent family members over the age of 18. The Canadian citizen or permanent resident acting as the sponsor does not fill out this form.
What if I run out of space on the form?
If you have travelled extensively and fill all the rows, you must print a second copy of that specific page, fill in the additional trips, and upload it alongside the main form. You can also use a neatly formatted spreadsheet attached to the application.
Does the form need to perfectly match my IMM 5669?
Absolutely. The IMM 5669 (Background Declaration) tracks your addresses and work history. If you claim you lived in India for a year on one form, but your IMM 5562 says you were travelling in Europe for six of those months, IRCC will flag the inconsistency.
Do I include trips to my home country if I live elsewhere?
Yes. If your current country of residence is the United Arab Emirates, but you are a citizen of Pakistan, any trips you took back to Pakistan to visit family must be listed on the IMM 5562.
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