Guide to IMM 5669 Schedule A Background Declaration

IMM 5669, also known as Schedule A or the Background/Declaration form, is one of the most detailed forms in any Canadian immigration application. It requires you to provide a comprehensive timeline of your life over the past 10 years, including every job, every school, every address, and every period of unemployment. IRCC uses this information for thorough background checks and security screening.

Why Is Schedule A So Detailed?

Canada takes admissibility very seriously. IRCC needs to verify that applicants do not pose a security risk, have not committed serious crimes, and have not been involved in human rights violations, war crimes, or organized crime. The detailed personal history on IMM 5669 allows officers to:

• Verify your identity and timeline against other documents
• Identify potential security concerns based on countries visited or organizations joined
• Cross-reference your history with international databases
• Assess your credibility as an applicant

Section-by-Section Guide

Section 1: Personal Details

Enter your full legal name, date of birth, place of birth, and UCI number. This section also asks for all names you have used, including maiden names, aliases, and names in other scripts (for example, your name in Chinese characters or Arabic script).

Section 2: Education History (Past 10 Years)

List every educational institution you attended in the past 10 years, starting with the most recent. For each entry, provide:

• Name of the institution
• City and country
• Dates attended (month and year for start and end)
• Type of certificate, diploma, or degree obtained
• Field of study

If you were not in school during some periods, those periods should be covered by employment or other activities in the next section. There should be no unexplained gaps.

Section 3: Employment History (Past 10 Years)

This is usually the longest section. List every job, including part-time work, self-employment, volunteer work, and military service. For each entry, provide:

• Employer or organization name
• City and country
• Your job title
• Dates of employment (month and year)
• Brief description of your duties

Critical rule: Account for every single month of the past 10 years. If you were unemployed for three months between jobs, create an entry that says "Unemployed" with the dates and a brief explanation (for example, "job searching" or "caring for family member"). Gaps are one of the most common reasons for processing delays.

Section 4: Address History (Past 10 Years)

List every address where you lived in the past 10 years. Again, there should be no gaps. Include:

• Full address (street, city, province/state, country, postal code)
• Dates you lived there (month and year for start and end)

Section 5: Memberships and Associations

List any organizations, clubs, political parties, or associations you have been a member of. This includes:

• Political parties
• Professional associations
• Social or cultural clubs
• Religious organizations
• Student unions or academic societies

Not all memberships are problematic. IRCC simply needs a complete picture. Being a member of a professional engineering association or a community sports club is perfectly normal. However, membership in certain organizations associated with terrorism, human rights violations, or organized crime is a ground for inadmissibility under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA).

Section 6: Background Questions

This section asks yes/no questions about potentially sensitive topics:

1. Have you ever been in the military, militia, or civil defense unit?
2. Have you ever been associated with a political party or group?
3. Have you ever been detained, arrested, or charged with a criminal offense?
4. Have you ever been refused entry to or deported from any country?
5. Have you ever committed, planned, or been involved in acts of terrorism, war crimes, or crimes against humanity?
6. Have you ever witnessed or participated in the mistreatment of prisoners or civilians?

If you answer "yes" to any question, you must provide detailed explanations on a separate sheet of paper. Be honest. Answering "no" to something that is later discovered to be true is misrepresentation, which carries severe consequences including a five-year ban from entering Canada.

Section 7: Government Positions

If you have ever held a government position, you must disclose it. This includes local, regional, and national government roles, as well as positions in government-owned enterprises or the judiciary.

Section 8: Declaration and Signature

Read the declaration carefully, sign, and date the form. By signing, you confirm that all information is truthful and complete. If you used an immigration representative to help you, ensure you also submit IMM 5476.

Common Mistakes

• Timeline gaps: The number one issue. Every month must be accounted for. Use a spreadsheet to map out your 10-year history before filling in the form.
• Vague job descriptions: "Worked at a company" is not enough. Provide the company name, your title, and what you did.
• Omitting short-term jobs: Even if you worked somewhere for only two weeks, include it if it fills a gap in your timeline.
• Not disclosing arrests: Even if charges were dropped or you were found not guilty, you must disclose the arrest. The question asks about arrests and charges, not just convictions.

For more immigration form guides, see our articles on IMM 1344 PR Card Application, IMM 5645 Family Information, and IMM 0008 Generic Application. Download the form from the IRCC forms page.

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