March 2025 - Citizenship Applications

[Underhill]

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

I submitted my signed oath ceremony certificate in the last 10 minutes of the ceremony - right when the admin said to email it in as quickly as possible. I'll report back here as soon as it becomes available.

 

[Underhill]

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

So, because of your request here, I logged into the e-certificate download page just now to see if there was anything yet. My citizenship e-certificate was there. I downloaded it and it's official. Have not received an email from IRCC saying it is available. Thanks VJ13 for asking about this - I likely would have waited weeks before checking otherwise!

 

[anuj_25]

Hi All,
For the photo in the citizenship online application, I got the digital photo from Pro passport and added the photographer details in the fields provided for this in the online citizenship application. Is that sufficient or do we need the stamp of the photographer by taking print of the photo with photographer’s stamp at the back and then scanning both sides of that photo for upload in the online citizenship application ?

 

[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.

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.

Awesome! Did the admin ask for a copy of your oath invitation letter?

 

[Underhill]

Awesome! Did the admin ask for a copy of your oath invitation letter?

Thanks! No, only had to show my PR card (front & back), and my health card (front only). That was it for documentation during the virtual ceremony.

 

[Neyoyo]

Thanks! No, only had to show my PR card (front & back), and my health card (front only). That was it for documentation during the virtual ceremony.

Many thanks for the info!

 

[VJ13]

So, because of your request here, I logged into the e-certificate download page just now to see if there was anything yet. My citizenship e-certificate was there. I downloaded it and it's official. Have not received an email from IRCC saying it is available. Thanks VJ13 for asking about this - I likely would have waited weeks before checking otherwise!

That's awesome! Congratulations!!

Thanks again!

 

[Dream-mer]

Been waiting since Background check completed on June 4. No updates.

Anyone on the same boat?

 

[lasignor_90]

Been waiting since Background check completed on June 4. No updates.

Anyone on the same boat?

Mine was completed on June 2nd, ‘last updated’ was June 4th, however. I haven’t checked the tracker this week.

What’s your submission and AOR dates and are you in the GTA? Also, have you completed test?

 

[Underhill]

Hi All,
For the photo in the citizenship online application, I got the digital photo from Pro passport and added the photographer details in the fields provided for this in the online citizenship application. Is that sufficient or do we need the stamp of the photographer by taking print of the photo with photographer’s stamp at the back and then scanning both sides of that photo for upload in the online citizenship application ?

Just the photographer details - company name, address, phone number. If you end up applying for your passport in-person you'll need to supply the physical passport photo (two of them, I believe) that has the company info stamped on the back of each photo.

 

[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.

Tracker updated today. Scheduled to attend Citizenship Ceremony on 17th September. Not received official invitation yet. Thanks everyone.

 

[bdeepak09]

Type: Online Application
Location: Abbotsford, BC
Case Processing Office: Sydney, NS
Physical Presence Days: 1,108
Application Type: Single

• Application Submitted: March 13, 2025
• AOR: April 2, 2025
• Citizenship Test Invite: May 16, 2025
• Citizenship Test Window: May 23 – June 21, 2025
• Citizenship Test Taken: May 27, 2025 — Passed (20/20)
• Test Status Updated in Tracker: May 29, 2025
• Background Check Completed: June 5, 2025
• Language, Prohibition & Physical Presence Completed: August 19, 2025
• Citizenship Ceremony: Not Started

 

[af56939]

Hi team ,

I need some help . I received below mail from IRCC .

"Good morning,
Your application is being processed for Canadian citizenship and the following information is required:
Entry/Exit Record of Movement from the USA – Between 2020-MAR-08 to 2025-MAR-08.
Once received, please attach it to this email and send it to us."

I replied to the mail with the attachments with all the information that I had . Attachments were in total of 10 Mb .

Next day again i got the similar mail with slightly different wordings.

"Good morning,
Your application for Canadian Citizenship was reviewed and additional information is required.
We are requesting Entry/Exit record of movement from the USA between 2020-Mar-08 to 2025-Mar-08.
Once received please reply to this email and attach it."


I am not sure what to do now . That is all the information I had and the next mail is not clear

Hi team ,

I need some help . I received below mail from IRCC .

"Good morning,
Your application is being processed for Canadian citizenship and the following information is required:
Entry/Exit Record of Movement from the USA – Between 2020-MAR-08 to 2025-MAR-08.
Once received, please attach it to this email and send it to us."

I replied to the mail with the attachments with all the information that I had . Attachments were in total of 10 Mb .

Next day again i got the similar mail with slightly different wordings.

"Good morning,
Your application for Canadian Citizenship was reviewed and additional information is required.
We are requesting Entry/Exit record of movement from the USA between 2020-Mar-08 to 2025-Mar-08.
Once received please reply to this email and attach it."


I am not sure what to do now . That is all the information I had and the next mail is not clear .

Update- This was all cleared out. I did nothing after the initial reply and my physical presence was updated on Aug 16th automatically. Tracker was updated to oath ceremony date as well. Thankyou.

 

[ghost105]

Received official invitation as well. I have to attend in-person ceremony. Once again thanks everyone. I hope everyone receive their decision soon.

Tracker updated today. Scheduled to attend Citizenship Ceremony on 17th September. Not received official invitation yet. Thanks everyone.

 

[Can-Brits]

Oath letter received for both of us today.
Requested a reschedule straight away. Hoping for a speedy turn around!