September 2017 Citizenship Applications

[IvanP]

profound reply! Thank you for sharing your effort; we need more positive people like yourself.

All I did was share what we did (and it wasn't a recommendation, and I was clear that I didn't know which of our approaches - if any - had gotten our application moving again).

In our situation, I am confident that it was the right approach because everything is straightforward in my wife's file: more than 4 straight years of residence in Canada at same address (now more than 5), same employer (same employer means consecutive T4s showing full-time employment in Canada, which also supports the residency requirement) for almost as long, taxes filed on time every year, no criminal record here or elsewhere, etc. And we filed a complete application, and when we got the random quality assurance request and responded quickly, so there were no delays caused by us.

Other people who have doubts about their applications may want to tread more softly, especially if their application involves the discretion of the citizenship officer. But in reality, citizenship officers don't have that much discretion if you can check all the boxes (and back it up with documentation if they ask for it).

Finally, no one should fear making ATIP requests, contacting their MP, or making service complaints, so long as they do it politely (and there's no need to be rude or paranoid, because making those requests or complaints are your right). I did make the choice not to share how to get the local office contact information (though the information is public if you know where to look) because I'm not confident most people could make that approach work for them. We'll make another ATIP request once we get the oath date because I'm curious what was recorded in our file (whether those contacts were recorded as well).

Anyhow, good luck to you all.

 

[Ottawan]

I got a private request for info on what steps we took to complain and get action, but I thought it would be useful to share it with everyone:

We called the regular client services line: we got a good agent who identified the issue (exam results weren't recorded) and sent an internal email. We called back after waiting 2 weeks and got an agent who said that we shouldn't call back for 2 months. We maybe didn't listen to that last bit of advice.

Contacted our MP: https://www.ourcommons.ca/parliamentarians/en/constituencies/FindMP (Since it's been a year since our September applications, they can do an inquiry. Our MP retired, but the office is still staffed and they still contacted the CIC. First time we contacted them, they said they needed a week to get a response. When they didn't get a response, they called again and by then we'd moved to Decision Made, but the guy said to call again in two weeks if we don't have an oath date. He also said they can't do much if CIC has decided they want to do extra background checks (not our case), but that if the application has just fallen through the cracks, they can "nudge" the process.). In general, I think this is probably the most effective.

We requested the ATIP records to see if there was anything wrong: https://atip-aiprp.apps.gc.ca/atip/ (do the Privacy Act request - the free one. They are a bit cryptic, and won't tell you if you've been flagged for terrorism or crimes against humanity (that stuff is redacted, so you won't know) but you can see what is done, and maybe why you are waiting.)

We did a formal complaint: https://secure.cic.gc.ca/feedback-retroaction/feedback-retroaction-eng.aspx (include as much information as possible - when you applied, when your exam was, last contact with CIC, the name and ID of the person with your file (you can find this in the ATIP request) The more info you have (records of calls, contacts, etc.), the better.

We sent a letter to the Citizenship Officer at the address they give you in the AOR 1) describing the actions described above and 2) politely asking him to work on our application because the normal processing time had expired. It's not a threat, it's all polite, but it shows you are serious and not going away, and that you've already complained about that citizenship officer specifically. They like to say they can't accelerate the process or give special treatment, but the correct response to that is that you are not asking for special treatment: your treatment is already outside the norm, they are failing to meet their own service standards, and you just want the level of service that 80% of applicants are getting.

Finally, we called and emailed the director of the local office. Never got a response to those emails or calls. Unless the response was to finally fix the file and get it moving again.

Obviously, we have no idea which of the foregoing methods worked. And we still don't have an oath date. But we do have a sense that things are finally moving again, and that it's because we were a (polite) pain in the ass for them.

Thanks for sharing. Hitting one year in a week. Gonna go hard or go home!

 

[IvanP]

My wife got an oath date notice today: October 31st!

Good luck to you all!

 

[Nuwa]

Thank you very much IvanP for sharing this valuble information with us.

All I did was share what we did (and it wasn't a recommendation, and I was clear that I didn't know which of our approaches - if any - had gotten our application moving again).

In our situation, I am confident that it was the right approach because everything is straightforward in my wife's file: more than 4 straight years of residence in Canada at same address (now more than 5), same employer (same employer means consecutive T4s showing full-time employment in Canada, which also supports the residency requirement) for almost as long, taxes filed on time every year, no criminal record here or elsewhere, etc. And we filed a complete application, and when we got the random quality assurance request and responded quickly, so there were no delays caused by us.

Other people who have doubts about their applications may want to tread more softly, especially if their application involves the discretion of the citizenship officer. But in reality, citizenship officers don't have that much discretion if you can check all the boxes (and back it up with documentation if they ask for it).

Finally, no one should fear making ATIP requests, contacting their MP, or making service complaints, so long as they do it politely (and there's no need to be rude or paranoid, because making those requests or complaints are your right). I did make the choice not to share how to get the local office contact information (though the information is public if you know where to look) because I'm not confident most people could make that approach work for them. We'll make another ATIP request once we get the oath date because I'm curious what was recorded in our file (whether those contacts were recorded as well).

Anyhow, good luck to you all.

 

[ZingyDNA]

I'm wondering how you wrote to your case processing officer? Was the letter directed to someone personally or not? It's totally within your right to file formal complaints but I'm just curious on how you did it.

We sent a letter to the Citizenship Officer at the address they give you in the AOR 1) describing the actions described above and 2) politely asking him to work on our application because the normal processing time had expired. It's not a threat, it's all polite, but it shows you are serious and not going away, and that you've already complained about that citizenship officer specifically. They like to say they can't accelerate the process or give special treatment, but the correct response to that is that you are not asking for special treatment: your treatment is already outside the norm, they are failing to meet their own service standards, and you just want the level of service that 80% of applicants are getting.

 

[LisaO]

Location: USA
Application Type: Proof of Citizenship
Physical Presence: none
App Sent: September 2017
App Accepted: October 4, 2017 - Processing Started

Requested updates in May 2018, July 2018, and Sept 2018 - Still in Processing.

I'd love to look for a job in my new home, but it's a chicken and egg situation without Citizenship.

 

[IvanP]

I'm wondering how you wrote to your case processing officer? Was the letter directed to someone personally or not? It's totally within your right to file formal complaints but I'm just curious on how you did it.

As far as directly contacting the citizenship officer, we addressed it to Citizenship Officer like it says in the instructions. For the other contacts, we mentioned the Citizenship Officer's name, but only in a factual way, e.g. "the last time someone worked on our file was when Mr. X did Y action, based upon the ATIP records." It was totally his fault, since he did the interview and reviewed the exam but never saved the results in her file, but you never know why someone dropped the ball (illness, family obligations, etc.), and the goal is not to get someone punished, the goal is to get action.

 

[IvanP]

And speaking of action, my wife had her oath today, so she's now a citizen!

If anyone is still updating the spreadsheet for September 2017, we finally crossed the finish line!

Next stop, Passport Canada! (in two business days)

Good luck to you all!

 

[nick677]

Hi All,

I am pretty sure that all of you would have got your citizenship by now. Congratulations !!

However I am amongst the unfortunate few who are still waiting for a test invite inspite of applying for citizenship in September 2017.

Here are the broad timelines of my case :-

Application Received by CIC : September 2017
Application Processing Start Date : November 2017
Fingerprint Request Recieved : September 2018
Fingerprints Submitted : September 2018

As you can see that my file has moved really slow and it has been almost 14 months since my application and I haven't even received my test invite as of now as well.

I have my regional MP's office calling CIC for my case, I have my GCMS notes, I am following up with CIC using the web query option. I really don't know what else can I do on top of this.

My wife applied after me in Feb 2018 and got her citizenship last month. My daughter was born here so is already a citizen.

I know I can lawyer up but that isn't something that I am looking at this stage.

Any advice or suggestions are appreciated ?

 

[Ottawan]

My wife got an oath date notice today: October 31st!

Good luck to you all!

Congrats IvanP, I have a question, when you submitted an online complaint here: https://secure.cic.gc.ca/feedback-retroaction/feedback-retroaction-eng.aspx

Who got back to you? your local officer? How long do they take?

 

[qorax]

Hi All,

I am pretty sure that all of you would have got your citizenship by now. Congratulations !!

However I am amongst the unfortunate few who are still waiting for a test invite inspite of applying for citizenship in September 2017.

Here are the broad timelines of my case :-

Application Received by CIC : September 2017
Application Processing Start Date : November 2017
Fingerprint Request Recieved : September 2018
Fingerprints Submitted : September 2018

As you can see that my file has moved really slow and it has been almost 14 months since my application and I haven't even received my test invite as of now as well.

I have my regional MP's office calling CIC for my case, I have my GCMS notes, I am following up with CIC using the web query option. I really don't know what else can I do on top of this.

My wife applied after me in Feb 2018 and got her citizenship last month. My daughter was born here so is already a citizen.

I know I can lawyer up but that isn't something that I am looking at this stage.

Any advice or suggestions are appreciated ?

There is nothing much you can do but to patiently wait. I'd shoot a webform enquiry every now-n-then tho.

 

[LisaO]

I am applying for Proof of Citizenship (two Canadian parents), with an Application Receipt date of September 2017, Processing start date of October, 2017. Beyond that, no request for fingerprints, no request for anything. Three formal inquiries (latest one is yesterday), and all I get is "All is well.... ". It's been 14 months by my count, and no stated reason for the delay.

 

[Mehran1]

I am applying for Proof of Citizenship (two Canadian parents), with an Application Receipt date of September 2017, Processing start date of October, 2017. Beyond that, no request for fingerprints, no request for anything. Three formal inquiries (latest one is yesterday), and all I get is "All is well.... ". It's been 14 months by my count, and no stated reason for the delay.

How about the test?

 

[LisaO]

How about the test?

No request to take one. Just nothing.

 

[Mehran1]

No request to take one. Just nothing.

That is weird, I am August applicant but passed the test 9 months a go . Did you request the GCMS note . maybe help you to find out what is the problem