April 2025 - Citizenship Applications

[Bp3012]

Finally got an update. The invited me to an interview in January. Letter states:

"You will be interviewed by a citizenship officer or agent to verify your identity and the originals of the
documents you provided at the time you applied. You will also be asked to answer any concerns we may
have about your application in order to help determine if you meet all the requirements for citizenship."

Has anyone done these before and what do they ask?

I applied in on April 28 from memory.

Timeline pls

 

[armoured]

Finally got an update. The invited me to an interview in January. Letter states:

"You will be interviewed by a citizenship officer or agent to verify your identity and the originals of the
documents you provided at the time you applied. You will also be asked to answer any concerns we may
have about your application in order to help determine if you meet all the requirements for citizenship."

Has anyone done these before and what do they ask?

I applied in on April 28 from memory.

We had done and I believe wrote about it in the March 2025 thread - it would have been right about the end of May.

It was very low pressure, verify documents (hold them up to screen), ask some questions about work and life, that was it. It was almost certainly because physical presence was close to the limit and a lot of travel - and CBSA records had a missing exit (or two?). They asked us to provide complete scans of all travel documents incl entry/exit stamps, done before the interview (which in this sense responded to the specifics of whether the missing records would have changed the day calc) - but really they seemed more interested in just establishing 'bona fides' and that spouse actually resides in Canada (despite the travel).

So it was very low pressure and went well. Obviously YMMV. The physical presence got completed on the tracker a few days after the interview so that's what that was about. Unfortunatley no movement on anything else since then.

 

[ruka]

Our timelines are almost identical. I also have that short US travel.

I've speculated that the US travel may be the reason for the delay - the US government had a shutdown a little while ago, and was still shutdown while your PP and LS were updated. So any pro forma checks that IRCC/CBSA would have asked CBP or other relevant US federal agency would have been put on hold until the shutdown ended (at which point they probably have a giant backlog to clear through).

Thanks. When was your AOR and in what state is your application now?

 

[Bp3012]

Just keep an eye on email if they ask for any document as u has US travel .. also I don't know i read some where that for one person ircc asked for translation of stamps on passport as those were in other language

 

[bassamkaaki]

Hi,
Applied on the 24th of April 2025. Still Background and Prohibitions in progress

24th April 2025 - Applied:
26th May 2025 - AOR
30th June 2025 - Test invitation
10th July 2025 - Test given
16th July 2025 - Citizenship Test completion updated
29th Oct 2025 - Physical presence and Language Skills updated

Background and Prohibitions still in progress since 29th Oct 2025.

Anyone in similar situation?

I have travel history to the US, Morocco and Saudi Arabia. All are short visits less than three weeks. Can this be causing a delay ?
What do you think I should do?
Thanks

My timeline is as follows:
29th April 2025 - Applied:
4th June 2025 - AOR
8th July 2025 - Test invitation
11 July 2025 - Test given
16th July 2025 - Citizenship Test completion updated
24th Sep 2025 - Physical presence and Language Skills updated

Background and Prohibitions are still in progress. Usually, the background starts the moment the application is submitted, not when language or presence is updated, since you might see some get their clearance in a week or more.

I have noticed from previous submissions that if the BG is completed first, all LPP's turn green at the same time later. In cases such as ours, it might take some time for BG to clear, so IRCC finalizes what they can from their side until the third party provides their input. That does not mean there is anything wrong with the case; it just means we have been placed in different cohorts and batches for processing.

Just being patient is the key to this current situation. We can't control what cannot be controlled. Live your life and enjoy your time; we will soon receive our BG, prohibitions, and Oath as well.

Never compare to other files, since this will only confuse you and cause panic and anxiety.


Good Luck!

 

[moscatojuices]

We had done and I believe wrote about it in the March 2025 thread - it would have been right about the end of May.

It was very low pressure, verify documents (hold them up to screen), ask some questions about work and life, that was it. It was almost certainly because physical presence was close to the limit and a lot of travel - and CBSA records had a missing exit (or two?). They asked us to provide complete scans of all travel documents incl entry/exit stamps, done before the interview (which in this sense responded to the specifics of whether the missing records would have changed the day calc) - but really they seemed more interested in just establishing 'bona fides' and that spouse actually resides in Canada (despite the travel).

So it was very low pressure and went well. Obviously YMMV. The physical presence got completed on the tracker a few days after the interview so that's what that was about. Unfortunatley no movement on anything else since then.

Thanks I hope so...

I can't make the interview as I'm overseas and they ask for a "reasonable explanation" if you can't make it. Should I send them flight tickets as evidence or just mention I'm overseas, date of return etc.

I also am self-employed in Canada, generally do work for overseas clients, and haven't paid taxes for the year as I'm not on an installment plan yet (first year of running a business). Do you reckon this could be an issue?

Thanks,

 

[armoured]

Thanks I hope so...

I can't make the interview as I'm overseas and they ask for a "reasonable explanation" if you can't make it. Should I send them flight tickets as evidence or just mention I'm overseas, date of return etc.

I also am self-employed in Canada, generally do work for overseas clients, and haven't paid taxes for the year as I'm not on an installment plan yet (first year of running a business). Do you reckon this could be an issue?

Thanks,

-Have they asked for an in-person interview? I mean, I'd just respond that you're out of the country for work (if that's true of course) and your return date; offer to provide more info if needed. It can't hurt to state you'd be available for on-line interview.

-I don't know. As far as I'm aware, if you've filed taxes for previous three years there should not be an issue but again - do not know.

Side point: for spouse's app, we got the request for passport copies (all pages with stamps), it was a strong clue that it was about physical presence ('clue' in sense that I was 100% certain but my spouse worried anyway). Obviously won't apply to all cases, and I wouldn't want to guess.

I can say that most of the cases I've seen reported here where people had interviews, they went quickly (I'm pretty sure they don't have more than 10 mins scheduled for it) and didn't end up being a big deal. Now this may be selection issue, i.e. those who have more serious issues come up aren't reporting details here, although just by math likely problem cases are relatively uncommon.

 

[airwb01]

Sigh.. I'm still stuck waiting on prohibitions, LPP, and language. Background and Exam passed. Last update was a ghost update on Sept 15th. Applied April 21st. Any one else still on the same boat?

 

[onward28332]

Stuck on Background and Prohibitions. April applicant.

 

[afaisalnwo]

Hi,
Applied on the 24th of April 2025. Still Background and Prohibitions in progress

24th April 2025 - Applied:
26th May 2025 - AOR
30th June 2025 - Test invitation
10th July 2025 - Test given
16th July 2025 - Citizenship Test completion updated
29th Oct 2025 - Physical presence and Language Skills updated

Background and Prohibitions still in progress since 29th Oct 2025.

Anyone in similar situation?

I have travel history to the US, Morocco and Saudi Arabia. All are short visits less than three weeks. Can this be causing a delay ?
What do you think I should do?
Thanks

I have similar dates.

I have travel history to US, India and UAE. May be US shutdown is something delaying our process not sure though. For me everything is in progress except Test. Let's hope we get some good news next year.

 

[airwb01]

I have similar dates.

I have travel history to US, India and UAE. May be US shutdown is something delaying our process not sure though. For me everything is in progress except Test. Let's hope we get some good news next year.

Thanks guys! I too have previous US visits. Maybe we'll be surprised with a Christmas/ New Year's gift from IRCC.

 

[moscatojuices]

-Have they asked for an in-person interview? I mean, I'd just respond that you're out of the country for work (if that's true of course) and your return date; offer to provide more info if needed. It can't hurt to state you'd be available for on-line interview.

-I don't know. As far as I'm aware, if you've filed taxes for previous three years there should not be an issue but again - do not know.

Side point: for spouse's app, we got the request for passport copies (all pages with stamps), it was a strong clue that it was about physical presence ('clue' in sense that I was 100% certain but my spouse worried anyway). Obviously won't apply to all cases, and I wouldn't want to guess.

I can say that most of the cases I've seen reported here where people had interviews, they went quickly (I'm pretty sure they don't have more than 10 mins scheduled for it) and didn't end up being a big deal. Now this may be selection issue, i.e. those who have more serious issues come up aren't reporting details here, although just by math likely problem cases are relatively uncommon.

Yes they summoned me to the Saskatoon office.

They also did ask me to send all passport pages too in advance.

 

[abff08f4813c]

They also did ask me to send all passport pages too in advance.

So armoured's caution is correct here, but even so, this makes me speculate it's the same sort of deal. Even if you don't have a lot of travel and you have lots of buffer, being unluckly enough to be missing a few entry or exit records (or both) can introduce enough variation that you'd go from having a big buffer to being significantly under in terms of physical presence.

Yes they summoned me to the Saskatoon office.

I wonder why they want to do it in person. Was your PR by any chance via PNP or something, and they wanna confirm you're actually living in the province that sponsored you perchance?

Thanks. When was your AOR and in what state is your application now?

My AOR took over a month - so near the start of June. LPP and everything is in progress on the tracker, only test and fingerprints are complete.

Stuck on Background and Prohibitions. April applicant.

Sigh.. I'm still stuck waiting on prohibitions, LPP, and language. Background and Exam passed. Last update was a ghost update on Sept 15th. Applied April 21st. Any one else still on the same boat?

Me three.

Let's hope we get some good news next year.

Fingers crossed!

 

[moscatojuices]

So armoured's caution is correct here, but even so, this makes me speculate it's the same sort of deal. Even if you don't have a lot of travel and you have lots of buffer, being unluckly enough to be missing a few entry or exit records (or both) can introduce enough variation that you'd go from having a big buffer to being significantly under in terms of physical presence.

I wonder why they want to do it in person. Was your PR by any chance via PNP or something, and they wanna confirm you're actually living in the province that sponsored you perchance?

My AOR took over a month - so near the start of June. LPP and everything is in progress on the tracker, only test and fingerprints are complete.


Me three.

Fingers crossed!

Well - you would think they dealt or significantly reduced the problem of people making mistakes with their physical presence as the online application does have an automated calculator, so I have no hesitation I calculated 1099 days correctly.

My PR was indeed Saskatchewan PNP - and yes possibly, in which case phew, I happen to still live there!

 

[afaisalnwo]

Checked the Tracker today. Language and Physical Presence are completed. Background Verification and Prohibition are in progress.
Happy to see some movement after August.