60 days since judge interview, still waiting

[Beakster]

Hi,

So I had an interview with citizenship judge on 28th of October. She said I'd hear before christmas. Letter said within 60 days.

60 days passed a week or so ago, and still nothing. I called CIC they said they can't see or do anything. Should I just keep waiting?

Is this a good or bad sign? Someone said if they are late its becase they are waiting for oath date availability. Going crazy here. It's been years and I just want an answer.

Thanks

 

[Canadiandesi2006]

Hi,

So I had an interview with citizenship judge on 28th of October. She said I'd hear before christmas. Letter said within 60 days.

60 days passed a week or so ago, and still nothing. I called CIC they said they can't see or do anything. Should I just keep waiting?

Is this a good or bad sign? Someone said if they are late its becase they are waiting for oath date availability. Going crazy here. It's been years and I just want an answer.

Thanks

Have you considered requesting ATIP report, it gives you status of your case with CIC. May be you know, it take 30 days to get report.

Secondly, any idea why your case was assigned to Citizenship Judge. If due to shortage of days than required, mostly the outcome is not favorable for candidate. Dont take me wrong, I had gone thru this pain, judge wasted 3 months and then forced to re-apply.

 

[Almost_Canadian]

Sympathize with you Canadiandesi but please be a bit fair to CIC too. Under the old rules, they had to process **all** applications even if short of physical presence. The criteria was only defined as presence in Canada and not specific to physical and furthermore only citizenship judge could make the ruling to grant or not. Also there were specific instruction not to process applications only in case of documentation error such as not paid the fees, wrong size pic etc. If all documents were completed , they had to process.

If there was shortage of physical presence CIC had to process the application and make a note to the judge regarding shortage of days and then judge would interview applicant to see ties to Canada or other reasons for which he might make a positive ruling.

A high volume of problematic applications ( in terms of physical presence) would delay the process for everyone as each application had to be processed even though the chance of grant was very slim. With few judges, the system was clogged and wait time for interview with judge could be one year or more.

( Senior members- if my info is wrong, please feel free to correct it).

Anyway wish you all the best for your current application and hope by next year ,you're only 'Canadian' and ex-desi !

 

[Canadiandesi2006]

Sympathize with you Canadiandesi but please be a bit fair to CIC too. Under the old rules, they had to process **all** applications even if short of physical presence. The criteria was only defined as presence in Canada and not specific to physical and furthermore only citizenship judge could make the ruling to grant or not. Also there were specific instruction not to process applications only in case of documentation error such as not paid the fees, wrong size pic etc. If all documents were completed , they had to process.

If there was shortage of physical presence CIC had to process the application and make a note to the judge regarding shortage of days and then judge would interview applicant to see ties to Canada or other reasons for which he might make a positive ruling.

A high volume of problematic applications ( in terms of physical presence) would delay the process for everyone as each application had to be processed even though the chance of grant was very slim. With few judges, the system was clogged and wait time for interview with judge could be one year or more.

( Senior members- if my info is wrong, please feel free to correct it).

Anyway wish you all the best for your current application and hope by next year ,you're only 'Canadian' and ex-desi !

My comment was based on bitter experience of multiple interactions with CIC in last 4 years. After 4 years of keeping me on back burner, two postponing appointment with the judge, stating judge is on vacation.

Ask anybody in last 4 years, how the applicants were treatment. Hope after reading all past experiences of candidates you would be more bitter than me. They were over 60 years old applicants, never went out of county even one time and they were drag for 5 years, one of them got last week.

When I went to judge, she told dont have time to see your documents. She literally forced me to withdraw and re-apply.

What I'm question, their procedure......which does not make any sense. When it goes to judge its final, why the officer has to object ???
otherwise, abolish the Citizenship judges roles, they are an eye wash.

 

[screech339]

What I'm question, their procedure......which does not make any sense. When it goes to judge its final, why the officer has to object ???
otherwise, abolish the Citizenship judges roles, they are an eye wash.

If the applicant has a right to appeal the CJ's decision, it's only fair that CIC has that same right as well.

Yes, no need for CJ to get involved, however in order to do that, basic residency requirement to qualify must be removed completely and stick to physical presence test. Either you pass it or not. No grey subjective area anymore.

 

[Beakster]

Please stay on topic guys.

So I managed to get through to the Citizenship Judge, who was annoyed I had her office number. I told her it had been over 70 days since the meeting. She wouldn't discuss my case with me though. She simply said I had to call CIC. I informed her I had and they said they didnt have any updates. She said ask for manager. She did confirm that I should recieve a response within 60 days of the interview though. According to the citizenship act:

14 (1) If an application is accepted for processing and later referred to a citizenship judge because the Minister is not satisfied that the applicant meets the requirements of the following provisions, the citizenship judge shall determine whether the applicant meets those requirements within 60 days after the day on which the application is referred:

I called back to CIC and they said their managers dont take calls. I should contact the visa office. I asked for the contact details and they said they would email to me. I gave them email and they hung up but the email they sent is just a general FAQ no details.

This is the Judge I spoke to: http://www.ndp.ca/news/stephen-harper-rewards-yet-another-friend-and-taxpayers-again-left-holding-bill

Any advice on what to do next?

 

[Diplomatru]

Please stay on topic guys.

So I managed to get through to the Citizenship Judge, who was annoyed I had her office number. I told her it had been over 70 days since the meeting. She wouldn't discuss my case with me though. She simply said I had to call CIC. I informed her I had and they said they didnt have any updates. She said ask for manager. She did confirm that I should recieve a response within 60 days of the interview though. According to the citizenship act:

I called back to CIC and they said their managers dont take calls. I should contact the visa office. I asked for the contact details and they said they would email to me. I gave them email and they hung up but the email they sent is just a general FAQ no details.

This is the Judge I spoke to: http://www.ndp.ca/news/stephen-harper-rewards-yet-another-friend-and-taxpayers-again-left-holding-bill

Any advice on what to do next?

send a letter to your CIC office by Canada Post

 

[Canadiandesi2006]

Please stay on topic guys.

So I managed to get through to the Citizenship Judge, who was annoyed I had her office number. I told her it had been over 70 days since the meeting. She wouldn't discuss my case with me though. She simply said I had to call CIC. I informed her I had and they said they didnt have any updates. She said ask for manager. She did confirm that I should recieve a response within 60 days of the interview though. According to the citizenship act:

I called back to CIC and they said their managers dont take calls. I should contact the visa office. I asked for the contact details and they said they would email to me. I gave them email and they hung up but the email they sent is just a general FAQ no details.

This is the Judge I spoke to: http://www.ndp.ca/news/stephen-harper-rewards-yet-another-friend-and-taxpayers-again-left-holding-bill

Any advice on what to do next?

Precisely, that's the attitude of CIC and Citizenship Judges, that treat candidates as less humans that does not deserve any respect, is frustrating. After all, its NOT charity, its paid service and department owes some responsibility and accountability towards candidates.

Why any candidate after paying the required fee, complying with the procedure and waiting for years still made to feel living at the charity of CIC. Does'nt the CIC have any obligation or at least courtesy to respond to candidates ???

CIC should have some process in place, candidates are tax payers and CIC staff get their salaries from the fee the candidates pays.

I'm so sorry to see your pity, I empathize with you.

Please call your area MP and request help. They have direct access to CIC officials and normally get response within 2 weeks time.

 

[eileenf]

The poster above is right. Call your MP. This is the sort of inquiry that their staff can make. Prodding things along at this point is what you need.

Contacting the Visa office? (I'm assuming they mean the immigration side of things? Or do they mean the local office of the CIC in your home country??) What the heck does the Visa office have to do with Citizenship? Not much.

CIC call centre is good for general info, but this requests for detailed personal info is not their forte. And then you get agents basically making stuff up like "call the Visa office" in order to get you off the phone so they can take another call from the (long) queue.

Contact your MP.

 

[screech339]

Precisely, that's the attitude of CIC and Citizenship Judges, that treat candidates as less humans that does not deserve any respect, is frustrating. After all, its NOT charity, its paid service and department owes some responsibility and accountability towards candidates.

Why should the judge automatically give the pass to citizenship just because someone waited for months / years to see a CJ when their number of days didn't meet the 1095 day requirement. You basically wasted the CJ's valuable time listening to why you should get citizenship with less than 1095 days when everyone else waited and followed the rules and get citizenship. You can easily withdrawn your application and reapply again. I am sure you would have met the 1095 days under the old rule and with the long wait, probably easy to meet the new 4 / 6 year rule.

 

[Canadiandesi2006]

Why should the judge automatically give the pass to citizenship just because someone waited for months / years to see a CJ when their number of days didn't meet the 1095 day requirement. You basically wasted the CJ's valuable time listening to why you should get citizenship with less than 1095 days when everyone else waited and followed the rules and get citizenship. You can easily withdrawn your application and reapply again. I am sure you would have met the 1095 days under the old rule and with the long wait, probably easy to meet the new 4 / 6 year rule.

I agree, Citizenship is not for free distribution. What's questionable CIC, why they wasting Federal Resources by keeping such files in processing for over 3 years. Should not CIC immediately check the eligibility and reject such applicants.

Are they not wasting everyone time and keeping applicants under false hopes, is this right ?

 

[Politren]

I agree, Citizenship is not for free distribution. What's questionable CIC, why they wasting Federal Resources by keeping such files in processing for over 3 years. Should not CIC immediately check the eligibility and reject such applicants.

Are they not wasting everyone time and keeping applicants under false hopes, is this right ?

Hi
I think that the main source of that problem was the so called "Basic Residence" under the Old rules.
It was clearly stated that everything will depends upon the CJ even if the days were short and of course many people flooded the system with these cases.

Now we have strict rules of Physical presence only.

 

[Canadiandesi2006]

Hi
I think that the main source of that problem was the so called "Basic Residence" under the Old rules.
It was clearly stated that everything will depends upon the CJ even if the days were short and of course many people flooded the system with these cases.

Now we have strict rules of Physical presence only.

I completely agree with you. CIC should make it very clear, applications with less than required number of days will be returned and a fee of $25 will be deducted from the paid fee.

CIC should system in place to quickly valid if any application met basic eligibility criteria. Whereas security and misrepresentation cases should be investigated and stop during any stage even if basic criteria is met.
Broadly, the following things be validated.

1) Did an applicant pay required fee ?
2) Valid if an applicant has required number of days -
a) CIC Calculator (Make is simple - date of Landing, date of application (Absence Chart) signed declaration.
b) Travel Movement - Chart Entry/Exit dates, Total days absence (Passport page #'s as cross reference)
c) Copies of Passports

All returned applications with disputed number of days be submitted under different form to be reviewed by separate CIC Group.

Applications approved by this group will join processing stream and rejected application by CIC is final, Only recourse is Federal Court.

CIC need to re-work and streamline the current process workflow to be efficient and swift.

1) Cut down delays
2) Stop wastage of Federal Resources
3) Free CIC offices to work than responding to follow ups
4) Stop Congestion at Call Center
5) Abolish the Citizenship Judges roles, it does not serve any purposes, rather a creation to delay the process
6) Dont keep Candidates in false hopes by assigning to Citizenship Judges (Neither these are qualified legal experts nor have any powers)

These are some of the points, on those lines CIC can really come up with better system than current process.