March 2025 - Citizenship Applications

[armoured]

...as someone who applied in March, I’d have to wait until June 2026 before I could even submit a web form or follow up.

I agree with what you wrote and particularly the frustration (family member has march application in hopper), but just note: you can submit as many webforms, MP questions, calls and follow-ups as you like. You can shout it from the mountaintops, complain to the press, bring it up with your priest or psychologist, etc.

The only limitation is on what response you can expect, and the reality is that even after the 'expected processing time', you may not get a satisfactory answer anyway (i.e. is it a distinction without a difference?).

But you're free to do so if you wish.

Doesn't mean that burying them in webforms or complaints is a good idea or going to be effective, either, mind. After all if anyone had figured out the magic formula they'd hopefully have shared it by now.

 

[azhar1989]

I just spoke with an IRCC agent who confirmed that the current processing time is 13 months (which I was already aware of) and stated that this timeframe applies to all applications, including those already in progress. I expressed my concern, noting that this logic doesn’t make sense—if the processing time keeps increasing, then every application remains "within processing time" indefinitely, leaving applicants with no recourse. Despite this, the agent insisted that's how it works.

So, if the processing time increases to 15 months in two months' time, as someone who applied in March, I’d have to wait until June 2026 before I could even submit a web form or follow up. It’s extremely frustrating, especially considering that the estimated processing time when I applied was only 8 or 9 months.

Hey, any update on your case? I remember yours was a group application with your spouse and just one of you had your background check processed. I’m in the same boat, group application with spouse. Both were requested FP, she cleared background while I’m still waiting.

 

[m34]

Hey, any update on your case? I remember yours was a group application with your spouse and just one of you had your background check processed. I’m in the same boat, group application with spouse. Both were requested FP, she cleared background while I’m still waiting.

wife got fp request, i didnt. I only have prohibitions left while she still has prohibitions and background. No movement since mid july for both of us.

 

[Mo_Abdou]

Finally

Submitted on March 13 2025 -----------> Oath October 29, 2025 (the average when I submitted was 8 months, so almost around average)

GTA, E certificate email received, Virtual Ceremony details received

One Zoom meeting to go

Wish everyone the best of luck, and hopefully a quick process.

Special thanks to those who share their updates. Your updates were our hope in this almost information-less Update-less process

 

[Can-Brits]

Picked up our passports today - surreal to say the journey’s officially over!
The wildest part? It’s exactly five years to the day since we first moved to Canada… full circle moment.

Wishing everyone the best of luck and speedy updates - over and out!

 

[cmech5942]

I finally got scheduled for oath ceremony. I received LPP update on Sept 26 got a ghost update on Sept 27 and then saw on the tracker today that I’ve been scheduled for the ceremony on Oct 20

Have you received your invite email yet?

 

[Ree89]

Finally received the oath ceremony invite via email. It took about 7 days from when it was updated on the tracker

 

[Vish5244]

Your's might be in Security Screening. Usually, when the background verification is not completed till along time, they are conducting a comprehensive security screening process. Have you called in to check?

No. I didn't

 

[Canuck-Surfer]

Had my virutal ceremony today. Had 130 people. Seemed REALLY organized. They have their process down to an art. They now change your name for you. Instructions are really clear. The registration part took about 30 mins (We started at 830a). The official ceremony started right at 900a and lasted 30 mins. Then final instructions and pictures with Judge were about 10 mins more. Signed off at 936am.

 

[hygge613]

Just got my citizenship oath scheduled for Nov 14! I haven't received the email yet.

 

[RefugeeUkar]

I had my in person ceremony today. Finally my journey ends here.
My timeline:
AOR: 16-April-2025
Test marked Complete: 28-May-2025
Background: 25-July-2025
Language& Physical presence: 29-Aug-2025
Prohibitions: 03-Sep-2025
Ceremony: 09-Oct-2025

 

[m34]

Looks like IRCC updated their processing times page.

It now shows exactly how many people are ahead of you in the queue. For March 2025 applicants, there are 89,000 people ahead of us and the expected completion is in 4 months (which confirms that the original 8/9 months processing time at date of filing prevails). It also shows that there are 283K people in total waiting for application to be processed and the current wait time for new applications is 13 months. That is a lot of applications!

 

[armoured]

Looks like IRCC updated their processing times page.

It now shows exactly how many people are ahead of you in the queue. For March 2025 applicants, there are 89,000 people ahead of us and the expected completion is in 4 months (which confirms that the original 8/9 months processing time at date of filing prevails). It also shows that there are 283K people in total waiting for application to be processed and the current wait time for new applications is 13 months. That is a lot of applications!

Thanks - this is definitely pretty recent and I was surprised to see this detail - even though I'm still not sure exactly what it means.

-Total waiting 283k - seems to just mean how many applications received (accepted?) that are still pending. (It doesn't change with which month you choose).
-People 'ahead of you' - this goes down as you choose months further back. I'm not sure exactly what it means, except possibly those received before your application date still in process. (What exactly this means is ambiguous because it's not remotely like you have to wait for all those 'before' you are complete, which is what 'ahead of you' seems to imply in normal English. I guess you're supposed to feel less bad that there are tens of thousands who applied before you that are still waiting! (eg if you applied July 2024 - even though now past the expected time - ~39k people are 'ahead' of you, 41k in August. )
-The months remaining seems to roughly be months passed since date of application minus 13 months (current expected processing time). August '24 says 2 months remaining, July '24 - 'we need more time to process your application' with no further explanation.

One thing this does roughly tell us - since 238k are currently in the hopper, but ~39k or so at the juncture between the normal processing time, then very roughly the 'normal processing time' is when ~15-20% of the files have been completed (processing time is not mathematical average, but the 80/20 split, i.e. when 'most' applications are done if most is defined as ~80%). [This is a very rough estimate as using current backlog against the cohorts is misleading numbers wise.]

With a bit more work and some judicious guesswork should be possible to figure out how many are accepted/completed each month, but I'm a bit lazy on this warm friday afternoon.

 

[Hwallikniw]

Looks like IRCC updated their processing times page.

It now shows exactly how many people are ahead of you in the queue. For March 2025 applicants, there are 89,000 people ahead of us and the expected completion is in 4 months (which confirms that the original 8/9 months processing time at date of filing prevails). It also shows that there are 283K people in total waiting for application to be processed and the current wait time for new applications is 13 months. That is a lot of applications!

Can you give us an updated hers when your spouse gets their background? Thank you! I am also waiting from March

 

[m34]

Can you give us an updated hers when your spouse gets their background? Thank you! I am also waiting from March

Ill def share on this thread. still nothing so far since July