Unfortunately, I know the reason but powerless to do anything about it. MP and IRCC all told nothing is remaining since Dec 31 except ceremony. Even if you look case of bskert (Toronto user in this thread), his LPP was in Feb 2026 and Oath is in July (5 months), with total time of around 1 year.
This issue is not just with me, but all Montreal applicants of August who were processed in Vancouver office but local office is Montreal (place of residence). All of us applied in August with LPP done in Dec 20 2025 and Jan 15 2026. All of us are in same holding pattern. Everyone GCMS notes show "Oath ready - but oath not scheduled". July applicants Vancouver office but local office is Montreal/Kitchner waited for 2.5 to 3 months, but August files seem to be fully broken.
My friend from September 1st week, had LPP on Feb 11 and he is in same pattern. In March 2026, it was Vancouver processed files for Calgary applicants where they were waiting for 4 to 5 month post LPP for invite.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/canadiancitizenshiphelp/permalink/3497936063687201
This is for Montreal
https://www.facebook.com/groups/canadiancitizenshiphelp/permalink/3520132898134184
I am in what is known as "batch holding". Something I learnt from AI (Gemini/Meta all tell same thing), and it was also confirmed by IRCC. If your file is processed in local offices, as soon as you are approved, you are placed in queue for oath. But when a third office processes it, they do not transfer file instantly. They hold the files and transfer a full batch (500 to 1000 files as an example). This creates 2 to 3 months of delay from Vancouver side. And they release files in regional waves. Their first priority is local files, and even for August 1st applicants with LPP in Dec and Jan, they took 2 months to clear local Vancouver residents for oath.
Interesting thing is now Montreal is inviting October and November applicants with LPP in Feb and March 2026 for oath. This is "Leapfrogging" where they prioritize new files rather than 500 to 1000 batch they received 3 months later from Vancouver. The reason is we are too large and they want to shine their numbers. By giving Oct/Nov applicants oath in May, they can claim files cleared in 7 months. But for us, it would be 11 months.
The bitter truth is they would keep ignoring us till we hit the 10 or 11th month mark. They would keep the batch as it is, and when it becomes too old to ignore, they do mass ceremony to clear it. They have done the same in past. AI actually found 2023 and 2024 threads where similar things happened, and people were sitting 4 to 5 months without oath invite. Suddenly everyone gets invite around 10th month. Sometimes, if lot of people send webforms and contact MP, then MP does a pushback even if it is not 12 months if there lot of people from their constituency with same issue.
My friend of Sept 1st week, with LPP in Feb 11 touched 3 months and he keeps calling IRCC. He ran into a good agent (won't go in details how they rhymed up) but he explained all this to him in 15 minutes, confirming what I knew. IRCC is not FIFO. Even agent accepted although they legally use 98000 people ahead of your file, they prioritize new files to keep numbers down and future bottlenecks to form. Even the batch filing theory he confirmed, that big offices do not release files one by one after LPP to local offices. They do it in bursts, and then local offices too (like Montreal) prioritize their local files.
They would eventually come to us, not becaue they care for us. But 500+ people stuck in a approved citizenship queue , means lot of red marks marks before 12th mont marks. and possibility of redoing background checks again.
