Problem

[irawo]

Here is my timeline:

We received your application for Canadian citizenship (grant of citizenship) on July 26, 2010.
 
We sent you a letter acknowledging receipt of your application(s), and a study book called A Look at Canada on July 26, 2010. Please consider delays in mail delivery before contacting us.
 
We started processing your application on March 4, 2011.
 
Your file was transferred to the Ottawa CIC office on March 28, 2011. The Ottawa CIC office will contact you if additional information is required. The Ottawa CIC office will contact you regarding your citizenship test once all the necessary checks on your file are complete.
 
We sent you a notice on May 27, 2011 to appear and write the citizenship test on June 23, 2011 at 8:30 AM. The notice you will receive by mail will be your official confirmation of your appointment. If you have not received this notice prior to the date of your scheduled appointment, please contact us.
 
We sent you a notice on July 5, 2011 to appear and take the oath of citizenship at the citizenship ceremony to be held on July 13, 2011 at 11:00 AM. The notice you will receive by mail will be your official confirmation of your appointment. If you have not received this notice prior to the date of your scheduled appointment, please contact us.

The problem is that I moved to Thunder Bay on the 4th of July, called CIC on the 6th of July to change my address. By that time, the website had not been updated to reflect the invitation to take the oath. After I got this update to take the oath in Ottawa on the 13th, i tried calling CIC, but for some reason the phone kept cutting off instead of the customary holding till a representative comes on.

Does anybody know if I have to go back to Ottawa or is there any alternative?

PS: I must say though that although it is easier to immigrate to Canada, compared to some developed countries the CIC staff have no knowledge of info they give people and the bureaucracy and unnecessary wait times are just too damning.

[Leon]

Immigration knows very well that they have no competition so they don't have to cater to your wishes.  Especially for citizenship as they feel that citizenship should be important enough for you to jump through hoops and not make special requirements like for example move to another part of the country in the middle of your processing

You can give them a good reason why you could not attend your ceremony and ask for another date in Thunder Bay.  You will have no idea when they will call you.  Could be soon or could be a year from now.  You are still not a citizen until you do the oath.

My advice, take a couple of days off work, fly to Ottawa and get it over with.

[Alabaman]

Here is my timeline:

We sent you a notice on July 5, 2011 to appear and take the oath of citizenship at the citizenship ceremony to be held on July 13, 2011 at 11:00 AM...

The problem is that I moved to Thunder Bay on the 4th of July...

Dude, you have come this close after all these years and you consider this a problem?? You kidding right?