Citizenship application - Hire a lawyer vs Apply on my own

[sodapop123]

Let's say i go about submitting my citizenship on my own and there happens to be a complication/questions/ in the worst case a rejection.
Can i then at that stage, go about finding and hiring a lawyer to help midway through /or after rejection to appeal or re-apply ?

Or is that something that's not possible at all and one has to hire a lawyer to represent you before applying in the first place ?

I seem to have understood the process and think i can do it myself and save the extra $, but just wondering about this as i plan to apply soon.

Additionally, What does a rejection of citizenship application (due to failure to verify physical presence) then mean for one's PR status. Would you still remain a PR and can re-apply for citizenship whenever at a later stage ?

 

[armoured]

Let's say i go about submitting my citizenship on my own and there happens to be a complication/questions/ in the worst case a rejection.
Can i then at that stage, go about finding and hiring a lawyer to help midway through /or after rejection to appeal or re-apply ?

Or is that something that's not possible at all and one has to hire a lawyer to represent you before applying in the first place ?

I seem to have understood the process and think i can do it myself and save the extra $, but just wondering about this as i plan to apply soon.

Vast majority of applicants prepare without a lawyer or assistance of any kind. Should you need later, you can hire a lawyer.

Additionally, What does a rejection of citizenship application (due to failure to verify physical presence) then mean for one's PR status. Would you still remain a PR and can re-apply for citizenship whenever at a later stage ?

As long as your physical presence is sufficient to meet residency obligation (730 days instead of 1095), it won't threaten your PR status (note that you have to remain in compliance throughout the citizenship process, even if it takes a long time (even if that's rare). Obviously if they discover other things that could result in revoking PR status, some types of criminality etc., that would be an issue.

But a serious suggestion or point: for the last several years at least IRCC has had / has access to decent entry-exit records. If you have some doubt about physical presence, or the number of days, or your own records - wait until you have the required number of days plus a decent buffer (amount really dependent on how complex).

Plus you could order your entry/exit records under ATIP (privacy / access to personal info) from the border services agency, CBSA. Note that CBSA records sometimes have missing entries/exits, but are for the most part quite complete. It can be useful to order them if you have a lot of entries and exits and want to check your records, OR didn't keep good records yourself. (Note that you are still resposnible for submitting correct information). This can help reduce the risk of processing being held up substantially while they check your physical presence.

It can also be an issue of checks if the applicant is including a lot of days from before becoming a PR and the status of the applicant during this period can't be completely verified in the IRCC system. (That's a somewhat complex topic so this is a brief summary)