+1(514) 937-9445 or Toll-free (Canada & US) +1 (888) 947-9445

September 2020 - Citizenship Applicants

Kar1205

Star Member
Jan 7, 2016
107
33
Toronto
Category........
Other
Hi,
I'm unable to access the 2020 Citizenship tracker. It's says that my access to the tracker has been changed.
Requesting the owner to check my access level.
 

nskatcv

Champion Member
May 27, 2014
1,060
205
Category........
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
Aug 11 2014
Med's Done....
Feb 16 2015
Passport Req..
Jul 03 2015
VISA ISSUED...
Jul 08 2015
LANDED..........
Jan 09 2016
Weekly Wednesday update - IRCC are now finalizing applications received in May 2019.
2019? So that would mean our (Sep 2020) applications are still 1 year 4 months away?

But some regular (and not urgent) applicants (like @PianoMan ) are already getting test invites. Whats going on? So confused!
 

jmomcc

Star Member
May 29, 2014
114
5
Mine is still the same but someone I know who doesn’t use this site also got a test invite. She’s a September 2020 applicant as well, non urgent.
 

nskatcv

Champion Member
May 27, 2014
1,060
205
Category........
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
Aug 11 2014
Med's Done....
Feb 16 2015
Passport Req..
Jul 03 2015
VISA ISSUED...
Jul 08 2015
LANDED..........
Jan 09 2016
Mine is still the same but someone I know who doesn’t use this site also got a test invite. She’s a September 2020 applicant as well, non urgent.
If Sep 2020 applicants are getting test invites, then what does CIC mean when they say we are currently finalizing applicants received between April-May 2019.

Do they mean that they have gone further and are sending passports to those applicants? If that is the case, then does it mean that there is a time lag of more than a year between test invite and receiving passports?

Can someone please write out an approximate timeline of test, interview, oath, passport? I mean how long it usually takes to get these things in that order.

Thanks.
 

rajkamalmohanram

VIP Member
Apr 29, 2015
15,802
5,769
2019? So that would mean our (Sep 2020) applications are still 1 year 4 months away?

But some regular (and not urgent) applicants (like @PianoMan ) are already getting test invites. Whats going on? So confused!
I think it really depends on the office. The IRCC corporate records show some information that is quite disturbing. For instance, Mississauga office has about 10,000+ applications that are test ready but it has only issued test invites to around 290 people. This stat looks very scary, not sure how they are going to make up for this without issuing a bulk test invite.

We can analyze that document more to see what else we can infer from it.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: novascotia27

rajkamalmohanram

VIP Member
Apr 29, 2015
15,802
5,769
If Sep 2020 applicants are getting test invites, then what does CIC mean when they say we are currently finalizing applicants received between April-May 2019.

Do they mean that they have gone further and are sending passports to those applicants? If that is the case, then does it mean that there is a time lag of more than a year between test invite and receiving passports?

Can someone please write out an approximate timeline of test, interview, oath, passport? I mean how long it usually takes to get these things in that order.

Thanks.
Passport is a whole another story. You'll apply for passport separately to Passport Canada after you get your Citizenship certificate. IRCC is not responsible for issuing passports.

There is no approximate timeline. Assume it to be 1.5 to 2 years now (for mid-late 2020 applicants at least). The timeline greatly varies on so many factors it is impossible to predict anything beforehand.

Some December 2020 applicants who submitted online applications got test invite within 3 months of application submission. This is so weird - not sure what IRCC is doing here. If your application is routine (no additional document requests, no fingerprints and no extra security/BG checks needed), then you might see the light at the end of the tunnel relatively sooner.

Give it a few more months, apply for GCMS notes and wait. I mean, that's pretty much everything we can do now.
 

Das67

Hero Member
Oct 19, 2019
967
559
I think it really depends on the document. The IRCC corporate records show some information that is quite disturbing. For instance, Mississauga office has about 10,000+ applications that are test ready but it has only issued test invites to around 290 people. This stat looks very scary, not sure how they are going to make up for this without issuing a bulk test invite.

We can analyze that document more to see what else we can infer from it.
This just means they aren't going to send online test invite to everyone and most of applicants will have to wait until in person test is resumed. They are in damage control mode until in person test can be possible again only God knows when.
 

Progressive

Star Member
Sep 6, 2016
57
26
Hey everyone,

I received my GCMS notes, I requested on April 21, so it's a total of 15 days of wait. The notes basically say I passed criminality assessment and the rest (knowledge, language, residence, prohibition) hasn't started.

Two questions, if someone can answer:
1) knowledge eligibility assessment means if I'm eligible to take the citizenship test, correct?
2) if I passed criminality check, does it mean they won't request fingerprints? I just don't wish to have my process dragged any further because of extra requests.

Thanks!
 

nskatcv

Champion Member
May 27, 2014
1,060
205
Category........
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
Aug 11 2014
Med's Done....
Feb 16 2015
Passport Req..
Jul 03 2015
VISA ISSUED...
Jul 08 2015
LANDED..........
Jan 09 2016
Passport is a whole another story. You'll apply for passport separately to Passport Canada after you get your Citizenship certificate. IRCC is not responsible for issuing passports.

There is no approximate timeline. Assume it to be 1.5 to 2 years now (for mid-late 2020 applicants at least). The timeline greatly varies on so many factors it is impossible to predict anything beforehand.

Some December 2020 applicants who submitted online applications got test invite within 3 months of application submission. This is so weird - not sure what IRCC is doing here. If your application is routine (no additional document requests, no fingerprints and no extra security/BG checks needed), then you might see the light at the end of the tunnel relatively sooner.

Give it a few more months, apply for GCMS notes and wait. I mean, that's pretty much everything we can do now.
Thanks for shedding light on the matter.

If I read correctly, you mean we (Sep 2020) applicants might get test/interview/oath done in few months from now (hopefully), but after the Oath, getting the passport (which is a separate application) might take 1.5-2 years?
 

rajkamalmohanram

VIP Member
Apr 29, 2015
15,802
5,769
This just means they aren't going to send online test invite to everyone and most of applicants will have to wait until in person test is resumed. They are in damage control mode until in person test can be possible again only God knows when.
I picked up some email chatter from those records that suggest increasing the number of test invites per week towards the end of Jan 2021. Not sure if they are following that plan or what!

It is hard for me to believe that technology being a bottleneck for increasing the test invites. I think it has to do with the fact that there aren't enough staff to "verify" the test results (i.e Take a look at the photos taken during the test and ensure no cheating has occurred). Like someone else said, technology is easily scalable. If you can do it with 5000 invites and you didn't see any issues, you can scale that to 50,000 invites with relative ease. I think human resource is the problem here and not the technology.
 
  • Like
Reactions: novascotia27

rajkamalmohanram

VIP Member
Apr 29, 2015
15,802
5,769
Thanks for shedding light on the matter.

If I read correctly, you mean we (Sep 2020) applicants might get test/interview/oath done in few months from now (hopefully), but after the Oath, getting the passport (which is a separate application) might take 1.5-2 years?
No that's not what I said.

Forget about the passports, we are talking about the process from application submission to oath. Passport is a completely separate process and you can't include that in the citizenship grant timeline.

I'm saying that given the rate at which they are sending tests and oath invitations, it might take a year or more for a sizable number of late 2020 applicants to become citizens of this country. Even if you get the test invite and pass the test, there is a wait for your application to go to "Decision Made" (DM) status. After that, there is a wait for you to get your oath invitation. After that, you'll have to wait for the actual oath ceremony. If the current pace doesn't improve and they don't take remedial steps, a sizable number of late 2020 applicants will become citizens (that is, take the oath of citizenship) only in mid-late 2022.
 
  • Like
Reactions: nskatcv

Das67

Hero Member
Oct 19, 2019
967
559
I picked up some email chatter from those records that suggest increasing the number of test invites per week towards the end of Jan 2021. Not sure if they are following that plan or what!

It is hard for me to believe that technology being a bottleneck for increasing the test invites. I think it has to do with the fact that there aren't enough staff to "verify" the test results (i.e Take a look at the photos taken during the test and ensure no cheating has occurred). Like someone else said, technology is easily scalable. If you can do it with 5000 invites and you didn't see any issues, you can scale that to 50,000 invites with relative ease. I think human resource is the problem here and not the technology.
I do agree that technology isn't the problem here, I feel like the problem might be the union. Union may block any effort to massively use the online platform for tests or any technology for citizenship process or other immigrations stuff, they can use job killing excuses to keep the use of it as limited. This is just my thinking and really hope I am wrong here :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: rajkamalmohanram