Thank you! My Oath experience was really good and it went something like this:
- I went out to Mississauga where I sat the test
- My ceremony was to begin at 12.30pm and it started on time
- I arrived at about 12.15pm and people were getting registered.
- I was asked to present my invitation and my media release form as well as hand over my PR card (I actually wish I had taken a photocopy of it before I handed it over... you never know if you will need it one day)
- I was not asked to show my CoPR, even though the invitation says you MUST bring it. So, who knows.
- There were about 125 people partaking in the ceremony and about 30 guests that were friends of people taking the Oath. Seats for those taking the ceremony were assigned (to help with handing out the certificates later)
- The Ceremony took about 1 hour with the judge saying some opening remarks then leading us through the Oath. They make it clear here that taking the oath is a legal requirement for citizenship and strongly mention that the cameras need to see your lips moving... or they will not give you the certificate and register you for another ceremony. To keep things simple, ensure you say the oath.
- As soon as the oath is done, row by row we went to the back of the room and signed two statements - one to confirm there is nothing from a legal standpoint preventing me from becoming a citizen, and the second it confirm that I actually said the words during the oath.
- Once signed we moved to receive our certificates from the presiding officer
- Once everyone got their certificate we sang the national anthem, followed by a few more remarks by the presiding officer
- Then we were able to get a few photos with the officials and went home
- We were told to wait 2 business days before applying for a passport so they can update their system
Some advice:
- Leave babies at home if possible, as it is boring for them and unsettling for the ceremony if they cry and become restless. My ceremony had quite a few very young kids and it was disruptive. They make a point about telling people to take kids out. If possible, best to have someone look after them at home as one child was very disruptive as their parent was taking the Oath...
- Learn the anthem. It will most likely be sung bi-lingually. This means that part the way through it will swap to French, so being confident in the anthem will allow you to really enjoy the moment without being self-conscious. They do provide the words, but if you are not ready for the switch to French it will knock you off your place. This happened in my ceremony when almost everyone stopped singing when it went to French...
- Enjoy it!
