February 2025 - Citizenship Applications

[forw.jane]

Email Invitation received with instructions on Oct 23, 2025 (latter attached is dated 9th Oct 2025) for Oath on Nov 10, 2025.
The letter is calling for an In-Person Oath, and no mention of whether the certificate will be given in paper OR email.

I opted for an e-Certificate. has anyone experienced them forcing us for a paper certificate?

In-Person would in the past result in paper certificate even-though you request e-certificate. I am not sure if its currently the same process being followed.

 

[rs89977]

First it will be a no show and then they will see you have asked for rescheduling and after you return, send an email again with your boarding pass as proof, after which you will get a new date. It’s a bit clumsy process once you request rescheduling.

I see, this is so wrong process. They could accommodate someone who else, seems purposefully they want to let the seat go waste and charge govt for another session.

 

[armoured]

I opted for an e-Certificate. has anyone experienced them forcing us for a paper certificate?

Despite what people think, there is now effectively no difference between having a (current series) paper certificate and an e-certificate. The new ones have barcodes and you'll see in citizenship instructions that they'll accept photocopies/scans of current series paper certificates (because that barcode effectively makes them equivalent to e-certificates).

So it seems that yes, most of the time, those going for in-person get paper certificates by default. Some have reported they're given a choice to receive e-certificate if they wish - but this does not seem to be consistent. But in my view - doesn't matter, if you get a paper one, you have a nice copy and can use scans going forward, if you get electronic, you can get a nice one printed and framed on your own if you like.

If you have a scheduling issue, I'd have suggested just doing the virtual oath, that way you'd be sure to get the e-certificate - and scheduling would almost all be 2-6 weeks later. But you've already decided it seems.

 

[armoured]

I see, this is so wrong process. They could accommodate someone who else, seems purposefully they want to let the seat go waste and charge govt for another session.

You're making assumptions about what they're doing that don't seem confirmed to me.

My guess is that you've asked for two different things, 'different date but virtual if circumstances.' Too complicated for them.

Just ask for a different date, after your scheduled return, in person or virtual - either one or the other (be specific) or 'either' i.e. tell them you don't care. (Virtual potentially a bit sooner because more of them / not location based, but only a guess).

If I've misunderstood what you've communicated to them, my mistake.

 

[rs89977]

You're making assumptions about what they're doing that don't seem confirmed to me.

My guess is that you've asked for two different things, 'different date but virtual if circumstances.' Too complicated for them.

Just ask for a different date, after your scheduled return, in person or virtual - either one or the other (be specific) or 'either' i.e. tell them you don't care. (Virtual potentially a bit sooner because more of them / not location based, but only a guess).

If I've misunderstood what you've communicated to them, my mistake.

Thanks for the advise, if paper copy has barcode or something equivalent that makes photo copies equally acceptable then it’s good.

Well, yes coz I am travelling on 18th and oath is scheduled for 10th; 1 week gap wouldn’t be possible for getting Canadian passport + visa for the country I am travelling. I can’t postpone travel and taking such a stress of delay in certificate/not getting visa before travelling worth than waiting couple of weeks more.

 

[armoured]

Thanks for the advise, if paper copy has barcode or something equivalent that makes photo copies equally acceptable then it’s good.

If you look at the passport application form, it says provide original or copy of citizenship certificate (if certificate issued after February 1, 2012), with note (right below it) that says "Note: Copies of Canadian citizenship certificates are accepted if the certificate number begins with a K or an X."

This is pretty simple to interpret: substantially all* citizenship certificates issued since February 2012 have certificate numbers beginning with K or X (and as far as I'm aware, the barcodes). Meaning IRCC ('the government')/the passport office itself accepts the certificates in copy. And who else apart from 'the government' is ever going to ask for the citizenship certificate (or insist upon original)? (Almost everyone is going to just use their passports, as a better-known doc, but if anyone else does ask for citizenship certificate, they're going to take photocopy.) Most can pretty safely store their citizenship certificates away in a safe place (keeping a scanned copy in electronic form for use), and forget about it - effectively forever. Of course I can't guarantee there won't be some potential use where original required, but should be very rare / corner case that's not worth planning for. Just keep your passport valid and current.

*I assume all issued since Feb 2012 are of these series, and the 'of certificate series' bit is a just-in-case some errors occurred during crossover (or possibly a protection against fraud or some other obscure reasons); if they ever need to introduce more series, they can just update the instructions above to add an extra letter.

Well, yes coz I am travelling on 18th and oath is scheduled for 10th; 1 week gap wouldn’t be possible for getting Canadian passport + visa for the country I am travelling. I can’t postpone travel and taking such a stress of delay in certificate/not getting visa before travelling worth than waiting couple of weeks more.

If your trip is short, just advise of the dates of travel and ask for rescheduled ceremony. That'll likely get the fastest rescheduling.

 

[rs89977]

If you look at the passport application form, it says provide original or copy of citizenship certificate (if certificate issued after February 1, 2012), with note (right below it) that says "Note: Copies of Canadian citizenship certificates are accepted if the certificate number begins with a K or an X."

This is pretty simple to interpret: substantially all* citizenship certificates issued since February 2012 have certificate numbers beginning with K or X (and as far as I'm aware, the barcodes). Meaning IRCC ('the government')/the passport office itself accepts the certificates in copy. And who else apart from 'the government' is ever going to ask for the citizenship certificate (or insist upon original)? (Almost everyone is going to just use their passports, as a better-known doc, but if anyone else does ask for citizenship certificate, they're going to take photocopy.) Most can pretty safely store their citizenship certificates away in a safe place (keeping a scanned copy in electronic form for use), and forget about it - effectively forever. Of course I can't guarantee there won't be some potential use where original required, but should be very rare / corner case that's not worth planning for. Just keep your passport valid and current.

*I assume all issued since Feb 2012 are of these series, and the 'of certificate series' bit is a just-in-case some errors occurred during crossover (or possibly a protection against fraud or some other obscure reasons); if they ever need to introduce more series, they can just update the instructions above to add an extra letter.

If your trip is short, just advise of the dates of travel and ask for rescheduled ceremony. That'll likely get the fastest rescheduling.

Thanks for so detailed information!
Yea it’s 4 weeks, and communicated to IRCC. Just was not clear whether they will reschedule and confirm new date now or it will again take couple of weeks/months.

Got to know few possibilities from this thread.

 

[armoured]

Thanks for so detailed information!
Yea it’s 4 weeks, and communicated to IRCC. Just was not clear whether they will reschedule and confirm new date now or it will again take couple of weeks/months.

It varies somewhat.