March 2025 - Citizenship Applications

[Underhill]

Congrats! What is your timeline like

Thanks! Just expand my signature thing below - have all the gory details therein

 

[Underhill]

So. I'm a Canadian citizen. Just did the virtual ceremony. More waiting around than ceremony. Maybe I'll post more about the ceremony process (if anyone is interested).

Oh, and my tracker still only shows BG as completed.

Thanks to everyone here who helped along the entire 5 year PR > Citizenship journey!

 

[Masjuy]

So. I'm a Canadian citizen. Just did the virtual ceremony. More waiting around than ceremony. Maybe I'll post more about the ceremony process (if anyone is interested).

Oh, and my tracker still only shows BG as completed.

Thanks to everyone here who helped along the entire 5 year PR > Citizenship journey!

Congratulations, yes interested
I do not have invitation yet but wanna know the process.
Did they schedule time ? How long and etc,
Thank you

 

[Neyoyo]

Updated as shown in tracker today August 13
Application submitted online: March 20, 2025
Type: Family (5)
AOR: April 15
Citizenship Test invitation: 22 May
Test window: May 23 till June 21
Test done and completed: May 28
Background verification completed: June 10
Language skills completed: July 25
Physical presence completed: July 25
Prohibitions completed: July 25
Ghost update: July 29
Scheduled for Citizenship Oath: August 6
Citizenship ceremony: In progress
Oath e-mail: August 7
Oath date: August 27
Type: Virtual

Received e-mail on instruction that would be needed to download e-certificate today 19th August 2025.

 

[Neyoyo]

So. I'm a Canadian citizen. Just did the virtual ceremony. More waiting around than ceremony. Maybe I'll post more about the ceremony process (if anyone is interested).

Oh, and my tracker still only shows BG as completed.

Thanks to everyone here who helped along the entire 5 year PR > Citizenship journey!

Congratulations. I am interested in the details. Got virtual invitation for me and family already. Would like to know what to expect from your point of view.

 

[Underhill]

Congratulations. I am interested in the details. Got virtual invitation for me and family already. Would like to know what to expect from your point of view.

Thanks everyone! It's an amazing feeling actually being a Canadian citizen.

Okay, virtual oath ceremony details:

I used the Zoom app on my MacBook. The invite email I got from IRCC had log-in and seat number details. You have to use your assigned seat number as your zoom username for this meeting. Use only the seat number with three digits and no "#". So, like this for example: 031. Many people logged in with their name listed instead of the seat number, so the admin had to spend 10 minutes changing those to seat numbers. If you're a family invited to the ceremony add you seat numbers like this in the Zoom name field - for example: 031/032/033/034.

My ceremony was scheduled to start at 11am PT and I logged in exactly at 11. I was taken to a "Your meeting with begin soon" page. About 10 minutes later I was taken to the lobby where everyone started to appear in the meeting. You're free to chat with anyone here, but mostly it was a bunch of people with their microphones on, having loud conversations with people offscreen. I strongly recommend muting your mic while in the lobby. In fact, you should keep your mic muted at all times until you're asked to speak.

I was in this lobby for about 20 minutes while people continued to join the meeting. We got to 201 people and an admin came on and started explaining the process. After a few more minutes I was transferred to an admin - this was the one-on-one check-in where you confirm who you are, show two pieces of ID, and then cut your PR card into 4 pieces in view of the admin. Quite surprisingly, this was the hardest part of the entire process. Or rather, the most impactful: Sh¡ts gettin' real when you're cutting that card up. After this I was sent back to the lobby to wait.

I waited about another 40 minutes in the lobby and then the first admin jumped in and started things off. The admin introduced the officiant (a judge). The judge introduced herself and then showed us several videos on Canada and indigenous peoples. Maybe 15 minutes for these videos. Then the judge came back on and started the ceremony.

When we got to the oath (PLEASE UNMUTE YOUR MIC!) it was said first in English, then in French. We only had to say the oath in English or French - but we were strongly encouraged to try it in both. In English, the judge would say the first line of the oath, and the group would repeat that line. Then the judge would say the next line and the group would repeat, and so on. With so many people speaking at the same time the audio got quite garbled, so just try to repeat what the judge says and ignore the cacophony of the group. The judge then repeated to oath in French. Not a lot of French speakers in my group (myself included [hey, it's on my to-do list...]), so things got pretty messy. The judge just kept smiling and forging ahead, so proper pronunciation is not required.

At this point you're technically now a Canadian citizen, but the fun isn't over just yet. Now you sing the national anthem. The judge plays a video with music and singing in both English and French (and the lyrics onscreen) and you're encouraged to sing along. I muddled my way through, but accidentally had my mic muted while singing. Several others did as well and the judge didn't care.

We were then given an option to take a selfie with the judge - she is full screen at this point, and you just grab your phone, turn around with your back to the computer screen and snap your selfie. You can just hang out and wait if you're not into selfies. After this the original admin took over and gave detailed instructions on how to get your citizenship e-certificate. Stick around for this even if you know how to do it. Shortly after this the admin thanked us all and said goodbye. And the meeting was over. The entire thing took about 110 minutes.

Fire away with any questions on anything I missed or wasn't clear on.

 

[Neyoyo]

Thanks everyone! It's an amazing feeling actually being a Canadian citizen.

Okay, virtual oath ceremony details:

I used the Zoom app on my MacBook. The invite email I got from IRCC had log-in and seat number details. You have to use your assigned seat number as your zoom username for this meeting. Use only the seat number with three digits and no "#". So, like this for example: 031. Many people logged in with their name listed instead of the seat number, so the admin had to spend 10 minutes changing those to seat numbers. If you're a family invited to the ceremony add you seat numbers like this in the Zoom name field - for example: 031/032/033/034.

My ceremony was scheduled to start at 11am PT and I logged in exactly at 11. I was taken to a "Your meeting with begin soon" page. About 10 minutes later I was taken to the lobby where everyone started to appear in the meeting. You're free to chat with anyone here, but mostly it was a bunch of people with their microphones on, having loud conversations with people offscreen. I strongly recommend muting your mic while in the lobby. In fact, you should keep your mic muted at all times until you're asked to speak.

I was in this lobby for about 20 minutes while people continued to join the meeting. We got to 201 people and an admin came on and started explaining the process. After a few more minutes I was transferred to an admin - this was the one-on-one check-in where you confirm who you are, show two pieces of ID, and then cut your PR card into 4 pieces in view of the admin. Quite surprisingly, this was the hardest part of the entire process. Or rather, the most impactful: Sh¡ts gettin' real when you're cutting that card up. After this I was sent back to the lobby to wait.

I waited about another 40 minutes in the lobby and then the first admin jumped in and started things off. The admin introduced the officiant (a judge). The judge introduced herself and then showed us several videos on Canada and indigenous peoples. Maybe 15 minutes for these videos. Then the judge came back on and started the ceremony.

When we got to the oath (PLEASE UNMUTE YOUR MIC!) it was said first in English, then in French. We only had to say the oath in English or French - but we were strongly encouraged to try it in both. In English, the judge would say the first line of the oath, and the group would repeat that line. Then the judge would say the next line and the group would repeat, and so on. With so many people speaking at the same time the audio got quite garbled, so just try to repeat what the judge says and ignore the cacophony of the group. The judge then repeated to oath in French. Not a lot of French speakers in my group (myself included [hey, it's on my to-do list...]), so things got pretty messy. The judge just kept smiling and forging ahead, so proper pronunciation is not required.

At this point you're technically now a Canadian citizen, but the fun isn't over just yet. Now you sing the national anthem. The judge plays a video with music and singing in both English and French (and the lyrics onscreen) and you're encouraged to sing along. I muddled my way through, but accidentally had my mic muted while singing. Several others did as well and the judge didn't care.

We were then given an option to take a selfie with the judge - she is full screen at this point, and you just grab your phone, turn around with your back to the computer screen and snap your selfie. You can just hang out and wait if you're not into selfies. After this the original admin took over and gave detailed instructions on how to get your citizenship e-certificate. Stick around for this even if you know how to do it. Shortly after this the admin thanked us all and said goodbye. And the meeting was over. The entire thing took about 110 minutes.

Fire away with any questions on anything I missed or wasn't clear on.

Great narration! Did they ask you to provide confirmation of permanent residence document? It was written in our invitation letters inclusive of PR cards and additional valid ID.

 

[anuj_25]

Hi All,

Need help with language proof please. I had completed my IELTS in Oct 2022 for my PR which I got in April 2023 and now I am applying for Citizenship. Can I use the same IELTS result from Oct 2022 as language proof for citizenship (even though IELTS results are valid only for 2 years) ?

Would appreciate your insights and guidance…

 

[armoured]

Hi All,

Need help with language proof please. I had completed my IELTS in Oct 2022 for my PR which I got in April 2023 and now I am applying for Citizenship. Can I use the same IELTS result from Oct 2022 as language proof for citizenship (even though IELTS results are valid only for 2 years) ?

Would appreciate your insights and guidance…

Multiple reports here that old IELTS are accepted.

 

[Underhill]

Great narration! Did they ask you to provide confirmation of permanent residence document? It was written in our invitation letters inclusive of PR cards and additional valid ID.

You can use your Confirmation of Permanent Residence doc OR your PR card to prove your PR status. If you use your PR card then you'll need one other piece of government issued ID with photo to prove identity. If you use your Confirmation of PR doc you'll need two additional pieces of government issued ID's with photos.

 

[lasignor_90]

Thanks everyone! It's an amazing feeling actually being a Canadian citizen.

Okay, virtual oath ceremony details:

I used the Zoom app on my MacBook. The invite email I got from IRCC had log-in and seat number details. You have to use your assigned seat number as your zoom username for this meeting. Use only the seat number with three digits and no "#". So, like this for example: 031. Many people logged in with their name listed instead of the seat number, so the admin had to spend 10 minutes changing those to seat numbers. If you're a family invited to the ceremony add you seat numbers like this in the Zoom name field - for example: 031/032/033/034.

My ceremony was scheduled to start at 11am PT and I logged in exactly at 11. I was taken to a "Your meeting with begin soon" page. About 10 minutes later I was taken to the lobby where everyone started to appear in the meeting. You're free to chat with anyone here, but mostly it was a bunch of people with their microphones on, having loud conversations with people offscreen. I strongly recommend muting your mic while in the lobby. In fact, you should keep your mic muted at all times until you're asked to speak.

I was in this lobby for about 20 minutes while people continued to join the meeting. We got to 201 people and an admin came on and started explaining the process. After a few more minutes I was transferred to an admin - this was the one-on-one check-in where you confirm who you are, show two pieces of ID, and then cut your PR card into 4 pieces in view of the admin. Quite surprisingly, this was the hardest part of the entire process. Or rather, the most impactful: Sh¡ts gettin' real when you're cutting that card up. After this I was sent back to the lobby to wait.

I waited about another 40 minutes in the lobby and then the first admin jumped in and started things off. The admin introduced the officiant (a judge). The judge introduced herself and then showed us several videos on Canada and indigenous peoples. Maybe 15 minutes for these videos. Then the judge came back on and started the ceremony.

When we got to the oath (PLEASE UNMUTE YOUR MIC!) it was said first in English, then in French. We only had to say the oath in English or French - but we were strongly encouraged to try it in both. In English, the judge would say the first line of the oath, and the group would repeat that line. Then the judge would say the next line and the group would repeat, and so on. With so many people speaking at the same time the audio got quite garbled, so just try to repeat what the judge says and ignore the cacophony of the group. The judge then repeated to oath in French. Not a lot of French speakers in my group (myself included [hey, it's on my to-do list...]), so things got pretty messy. The judge just kept smiling and forging ahead, so proper pronunciation is not required.

At this point you're technically now a Canadian citizen, but the fun isn't over just yet. Now you sing the national anthem. The judge plays a video with music and singing in both English and French (and the lyrics onscreen) and you're encouraged to sing along. I muddled my way through, but accidentally had my mic muted while singing. Several others did as well and the judge didn't care.

We were then given an option to take a selfie with the judge - she is full screen at this point, and you just grab your phone, turn around with your back to the computer screen and snap your selfie. You can just hang out and wait if you're not into selfies. After this the original admin took over and gave detailed instructions on how to get your citizenship e-certificate. Stick around for this even if you know how to do it. Shortly after this the admin thanked us all and said goodbye. And the meeting was over. The entire thing took about 110 minutes.

Fire away with any questions on anything I missed or wasn't clear on.

You narrated it so well! Congratulations again

 

[faisalshaikh]

GM All, I received a letter from IRCC for additional documentation (Canadian government issued piece of identity-other than PR card) since the health card I submitted was expired. I replied to the email and sent my drivers license.

Recd letter on Aug 18
Today the tracker was updated with LPP completed on Aug 18-But require additional information which is the email I recd.

Hopefully gets processed quickly from hereon.

 

[lasignor_90]

GM All, I received a letter from IRCC for additional documentation (Canadian government issued piece of identity-other than PR card) since the health card I submitted was expired. I replied to the email and sent my drivers license.

Recd letter on Aug 18
Today the tracker was updated with LPP completed on Aug 18-But require additional information which is the email I recd.

Hopefully gets processed quickly from hereon.

It will get processed and you’ll get oath shortly after submitting. Seen this a few times before.

Congratulations!

 

[ghost105]

Finally i got an update today. After 2 months.
Type: Online application
Location: Vancouver
Application: Single
Application sent: March 12
AOR: April 02
FP Request: May 01
Test Update: May 16
Test Window: 23-May-2025 to 21-June-2025
Test Taken: May 23
Test marked complete: May 29
BG Complete: June 18
LPP Complete: August 18
Now waiting for Oath.

 

[VJ13]

Thanks everyone! It's an amazing feeling actually being a Canadian citizen.

Okay, virtual oath ceremony details:

I used the Zoom app on my MacBook. The invite email I got from IRCC had log-in and seat number details. You have to use your assigned seat number as your zoom username for this meeting. Use only the seat number with three digits and no "#". So, like this for example: 031. Many people logged in with their name listed instead of the seat number, so the admin had to spend 10 minutes changing those to seat numbers. If you're a family invited to the ceremony add you seat numbers like this in the Zoom name field - for example: 031/032/033/034.

My ceremony was scheduled to start at 11am PT and I logged in exactly at 11. I was taken to a "Your meeting with begin soon" page. About 10 minutes later I was taken to the lobby where everyone started to appear in the meeting. You're free to chat with anyone here, but mostly it was a bunch of people with their microphones on, having loud conversations with people offscreen. I strongly recommend muting your mic while in the lobby. In fact, you should keep your mic muted at all times until you're asked to speak.

I was in this lobby for about 20 minutes while people continued to join the meeting. We got to 201 people and an admin came on and started explaining the process. After a few more minutes I was transferred to an admin - this was the one-on-one check-in where you confirm who you are, show two pieces of ID, and then cut your PR card into 4 pieces in view of the admin. Quite surprisingly, this was the hardest part of the entire process. Or rather, the most impactful: Sh¡ts gettin' real when you're cutting that card up. After this I was sent back to the lobby to wait.

I waited about another 40 minutes in the lobby and then the first admin jumped in and started things off. The admin introduced the officiant (a judge). The judge introduced herself and then showed us several videos on Canada and indigenous peoples. Maybe 15 minutes for these videos. Then the judge came back on and started the ceremony.

When we got to the oath (PLEASE UNMUTE YOUR MIC!) it was said first in English, then in French. We only had to say the oath in English or French - but we were strongly encouraged to try it in both. In English, the judge would say the first line of the oath, and the group would repeat that line. Then the judge would say the next line and the group would repeat, and so on. With so many people speaking at the same time the audio got quite garbled, so just try to repeat what the judge says and ignore the cacophony of the group. The judge then repeated to oath in French. Not a lot of French speakers in my group (myself included [hey, it's on my to-do list...]), so things got pretty messy. The judge just kept smiling and forging ahead, so proper pronunciation is not required.

At this point you're technically now a Canadian citizen, but the fun isn't over just yet. Now you sing the national anthem. The judge plays a video with music and singing in both English and French (and the lyrics onscreen) and you're encouraged to sing along. I muddled my way through, but accidentally had my mic muted while singing. Several others did as well and the judge didn't care.

We were then given an option to take a selfie with the judge - she is full screen at this point, and you just grab your phone, turn around with your back to the computer screen and snap your selfie. You can just hang out and wait if you're not into selfies. After this the original admin took over and gave detailed instructions on how to get your citizenship e-certificate. Stick around for this even if you know how to do it. Shortly after this the admin thanked us all and said goodbye. And the meeting was over. The entire thing took about 110 minutes.

Fire away with any questions on anything I missed or wasn't clear on.

Thanks for sharing your virtual oath ceremony experience. Could you let me know how soon you were able to download the e-certificate afterward?