P.O. box as a mailing address in application?

EasyRider wrote: Is it OK to provide a P.O. box as a mailing address in citizenship application? In case I will leave Canada for some months after application, I won't have an address here.

CIT 0002 completion guide does not explicitly prevent you from submitting a PO Box as your mailing address:

Question 5B

If your mailing address is different from your home address, write your complete mailing address.

but this is likely akin to asking for an RQ.

You have your rights to use P O BOX, they have their power to RQ you. 

EasyRider wrote: nwtspam wrote: You have your rights to use P O BOX, they have their power to RQ you.  P O BOX cannot be your home address unless you live in the post office.  CIC is not stupid if you change the mailing address but not the home one. Good luck! It's ok, they have 2 sections-- home address and mailing address in application. I'm not going to make home address a P.O. box. I don't remember seeing any connection between P.O. box and RQ here on forum, in their processing manual (CP-5) or anywhere else.

I guess, no one will have a definite answer. It is definitely not on the sample list of red flags in CP-5. I am just speculating that they may interpret this as an additional red flag that may trigger an RQ.  But in the current environment any "may" seems to turn into "will".

I could suggest calling the Call Centre, but they will have no clue as well.

Edit: why would you want to put it in the application upfront? You could change the mailing address later. (reason for Q: from reading those federal court decisions, they seem to be putting additional scrutiny on those who are leaving the country after applying... so this is the inference they can get from your P.O. box address, and you'd want to avoid that)



Edited by akella - 16 Jul 2012 at 4:38pm

BlackRacon wrote: It is better to have your home address in application. If you use P. O. Box, probably you will be at risk of RQ.

I see you and others saying that, but based on what exactly? Usually, a word from CIC some form or a reported experience required to make such claims.

Your home address cannot be a PO box AFAIK.  While you can have it as your mailing address, there are some things it's not possible to use a PO box.  By the way, a group box is not the same as a PO box.  Also, your postal code being the same as a PO box block doesn't really mean much.  As you said, this is common in rural areas, that have postal codes such as X0X 0X0 type format (note zeros for all of the number values).

As per Ministry of Transportation's website in Ontario:

"Your Complete New Mailing and/or Residential Addresses, including your street number, street name, township or city, postal code, and if applicable, your apartment number, lot number, concession number, and rural route. The Ministry requires a complete residential address; a post office box alone is not sufficient."

I assume it's entirely possible for CIC to have a similar requirement.