Oath outside Canada

[somak2001]

Hi everyone, I came across some profiles where they have taken oath outside Canada for certain situations where they can't come back in the country for more than 6 months.

Also, got this automated email replying the citizenship ceremony request email. Can someone experiencing the below process guide?


TRAVELLING OR OUTSIDE CANADA



If you have advised us that you will be TRAVELLING or are OUTSIDE CANADA You MAY take the Oath OUTSIDE CANADA. However, Please note your MUST Destroy your PR card. Apply for CANADIAN passport in order for you return back to CANADA. Therefore, the oath ceremony can be CANCELLED for YOU. If you choose to not to proceed with the Ceremony.

 

[dejected]

Hum, this is interesting.
Is there any official announcement about being able to take the oath from outside Canada aside from the e-mail you received.

 

[novoiceplus]

I know someone who had taken oath outside but not through virtual ceremony, The family took oath at the Canadian Consulate and started their passport procedure there only.

but he used to work for govt of canada a year before so dont know if that matters

 

[bas12]

My zoom oath invitation talks about situations when people are taking it outside of canada, but I have no idea who qualifies for this. It mainly talks about how sending paper certificates can take up to 6 months in this case.

 

[susansd]

Hi everyone, I came across some profiles where they have taken oath outside Canada for certain situations where they can't come back in the country for more than 6 months.

Also, got this automated email replying the citizenship ceremony request email. Can someone experiencing the below process guide?


TRAVELLING OR OUTSIDE CANADA



If you have advised us that you will be TRAVELLING or are OUTSIDE CANADA You MAY take the Oath OUTSIDE CANADA. However, Please note your MUST Destroy your PR card. Apply for CANADIAN passport in order for you return back to CANADA. Therefore, the oath ceremony can be CANCELLED for YOU. If you choose to not to proceed with the Ceremony.

Thanks a ton for starting this thread. I am in the exact same situation that my citizenship application is in Processing. My BG and Test are completed and awaiting LPP and Oath, however I got a family emergency where I have the leave the country and would need to stay outside Canada for atleast more than 6 months. My PR card is expiring coming July 2024. I am literally breaking my head on how to deal with these situations. I have submitted IRCC webform to expedite my application describing my situation but yet to hear from them. It would be helpful if you can share the complete email from IRCC

 

[dejected]

Looking for our friend’s input who posts loooooong and elaborated replies with many quotations, bold texts, references and so on

 

[shiremag]

It's very very very unlikely people will get approved for oath outside Canada. If they do allow it, it will be for certain very special circumstances as reported in an above post for Public Service employees. There has been only one anecdotal report of oath outside Canada during the pandemic as far as I remember in this forum. However, I do not have a link to that post.

If you are unable to travel for your scheduled oath, let them know and they'll most likely postpone your oath to a later date. Also, rescheduling your oath may take up to 6 months after you send proof of return to Canada... Could be sooner if you are lucky. So, it's highly recommended you not postpone or reschedule your oath if you can.

 

[lecos]

This is from a friend of mine not in the forum. He just flew in to Canada for the interview.

"I was told during my in-person interview in Scarborough that I would be able to do the oath from abroad since I am currently not living in Canada (I asked like 3 times for reassurance and agent confirmed it is possible).

Agent just mentioned to follow the instructions when I receive the oath letter and to reply to the email address given. No more details provided.

LPP was marked as completed 2 days after the interview so I am currently awaiting for the Citizenship Ceremony step."

 

[dejected]

Hum….

 

[somak2001]

Wow, some useful information in there. My wife is outside Canada too, and I will try to schedule her oath from our home country.

 

[susansd]

Did she get her oath invitation? Please do update your case in case she is allowed to take the oath outside canada.

 

[dpenabill]

Hi everyone, I came across some profiles where they have taken oath outside Canada for certain situations where they can't come back in the country for more than 6 months.

Also, got this automated email replying the citizenship ceremony request email. Can someone experiencing the below process guide?

This is from a friend of mine not in the forum. He just flew in to Canada for the interview.

"I was told during my in-person interview in Scarborough that I would be able to do the oath from abroad since I am currently not living in Canada (I asked like 3 times for reassurance and agent confirmed it is possible).

awaiting LPP and Oath, however I got a family emergency where I have the leave the country and would need to stay outside Canada for atleast more than 6 months.

There has been a sudden flurry of posts referencing a change in policy and practice regarding taking the oath outside Canada. Some of the detail in these posts suggests they are credible.

But allowing adult Section 5(1) applicants the opportunity to take the oath while abroad without special authorization (which has been very rare in the past) is such a major change in policy and practice, unless and until there is more definitive information from at least authoritative sources it is prudent to wait and see . . . allowing, however, that anyone who in particular has communication from IRCC specifically allowing them to proceed with taking the oath while abroad, can probably proceed to do so. As best can be seen so far.

For those anxious to learn if they too could take the oath while still abroad, again it will be prudent to wait and see. If this change is real there should be more definitive news and confirmation coming soon.

Posted more observations here:

Some Background:

Early this year there were proposed changes to the regulations that would ostensibly allow the Minister to adopt procedures that could include online oath proceedings for applicants outside Canada, but it was not clear that is what the Minister would implement when the changes took effect.

Those changes, in the regulations governing the oath of citizenship, were scheduled to take effect in June, but until quite recently there has been no indication they were approved and taking effect. And meanwhile it has remained unclear what changes in actual practices would follow.

The Justice Laws website is an authoritative source which publishes the official statutes and regulations. It still does not show these changes in regulation to be in effect BUT as of today it is only current to July 25, 2023, and the reports that IRCC is allowing the oath abroad have just emerged since then. (Note, Regulations in effect until at least July 25, which would not allow for the oath outside Canada for 5(1) grants of citizenship except with special authorization, that is Regulations 19 to 24, are here: https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-93-246/page-2.html#h-952206 . . . subject to change any day now it seems).

There is a possibility that IRCC could implement such a change, to more broadly allow taking the oath outside Canada, pursuant to changes in interpreting how the current regulations apply to online ceremonies, but that is a very tangled weedy tangent and seems quite unlikely, so I'll leave it at that, at noting the possibility.

In any event, other than those who are in fact being scheduled for the oath and being given clear instruction that they can take the oath abroad, the rest of us should WAIT and SEE what additional information becomes available. If this change is being broadly implemented information about it and confirming this should SOON start showing up in multiple authoritative sources.

Some sources for reference:

Extensive list of PDIs regarding citizenship, including group under title "Ceremonies and promotion, which in turn includes link to oath ceremonies in particular: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/operational-bulletins-manuals/canadian-citizenship/overview/functional-guidance-on-table-contents.html

PDI for Oath of Citizenship: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/operational-bulletins-manuals/canadian-citizenship/ceremony/oath.html . . . but last updated more than two years ago

Link to Manual for "Citizenship delivery abroad" is here:
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/operational-bulletins-manuals/canadian-citizenship/citizenship-abroad.html . . . also out of date . . . July 2020 . . . but is nonetheless a good source for how things work up until now.

 

[kadian]

+1 Somak for creating this thread

I am in the same situation, outside Canada for more than 6 months and will remain abroad for another year due to parent medical reasons.
I filed my paper app in Jan 2023 and post filing left Canada. My Test and BG is done. Now waiting for LPP and Oath invite

I have two concerns:-

1. I did inform IRCC after test invite that I will take the test out of country.
Should I inform IRCC again about my "Out of Canada" status or wait until LPP and Oath invite is received ?

2. Anyone redid PCC for citizenship process due to more than 6 months stay abroad ?

 

[somak2001]

+1 Somak for creating this thread

I am in the same situation, outside Canada for more than 6 months and will remain abroad for another year due to parent medical reasons.
I filed my paper app in Jan 2023 and post filing left Canada. My Test and BG is done. Now waiting for LPP and Oath invite

I have two concerns:-

1. I did inform IRCC after test invite that I will take the test out of country.
Should I inform IRCC again about my "Out of Canada" status or wait until LPP and Oath invite is received ?

2. Anyone redid PCC for citizenship process due to more than 6 months stay abroad ?

You don't need to inform IRCC about being Outside Canada. Atleast, my wife didn't. She just informed IRCC when the test invite came, just like you.
You don't need to worry about PCC. That's for the 4 years before you applied for citizenship.

 

[itenten]

Wanting to hear update on this but hopefully official news will come out. I asked IRCC in twitter and messenger. will update if they respond.