Help with my citizenship application

[mitch221]

I received my Acknowledgment of Receipt (AOR) in March 2025 and passed my Canadian citizenship test in September 2025. As of October 2026, my application is still in progress, with only the prohibitions and background verification requirements remaining incomplete.
It has been approximately 19 months since I received my AOR, and I am concerned about the delay. Has anyone experienced a similar situation? If so, how long did it take for your application to be finalized?
Would you recommend hiring an immigration lawyer at this stage?

 

[armoured]

Spouse's in same situation. ORder your gcms notes, from both IRCC and CBSA. Contact your MP.

Careful looks at the gcms notes will likely reveal that it's held up in security checks. (You have to read between the lines). We spoke to one lawyer who said wouldn't recommend starting mandamus process until ~22 months, which is close enough to say two years. YMMV.

You may wish to glance at the citizenship forums here. It's neither common nor rare - i.e. some do get held up.

 

[appwarez]

I received my Acknowledgment of Receipt (AOR) in March 2025 and passed my Canadian citizenship test in September 2025. As of October 2026, my application is still in progress, with only the prohibitions and background verification requirements remaining incomplete.
It has been approximately 19 months since I received my AOR, and I am concerned about the delay. Has anyone experienced a similar situation? If so, how long did it take for your application to be finalized?
Would you recommend hiring an immigration lawyer at this stage?

Since you’ve been waiting around 19 months, you could request GCMS notes, contact IRCC for an update, or reach out to your MP. I’d consider consulting an immigration lawyer if there’s no meaningful progress or if you’re considering legal action.

 

[appwarez]

Spouse's in same situation. ORder your gcms notes, from both IRCC and CBSA. Contact your MP.

Careful looks at the gcms notes will likely reveal that it's held up in security checks. (You have to read between the lines). We spoke to one lawyer who said wouldn't recommend starting mandamus process until ~22 months, which is close enough to say two years. YMMV.

You may wish to glance at the citizenship forums here. It's neither common nor rare - i.e. some do get held up.

Requesting GCMS notes from both IRCC and CBSA and contacting the MP seem like reasonable first steps.