April 2025 - Citizenship Applications

[armoured]

I received my oath in person ceremony for Dec 12th and understand that we have to hand over our PR cards at the ceremony. However, I am traveling on Dec 14th. Can anyone tell me what document I can use to re-enter Canada when I return? Thanks

I'm going to attempt to give a simple answer: you should either ask to delay your oath ceremony, change your departure date from Canada, or accept that you will have to apply for and get a passport abroad (or possibly one or two other ways to get authorization / return to Canada) - and that may take 4-8 weeks, depending on location and other.

If you do apply to change oath date - best if you know when you will be returning, and accept whatever type of ceremony they give you.

-If at in-person ceremony, you should get a physical citizenship certificate. You are a citizen at that point - BUT they will warn you that you can't use the certificate to apply for a few days (whether two or three days, different info out there, but reality is - too tight for a departure date on the 14th).
-If you can delay your departure for a week, it might be tight but do-able. (Given the 21st is a sunday, departure late 22nd might give you a bit of needed time). This assumes you're in a location where you can get to a physical in-person passport office, and you'll have to ask for quicker processing than standard.
-If you have to apply for a passport abroad - you will need extra time. That's fine if you're travelling for a couple months or so.

There are some minor (less common) exceptions - if you can cross at a land border, you'd be fine with ID and the citizenship certificate. If you have a US passport - fine. You might be able to get the special authorization - I think only for holders of visa waiver passports.

But again: if none of those are realistic, and dependent on your priorities, either delay the citizenship ceremony or delay your departure to give you time to get the passport.

Good luck.

 

[M.K.H]

I just received an email to attend an online interview on MS teams. The mail says please read and sign the attached consent form if you wish to attend the event..There's no form attached .The attachment only has details related to the interview, no consent form. Can anyone who has had an online interview please comment .

 

[armoured]

I just received an email to attend an online interview on MS teams. The mail says please read and sign the attached consent form if you wish to attend the event..There's no form attached .The attachment only has details related to the interview, no consent form. Can anyone who has had an online interview please comment .

Wait a few days, I think they just have a tendency to send these out separately.

 

[abff08f4813c]

Most cases the FP request does not delay things much.

I guess it depends on the definition of "much". Certainly the fact that very few (perhaps none?) on this thread who got FP request have yet to get to the oath, while those who got to the oath weren't asked, does imply that the request itself does delay things - the question is indeed by how much.

For some, yes - but they're probably in group that would have had security other issues anyway.

Like I said, I'm in the group with a clean background and should have no security issues. So if I'm delayed by say one month, I'll be like no biggie. On the other hand, if the request causes me to go beyond the posted processing times, well... that'll feel like more of a biggie to me, as I'm one of those outside of the "group that would have had security other issues anyway."

I suppose a big part is just not knowing how much the delay costs. If we had even an accurate ballpark figure, it might not feel so bad.

 

[armoured]

I guess it depends on the definition of "much". Certainly the fact that very few (perhaps none?) on this thread who got FP request have yet to get to the oath, while those who got to the oath weren't asked, does imply that the request itself does delay things - the question is indeed by how much.

In previous months, it has had little impact. I can't say for sure it hasn't changed.

Like I said, I'm in the group with a clean background and should have no security issues.

"Clean background", as I'm sure you know, is not the sole issue. Country of origin and other things like work history very much can be big ones. (I know for a certainty my spouse has a 'clean' background - but I also know the reasons her relevant clearances might not be as quick as, say, her children (adults from same country).

Put differently: not everyone understands what might be security issues. Many are kidding themselves about this.

That said: yes, there are also mistakes made and things can be held up for no good reason. But it seems rather infrequent for eg EU/UK/NZ/AU/NATO/USA passport holders (some exceptions within them - both country and why I said 'infrequent').

So if I'm delayed by say one month, I'll be like no biggie. On the other hand, if the request causes me to go beyond the posted processing times, well... that'll feel like more of a biggie to me, as I'm one of those outside of the "group that would have had security other issues anyway."

I suppose a big part is just not knowing how much the delay costs. If we had even an accurate ballpark figure, it might not feel so bad.

Again, I'm mostly going by what I noticed from previous months (while I've been following, really only about the last year) - for the majority of those who get (got) FP requests, was a minor delay, perhaps 1-3 months. I've not tried to compile this data to test however, so caveat lector.

For those held up beyond the currently posted* processing times - yep, you're one with an issue, whether mistaken or not.

* I'm firmly of the view that while one hears different opinions, it's the currently posted processing time that matters, not what the time estimate was when you applied.

 

[dzx]

That said: yes, there are also mistakes made and things can be held up for no good reason. But it seems rather infrequent for eg EU/UK/NZ/AU/NATO/USA passport holders (some exceptions within them - both country and why I said 'infrequent').

I know many cases like that. If someone’s from a country with security red flag they’d usually know that’s the reason - other than that, IRCC also conducts random checks/interviews for “quality control” purposes, these may well be more common than actual red flags.

There are also backlog/human errors. Quite a few people who applied in Apr/May/June were stuck and all the sudden they are moving now, that includes my case.

 

[abff08f4813c]

There are also backlog/human errors. Quite a few people who applied in Apr/May/June were stuck and all the sudden they are moving now, that includes my case.

Wish that was me, but mine still seems to be stuck.

But it seems rather infrequent for eg EU/UK/NZ/AU/NATO/USA passport holders (some exceptions within them - both country and why I said 'infrequent').

I know many cases like that. If someone’s from a country with security red flag they’d usually know that’s the reason

Right - but I'm from that list from armoured above, hence doesn't apply to me.

other than that, IRCC also conducts random checks/interviews for “quality control” purposes, these may well be more common than actual red flags.

Hmm, interesting. So I might have been a random quality control and thus moving slower. Is it possible to know this from GCMS notes?

 

[dzx]

Wish that was me, but mine still seems to be stuck.


Right - but I'm from that list from armoured above, hence doesn't apply to me.

Hmm, interesting. So I might have been a random quality control and thus moving slower. Is it possible to know this from GCMS notes?

yes, you will be able to know if your security is a comprehensive check from GCMS

 

[abff08f4813c]

yes, you will be able to know if your security is a comprehensive check from GCMS

What specifically would I be looking for in the notes? Like a particular abbreviation or a keyword?

 

[dzx]

What specifically would I be looking for in the notes? Like a particular abbreviation or a keyword?

It will just say what type it is on your security sub activities, a normal security check will say CIT CSIS Screening, and a comprehensive check will cite the specific section of the citizenship act they are checking for

 

[Krishna008]

Anyone provided fingerprints from India?

 

[forw.jane]

Anyone provided biometrics from India?

If you talking about fingerprints it has to be done in Canada only.

 

[Krishna008]

If you talking about fingerprints it has to be done in Canada only.

Is there anyway we can do from India? Anyone done that?

 

[forw.jane]

Is there anyway we can do from India? Anyone done that?

https://rcmp.ca/en/criminal-records...rprinting-companies-accredited-rcmp#wb-auto-2

Only Canadian ones are allowed now.

 

[abff08f4813c]

Is there anyway we can do from India? Anyone done that?

Might be worth reaching out to Red Seal Notary.

They can get your fingerprints submitted from your local police in your country to RCMP according to https://www.redsealnotary.com/services/rcmp-fingerprints-outside-canada/ (and they explicitly list India as one of the countries that they have done it from before).

And their sample app, https://www.redsealnotary.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/InformedConsent_Travel-and-Immigration.pdf implies that they support Canadian citizenship applications - though it's possible that this is old or inaccurate (as they're offering a generic FP service for e.g. employer background checks, supporting US visa applications, Canadian visa and PR apps from overseas, and so on).