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IMM 5669 Schedule A, Background/Declaration: what each question asks and how gaps are treated

IMM 5669 (Schedule A) records your identity, parents, education, personal history since age 18 or the last 10 years, organizations, government and military service and addresses. IRCC says not to leave gaps in time, not to use abbreviations, and that an unsigned paper form is returned. Anyone 18 or over in the application completes their own.

Schedule A, "Background/Declaration" (IMM 5669), is the form where an applicant for permanent residence accounts for their adult life: where they studied, what they did, where they lived, which organizations they belonged to and whether they served in government or the military. It is a straightforward-looking form with strict instructions, and the officer reads it against everything else in the file. This page describes the form as IRCC's instruction page presents it (the page is dated 26 June 2025, and the PDF is labelled "Last updated: May 2021"). It explains what each question asks and the rules IRCC attaches to them. It does not tell you how to describe your own history, and it cannot say how an officer will read it.

Who completes IMM 5669 and which version to use

IRCC's page says these people complete the form: - the principal applicant; - the spouse or common-law partner, whether or not they are accompanying the applicant to Canada; - dependent children aged 18 or older, whether or not they are accompanying the applicant; - for refugee claimants in Canada, only family members included in the refugee protection application who are with the claimant in Canada.

There are two versions: a digital form in the Permanent Residence Portal and a PDF for paper applications. IRCC says to check the instructions for your program to see which to use. IRCC's guide for sponsoring a spouse, partner or dependent child (IMM 5289) says the principal applicant completes IMM 5669 online and that family members over 18 complete their own.

If you cannot apply online and need accommodations, including for a disability, IRCC says you may request an alternative format of the form and application package.

The form is one of several. In a spousal sponsorship it sits with IMM 0008 (the generic application form), IMM 5406 (additional family information) and, if it applies, IMM 5562 (travel history). Each has its own guide on this site.

The identity and family questions (paper version, questions 1 to 5)

The paper version starts with identity and parents: - Question 1: your full family name and all given names, exactly as on your passport, travel or identity document. IRCC says not to use initials. - Question 2: your name in your native language or script, if applicable. IRCC's examples are Arabic, Cyrillic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean and Japanese. - Question 3: your date of birth. An asterisk stands in for unknown parts, and IRCC's example is 1964/*/*. - Question 4: your father's details: family name, given names, date of birth, town or city of birth, country of birth, and date of death if applicable. - Question 5: your mother's details, with the same fields.

In the online version the personal details section asks for family and given names "exactly as they appear on your passport, travel document or identity document", with no initials.

Question 6: the Yes/No questionnaire

Question 6 is a series of Yes/No questions answered by checking a box. For any "Yes" you explain in the space provided or on a separate sheet. In the online version, a "Yes" requires an explanation in the details field.

IRCC's instruction page does not list the individual questionnaire items, so read them in the form itself, in full, before answering. They are not something to answer from a summary. Section 16(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act requires a person who makes an application to "answer truthfully all questions put to them for the purpose of the examination", and section 40(1)(a) makes a person inadmissible "for directly or indirectly misrepresenting or withholding material facts relating to a relevant matter that induces or could induce an error in the administration of this Act". Under section 40(2)(a) that inadmissibility continues for five years following a final determination made outside Canada.

Whether a past event calls for a "Yes" depends on the wording of the specific question and on the facts. That is a question for a regulated adviser when the answer is not obvious.

Questions 7 to 12: the rules that apply to every history section

IRCC sets general rules for questions 7 to 12 on the paper version: - Do not use abbreviations. - Do not leave gaps in time. - Write "N/A" if a question does not apply. - Attach a separate sheet if you need more space.

IRCC states the consequence of gaps directly: "If you don't account for all time periods, it may delay the processing of your application."

The online version repeats the same themes: "do not leave any gaps in time" under personal history, no abbreviations under organizations and government positions, and addresses written in full including unit numbers.

Question 7: education

Question 7 asks for the years of formal education you have completed at each level. For each secondary and post-secondary institution you attended it asks for: - the period attended; - the name of the institution; - the city and country; - the type of certificate or diploma; - the field of study.

If no diploma was issued, IRCC says to write "N/A" on the paper form. In the online version, leave the "Type of certificate or diploma issued" field blank if no diploma was earned.

Question 8: personal history

Question 8 is the one people find hardest because of the gap rule. IRCC's instructions are: - Cover the period since age 18 or the past 10 years, whichever is more recent. - List the most recent activity first. - If you were working, give a specific job title, or a brief list of duties if the title is unclear. - If you were not working, explain what you were doing. IRCC's examples are unemployed, studying, travelling, retired or in detention. - If you were outside your country of nationality, give your status in the country you were in.

For the online version IRCC adds an exception to the usual period: if you have not worked in the past 10 years (for example, because you are retired), give your history since age 18. A resume or CV helps you check that you have accounted for every period.

The common thread in IRCC's wording is continuous time: every period between the start date and now should be accounted for, whether it was work, study, travel, retirement or something else.

Questions 9 to 11: organizations, government positions and military service

Question 9 asks for the names of associations or organizations you belong or belonged to. IRCC's online page names the categories: political, social, youth or student, trade union, and professional organizations. On the paper form, if you have none, IRCC says: do not write "not applicable"; write "I have never been a member of an organization or association."

Question 10 asks about past government positions: the country, the level of jurisdiction (national, regional or municipal), the department or branch, and the activities or positions held. IRCC's online page gives examples: civil servant, judge, police officer or security employee. Write "NONE" if there are none, and do not use abbreviations.

Question 11 asks for details of military or paramilitary service, for each country whose armed forces you served in. Write "NONE" if there is none, and leave no gaps in time.

These are factual questions about institutions, so the wording on the form matters. Whether a given organization or role needs listing is a question to settle by reading the form's exact wording, and where it is not clear, with a regulated adviser.

Question 12: addresses, and the declaration

Question 12 asks for your residential addresses since age 18 or the past 10 years, whichever is more recent, with postal codes. IRCC says not to use P.O. Box addresses. The online version asks for addresses written in full with no abbreviations, including unit numbers, and IRCC's example format is: 999 Family Street, Unit #3, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K3J 9T5.

The declaration of the applicant comes next. On the paper form IRCC says to read all the statements, then sign and date in the boxes provided. By signing you certify that the information is "complete, truthful, and correct." The page is blunt about the consequence of leaving it blank: "If you do not sign and date, the application will be returned to you." It also says: "The bottom section of Schedule A should not be completed at this time."

On the online version you read the statements and type your full name in the blue field as your digital signature. There is an additional section in the online form headed Authority to disclose personal information and Declaration of applicant, which you read before typing your name.

Section 10(1)(b) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations says an application must be signed by the applicant, and section 10(2)(d) says it must include "a declaration that the information provided is complete and accurate".

Mistakes and how to check your own draft

From IRCC's instructions, the problems to look for in a draft are: - Gaps between the end of one entry and the start of the next in personal history. A resume or CV laid out by month makes gaps visible. - Abbreviations in organization names, government departments or addresses. - Writing "not applicable" in the organizations answer instead of the sentence IRCC specifies. - Leaving a question blank instead of writing N/A or NONE as the instructions specify. - A name that differs from the passport, or initials in a name field. - Using a P.O. Box in the address history. - Forgetting that a spouse or partner who is staying behind, and each child aged 18 or over, completes their own Schedule A. - Forgetting to sign and date the paper form. IRCC says it is returned. - Completing the "bottom section" that IRCC says is not to be completed at this time. - Answering from memory without checking records. IRCC says a resume or CV helps verify the history.

When it is worth paying a regulated adviser

Schedule A is a form most applicants complete themselves. Paid help is most relevant where the history is difficult to describe in the form's categories: periods of detention or unemployment, service in a government or military organization, membership of organizations in countries with complicated political histories, or a past answer on another Canadian application that may differ from what you now plan to write. A licensed consultant or lawyer can look at your actual history and advise you on how the form's questions apply to it. Check the licence on the public register before you pay, expect a written consultation agreement and a clear fee, and expect an IMM 5476 to be filed if they act for you.

Questions people ask

Who has to complete IMM 5669 Schedule A?

IRCC's page lists the principal applicant, the spouse or common-law partner whether or not accompanying, and dependent children aged 18 or older whether or not accompanying. For refugee claimants in Canada, only family members included in the claim who are with the claimant in Canada.

How far back does personal history have to go?

IRCC says since age 18 or the past 10 years, whichever is more recent, most recent first, with no gaps in time. In the online version, if you have not worked in the past 10 years you give history since age 18.

What do I write if I was never a member of any organization?

On the paper form IRCC says not to write not applicable. Write: I have never been a member of an organization or association.

What happens if I forget to sign the paper form?

IRCC's page says: if you do not sign and date, the application will be returned to you.

Should I fill in the bottom section of the form?

IRCC's page says the bottom section of Schedule A should not be completed at this time.

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-09.

Related guides

  • IMM 0008, Generic Application Form for Canada: a section-by-section walkthrough — IMM 0008 is the core form for most permanent residence applications. It lists the principal applicant, their family members and their dependants. Every family member must be declared, including those who are not applying and those whose whereabouts are unknown. A paper form with missing or unreadable barcodes, or without a signature and date, is returned unprocessed.
  • IMM 5406, Additional Family Information: who must list whom, and why leaving someone out matters — IMM 5406 collects details about your parents, spouse or partner, children and siblings. IRCC says it is "very important" to list all your children, including married, adopted, stepchildren and those in an ex-partner's custody, and to answer every question, using N/A where one does not apply. The online version is certified when you click the complete button, and the paper version is signed in Section D.
  • IMM 5562, Supplementary Information: Your Travels: what the form asks and where it goes wrong — IMM 5562 is IRCC's travel history form for permanent residence applications. The principal applicant completes it, including the sections for a spouse or common-law partner and for each dependent child aged 18 or older, whether or not they come to Canada. It asks for every trip outside your country of origin or residence in the last ten years, or since your 18th birthday if that was less than ten years ago.
  • Misrepresentation in Canada: The Five-Year Inadmissibility Rule — Under section 40 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, misrepresenting or withholding a material fact that induces or could induce an error makes a person inadmissible for five years, and during that time a foreign national cannot apply for permanent residence. The five years run from the final determination if it was made outside Canada, or from the day a removal order is enforced if it was made in Canada.
  • Criminal Record and Canada: Inadmissibility, Rehabilitation and Temporary Resident Permits — IRPA s.36 makes people inadmissible for certain convictions or acts. IRCC describes four ways to overcome it: deemed rehabilitation, individual rehabilitation (generally five years after the sentence ends), a record suspension for Canadian convictions, or a temporary resident permit. The IRCC fee list shows $246.25 for non-serious rehabilitation and $1,231 for serious (as at 2026-09-21).
  • IMM 5476, Use of a Representative: what the form asks and how it is submitted — IMM 5476 tells IRCC that someone may act for you on an application, paid or unpaid. You complete the applicant sections, your representative signs their own declaration, and a paid representative must give their membership ID from the College, a law society or the Chambre des notaires. The same form is used to cancel or change a representative.