February 2024 - Citizenship Applications

[SeniorStakes]

I checked my application after almost two months, no updates yet Anyone else with me here waiting for their approval still?

Did you get an update?

 

[Kumarp]

Did you get an update?

Nope, nothing. It was just a ghost update, no emails, no status change, and no requests. So the waiting game continues.

 

[yeetus]

My application from Feb 2024 was stuck with the last update being on the 7th of November 2024.
Hired a lawyer for Mandamus early Jan, they sent a Demand letter on the 16th, everything finished and scheduled for oath by the 3rd of Feb.
Application was super straightforward, with 0 complications or issues that would cause it to be marked "non-routine". The lawyer didn't even charge full fees because of how normal it was.

 

[m34]

My application from Feb 2024 was stuck with the last update being on the 7th of November 2024.
Hired a lawyer for Mandamus early Jan, they sent a Demand letter on the 16th, everything finished and scheduled for oath by the 3rd of Feb.
Application was super straightforward, with 0 complications or issues that would cause it to be marked "non-routine". The lawyer didn't even charge full fees because of how normal it was.

Hey thanks for sharing. At what stage was your application stuck?

 

[yeetus]

Hey thanks for sharing. At what stage was your application stuck?

Hey!
It was stuck on Prohibitions and Background. I had even put in ATIP requests with CBSA and CSIS in early 2025 that they still haven't responded to.

Here is the actual timeline if it helps -

Feb 21, 2024 - AOR
March 15, 2024 - Request for Citizenship Test
March 21, 2024 - Test marked Completed
March 25, 2024 - Fingerprints Request
April 21, 2024 - Fingerprints Received
November 7, 2024 - Language and Physical Presence marked Completed​

Multiple GCMS Notes requests / Requests via MP's Office / ATIP requests with CBSA and CSIS (The atip requests to cbsa/csis still don't have a response, and the other requests got cookie-cutter replies).
Had asked for an address update in March 2025, but they hadn't even touched my file when I last checked in December 2025.

Talked to a lawyer on Jan 5th, and they sent a demand letter on the 16th.

Jan 29, 2024 - Background and Prohibitions marked as Completed.
Jan 30, 2024 - Citizenship Oath marked as In Progress.
Feb 3, 2024 - Received Oath Invite - Scheduled for the 18th.

Such a waste of time for no reason. My US Student Visa/H1B were always processed in much shorter processing times than normal. Even my Canadian work permits got processed in under 2-3 weeks. PR got processed, and I had the card in hand in under 4 months when the average was 12 months.
Just glad the process is over now. No more anxiety.

 

[m34]

Hey!
It was stuck on Prohibitions and Background. I had even put in ATIP requests with CBSA and CSIS in early 2025 that they still haven't responded to.

Here is the actual timeline if it helps -



Multiple GCMS Notes requests / Requests via MP's Office / ATIP requests with CBSA and CSIS that still don't have a response.
Had asked for an address update in March 2025, but they hadn't even touched my file when I last checked in December 2025.

Talked to a lawyer on Jan 5th, and they sent a demand letter on the 16th.



Such a waste of time for no reason. My US Student Visa/H1B were always processed in much shorter processing times than normal. Even my Canadian work permits got processed in under 2-3 weeks. PR got processed, and I had the card in hand in under 4 months when the average was 12 months.
Just glad the process is over now. No more anxiety.

Thanks for the information. Since you never received your GCMS notes, it was likely never clear what the underlying issue was—though it may have been related to security screening (just a guess). If it was instead an administrative matter, then it feels particularly unfair that you had to hire a lawyer and incur additional costs simply to resolve something that should have been straightforward. You took all the appropriate steps by contacting IRCC and your MP, but it really does seem as though no one on the other side is actually engaging—just sending standard, boilerplate responses regardless of the size or seriousness of the issue.

One more question: did your lawyer mention whether there is an optimal time to file a mandamus application, or whether it’s recommended only after a certain period has passed?

Thanks for the information. Since you never received your GCMS notes, it was likely never clear what the underlying issue was—though it may have been related to security screening (just a guess). If it was instead an administrative matter, then it feels particularly unfair that you had to hire a lawyer and incur additional costs simply to resolve something that should have been straightforward. You took all the appropriate steps by contacting IRCC and your MP, but it really does seem as though no one on the other side is actually engaging—just sending standard, boilerplate responses regardless of the size or seriousness of the issue. Even your address change request went unnoticed.

One more question: did your lawyer mention whether there is an optimal time to file a mandamus application, or whether it’s recommended only after a certain period has passed?

 

[yeetus]

Thanks for the information. Since you never received your GCMS notes, it was likely never clear what the underlying issue was—though it may have been related to security screening (just a guess). If it was instead an administrative matter, then it feels particularly unfair that you had to hire a lawyer and incur additional costs simply to resolve something that should have been straightforward. You took all the appropriate steps by contacting IRCC and your MP, but it really does seem as though no one on the other side is actually engaging—just sending standard, boilerplate responses regardless of the size or seriousness of the issue. Even your address change request went unnoticed.

One more question: did your lawyer mention whether there is an optimal time to file a mandamus application, or whether it’s recommended only after a certain period has passed?

I received all of my GCMS notes for the citizenship application file.
Just no response to the CBSA/CSIS records request via ATIP.

Yes, they said normally you want to wait at least 2 years since AOR. And at least a year since the last update. Even for my application, before they had all the information about my past/background, they recommended waiting until March 2026 at least before sending a demand letter. Otherwise, there is a very high chance of IRCC just replying with a No Decision and forcing you to actually file for Mandamus, which also has a high chance of going to court if its done too early.
Luckily, because of the nature of my application/situation, they agreed to an hourly fee instead of a flat rate fee based of the stages of the Mandamus process, which reduced the costs quite a bit.

For my case they only accepted it because of how normal my background was with 0 complications in the past. ( I dont even have as much as a speeding ticket, and the only time i have had interactions with any law enforcement is for clearance certificates or to submit biometrics).

 

[armoured]

I received all of my GCMS notes for the citizenship application file.
Just no response to the CBSA/CSIS records request via ATIP.

Yes, they said normally you want to wait at least 2 years since AOR. And at least a year since the last update. Even for my application, before they had all the information about my past/background, they recommended waiting until March 2026 at least before sending a demand letter. Otherwise, there is a very high chance of IRCC just replying with a No Decision and forcing you to actually file for Mandamus, which also has a high chance of going to court if its done too early.
Luckily, because of the nature of my application/situation, they agreed to an hourly fee instead of a flat rate fee based of the stages of the Mandamus process, which reduced the costs quite a bit.

For my case they only accepted it because of how normal my background was with 0 complications in the past. ( I dont even have as much as a speeding ticket, and the only time i have had interactions with any law enforcement is for clearance certificates or to submit biometrics).

I have a request - please, please consider applying for the GCMS notes for your citizenship app once all is completed - hopefully see what the hold-up was and how the mandamus process gets recorded in the system. (And let others know if there's anything useful in there)

BTW I'd consider going to your MP to ask for assistance in getting the outstanding CBSA/CSIS records requests. (I'm a tiny bit surprised - mostly I've seen CBSA respond fairly quickly; don't know about CSIS)

 

[yeetus]

I have a request - please, please consider applying for the GCMS notes for your citizenship app once all is completed - hopefully see what the hold-up was and how the mandamus process gets recorded in the system. (And let others know if there's anything useful in there)

BTW I'd consider going to your MP to ask for assistance in getting the outstanding CBSA/CSIS records requests. (I'm a tiny bit surprised - mostly I've seen CBSA respond fairly quickly; don't know about CSIS)

I think my lawyer mentioned they will be doing that once i get my certificate.
However i had requested notes a day before talking to the lawyer that came in last week on Thursday and they look exactly the same as every single one from last year. Maybe they processed them before the Demand Letter reached the officer. (IRCC had confirmed receipt on the 16th itself)
But will update if we see anything new in the ones after the whole process in completed.

Yeah im still puzzled by that. Will see if i can put in a low priority request with the MP here, because last time they mentioned they get quite a large amount of requests for assistance.