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Wife got citizenship test date but at school in US--valid reason to reschedule?

torontomike

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The IRCC just sent my wife her first notice for her citizenship test on Jan 24. However, she is away doing masters in Miami, FL, and it is very hard for her to get back this quickly. Is that a valid reason for her to reschedule? Does anyone have experience with a similar situation?
 

bluffmaster88

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The IRCC just sent my wife her first notice for her citizenship test on Jan 24. However, she is away doing masters in Miami, FL, and it is very hard for her to get back this quickly. Is that a valid reason for her to reschedule? Does anyone have experience with a similar situation?
Since this would be start of semester, it is better to attend now itself. You cannot be sure that next time you will get the notice well ahead of time. As per people who requested for reschedule, it took months for them to get the next invite. If the next invite happens to be during semester exams, that would be even more difficult.
 

torontomike

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Since this would be start of semester, it is better to attend now itself. You cannot be sure that next time you will get the notice well ahead of time. As per people who requested for reschedule, it took months for them to get the next invite. If the next invite happens to be during semester exams, that would be even more difficult.
Well, that is true as far as it goes, but she also has a job at school she just started that requires her to do hours for that, as well. The question is whether the bureaucratic functionaries at IRCC accept this as a 'valid' reason (which I can find no definition of anywhere)....
 

dpenabill

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The question is whether the bureaucratic functionaries at IRCC accept this as a 'valid' reason (which I can find no definition of anywhere)....
Since it is a FIRST scheduled test event, my understanding is she will be rescheduled for the test at a later date.

Beyond that, the question is significantly more complicated than whether difficulty returning to Canada given her reasons for being abroad is an "acceptable" reason for rescheduling or failing to attend. There is NO certain answer.

In particular, how IRCC responds can depend on additional circumstances. For example, did the applicant previously notify IRCC of dates the applicant was going to be abroad? Has the applicant properly notified IRCC of any changes in material circumstances, including current residential address (the place where the applicant is actually residing)? Even the nature and strength of the applicant's ties to Canada can be a factor.

In the past there was an operational bulletin which specifically stated that living abroad was NOT an acceptable reason for failing to attend a scheduled event. This does not appear to be included in the current guidelines, as specified in the applicable PDIs (Program Delivery Instructions), which tend to be more general if not vague. Moreover, even if it did, technically that applied to excuses for a failure to appear and not requests to reschedule. And, again, as I understand it applicants are now given a second chance to attend the test event regardless the reason. Nonetheless, the previous policy and practice is a clue about how Canada approaches such questions. But that said, in contrast, even during the more strict approach CIC employed during the Harper years, going abroad for an obviously temporary purpose related to a particular graduate program was often given more of a pass than other reasons for being abroad.

And as @bluffmaster88 has suggested, there are other factors to consider beyond whether this will result in the application being deemed abandoned and terminated (again, as I understand things, for first scheduled test this does not happen). But here too, how it goes can be influenced by a wide range of other particular circumstances, not the least of which is the underlying strength of the case itself, including the nature and extent of ties in Canada.

Just asking the question suggests the applicant will weigh competing priorities in deciding whether to seek rescheduling or make the sacrifices involved in making the trip to attend the test. If not, if the applicant has already determined attending the test as scheduled is NOT possible, not going to happen, given her situation, the thing to do is make the request to reschedule regardless the impact on the application. And she will find out, in her particular circumstances, how that will impact the process. The thing to be aware of is that this can significantly elevate the amount of scrutiny given her application and will quite likely result in a much longer timeline overall.
 

torontomike

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Jan 9, 2014
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11-06-2013
Since it is a FIRST scheduled test event, my understanding is she will be rescheduled for the test at a later date.

Beyond that, the question is significantly more complicated than whether difficulty returning to Canada given her reasons for being abroad is an "acceptable" reason for rescheduling or failing to attend. There is NO certain answer.

In particular, how IRCC responds can depend on additional circumstances. For example, did the applicant previously notify IRCC of dates the applicant was going to be abroad? Has the applicant properly notified IRCC of any changes in material circumstances, including current residential address (the place where the applicant is actually residing)? Even the nature and strength of the applicant's ties to Canada can be a factor.

In the past there was an operational bulletin which specifically stated that living abroad was NOT an acceptable reason for failing to attend a scheduled event. This does not appear to be included in the current guidelines, as specified in the applicable PDIs (Program Delivery Instructions), which tend to be more general if not vague. Moreover, even if it did, technically that applied to excuses for a failure to appear and not requests to reschedule. And, again, as I understand it applicants are now given a second chance to attend the test event regardless the reason. Nonetheless, the previous policy and practice is a clue about how Canada approaches such questions. But that said, in contrast, even during the more strict approach CIC employed during the Harper years, going abroad for an obviously temporary purpose related to a particular graduate program was often given more of a pass than other reasons for being abroad.

And as @bluffmaster88 has suggested, there are other factors to consider beyond whether this will result in the application being deemed abandoned and terminated (again, as I understand things, for first scheduled test this does not happen). But here too, how it goes can be influenced by a wide range of other particular circumstances, not the least of which is the underlying strength of the case itself, including the nature and extent of ties in Canada.

Just asking the question suggests the applicant will weigh competing priorities in deciding whether to seek rescheduling or make the sacrifices involved in making the trip to attend the test. If not, if the applicant has already determined attending the test as scheduled is NOT possible, not going to happen, given her situation, the thing to do is make the request to reschedule regardless the impact on the application. And she will find out, in her particular circumstances, how that will impact the process. The thing to be aware of is that this can significantly elevate the amount of scrutiny given her application and will quite likely result in a much longer timeline overall.
Your answer is appreciated, as it is well-reasoned. I would think that her ties to Canada appear strong, as I (her husband) am still here and she remains technically a resident of Ontario, having kept her license and asked for an absence for her OHIP.
 

sistemc

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Feb 2, 2014
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I suggest that your wife organizes priorities in her life differently, and put more emphasis on obtaining the Canadian citizenship than on other private or professional matters.

But the decision is hers.