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October 2021 - Citizenship Applications

saou17

Hero Member
Oct 18, 2021
248
194
App. Filed.......
28-10-2021
AOR Received.
21-01-2022
October applicant, no activity since AOR from January. I recently contacted local representative and they decided to follow up with IRCC on my case as I need to process it for some business reason. Looks like they didn't even touch my file.

  • The application was received at the Case Processing Centre in Sydney, Nova Scotia, on October 14, 2021.
  • The application was considered complete and an acknowledgement letter was emailed to the applicant on January 10, 2022;
    • if they have not received this letter and are between the ages of 18 to 54, they can find the guide here.
  • The next step will be to transfer the file to the closest IRCC office. This office will schedule an appointment for the applicant in due course, if necessary.
  • The criminality verifications have not been initiated.
  • The security verifications have not been initiated.
  • The immigration verifications have not been initiated.
  • Due to COVID-19, IRCC is experiencing processing delays and we can’t provide you with accurate processing timesfor this application.
    • if the applicant needs to travel during this time, they should apply to renew their permanent resident card if they are eligible.
  • The responsible office is currently reviewing the application and the next step would be the citizenship test.

Anything we can do to accelerate the process ? I am an online applicant, in this rate, it will take more than 15/20 months to finish at least. This is extremely frustrating.
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I agree with you. Are you online or paper applicant?
 

thuong

Star Member
Apr 25, 2017
129
81
October single online applicant, no news so far since AOR in Jan 21. Applied Oct 28. The rest is in progress. Very frustrating to see that paper applications are moving fast, and no words on processing for online. I hope we don't become the cursed applicants like the 2019 ones. Online November ones are getting test invites per the tracker. It's unclear if this depends on individual offices or just the general backlog. Had i known, I would have applied on paper. I thought IRCC wanted to encourage applicants to send online to minimize the risk of Covid and to reduce the carbon footprint (printing too many papers is not exactly good for the environment). I'll give it another month. If I don't receive any email invitation for the test, I will request info on my file via ATI. I hope the processing for online applicants fastens a bit.
I don't think ATIP and call ircc help. I'm Sep applicant, AOR Dec 8..last time I called is May 3 and they said my application was in the queue in Sydney for background check means nothing has started. I applied for ATIP too and received it after 20 days, show nothing's started just like what the agent told me on the phone.
 
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saou17

Hero Member
Oct 18, 2021
248
194
App. Filed.......
28-10-2021
AOR Received.
21-01-2022
I don't think ATIP and call ircc help. I'm Sep applicant, AOR Dec 8..last time I called is May 3 and they said my application was in the queue in Sydney for background check means nothing has started. I applied for ATIP too and received it after 20 days, show nothing's started just like what the agent told me on the phone.
I am sorry to hear. This is starting to feel a bit discomforting. I wonder why they haven't started processing. Isn't online supposed to be faster and more streamlined? When I was applying, most people in the forum were complaining about delays in paper applications. I applied online thinking this would reduce the delays. This is reminding me of queues in Costco where you line up and get stuck while some queues run faster.
 

thuong

Star Member
Apr 25, 2017
129
81
I am sorry to hear. This is starting to feel a bit discomforting. I wonder why they haven't started processing. Isn't online supposed to be faster and more streamlined? When I was applying, most people in the forum were complaining about delays in paper applications. I applied online thinking this would reduce the delays. This is reminding me of queues in Costco where you line up and get stuck while some queues run faster.
I have a feeling that they have too many paper applications around the office so they want to clear it out first. Online applications are stored online so they don't bother touch the files and just take their time. My ATIP shows my file is in e-inventory in Sydney. As usual, agent told me they were busy so just wait, the process took 27 months and my application was in that timeframe, then she gave example of applicants in 2019 2020 were still waiting. I said many people applied after me got test invite and some even waiting for the oath, the agent told me that not what she's aware of!

So my friend applied online, Aor Nov 29 just got BG completed and test invite 10 days ago, I'm waiting to see when will it be my turn. This is so frustrating.
 
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saou17

Hero Member
Oct 18, 2021
248
194
App. Filed.......
28-10-2021
AOR Received.
21-01-2022
I have a feeling that they have too many paper applications around the office so they want to clear it out first. Online applications are stored online so they don't bother touch the files and just take their time. My ATIP shows my file is in e-inventory in Sydney. As usual, agent told me they were busy so just wait, the process took 27 months and my application was in that timeframe, then she gave example of applicants in 2019 2020 were still waiting. I said many people applied after me got test invite and some even waiting for the oath, the agent told me that not what she's aware of!

So my friend applied online, Aor Nov 29 just got BG completed and test invite 10 days ago, I'm waiting to see when will it be my turn. This is so frustrating.
The excuse the officer gave you makes no sense at all. What if people keep applying on paper, which will happen when they start to get a sense that it is faster, and then we get dragged in the long wait. Also it's not logical to drag some applicants longer than others. This is called discrimination. The minimum is to allocate the same amount of effort and split it up based on the time the application was received (whether online or offline); they should receive equal treatment, which now you and the agent say it's not happening. E-Inventory? go figure when it would get open and how many files are dragging over there. So now i see that we'll be stuck 27 months? is that what you are saying? While 2019/2020 were sent/processed during Covid when IRCC offices were closed and it can be understood that they're will be delays for paper apps, the same can't apply for online apps that can be accessed through the system. If they need us to send them the papers by mail we can if this can speed up the process, but my understanding is that this is not possible. If they treat online applicants this way, chances are less people will go that route, and people won't send their apps online. Also 27 months is too much. For those of us with expiring PR cards, this is a waste of time because we will have to apply for PR renewal, gather the documentation, mail it, pay money for that, and then wait...! I regret not applying on paper, i seriously do! I hope someone speaks to IRCC about this. People's careers and lives and reunification with families are hanging on the citizenship. I feel sad knowing that the IRCC processing is not transparent and not equal towards all applicants. It makes no sense to process new applications just because they are on paper, and leave others hanging just because they were online. Also why some online applicants get treated before others? logic says that people should be treated first come first served. If the November person you know got test invite, you should at least see your file moved to Background in progress happening for real, not the file waiting in queue at E-inventory that you mention? where did you see this E-inventory? is this mention in the AITIP files or was the agent on the phone who told you?
 
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knokkelmann16

Hero Member
Jul 6, 2018
227
115
got my background check completed on April 26. the Sydney office. still no test invite. is it gonna happen soon or I should take it easy and get ready for the test in September for instance? anyone in similar situation? thanks
 
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saou17

Hero Member
Oct 18, 2021
248
194
App. Filed.......
28-10-2021
AOR Received.
21-01-2022
got my background check completed on April 26. the Sydney office. still no test invite. is it gonna happen soon or I should take it easy and get ready for the test in September for instance? anyone in similar situation? thanks
What's your timeline please?
 

thuong

Star Member
Apr 25, 2017
129
81
The excuse the officer gave you makes no sense at all. What if people keep applying on paper, which will happen when they start to get a sense that it is faster, and then we get dragged in the long wait. Also it's not logical to drag some applicants longer than others. This is called discrimination. The minimum is to allocate the same amount of effort and split it up based on the time the application was received (whether online or offline); they should receive equal treatment, which now you and the agent say it's not happening. E-Inventory? go figure when it would get open and how many files are dragging over there. So now i see that we'll be stuck 27 months? is that what you are saying? While 2019/2020 were sent/processed during Covid when IRCC offices were closed and it can be understood that they're will be delays for paper apps, the same can't apply for online apps that can be accessed through the system. If they need us to send them the papers by mail we can if this can speed up the process, but my understanding is that this is not possible. If they treat online applicants this way, chances are less people will go that route, and people won't send their apps online. Also 27 months is too much. For those of us with expiring PR cards, this is a waste of time because we will have to apply for PR renewal, gather the documentation, mail it, pay money for that, and then wait...! I regret not applying on paper, i seriously do! I hope someone speaks to IRCC about this. People's careers and lives and reunification with families are hanging on the citizenship. I feel sad knowing that the IRCC processing is not transparent and not equal towards all applicants. It makes no sense to process new applications just because they are on paper, and leave others hanging just because they were online. Also why some online applicants get treated before others? logic says that people should be treated first come first served. If the November person you know got test invite, you should at least see your file moved to Background in progress happening for real, not the file waiting in queue at E-inventory that you mention? where did you see this E-inventory? is this mention in the AITIP files or was the agent on the phone who told you?
My friend applied online in September, a week before me and AOR on November 29 After talking to few agents on the phone, I know that Sydney office is now doing background check before sending files to local office. I don't know why some cases got test invite before background check completed though. I found out my file was in e-inventory by looking at ATIP but on the phone, the last agent who I spoke to on May 3 also told me my file was in a queue waiting to be processed. I asked if it was a long queue and how long it might be, she even told me it was a long queue so wait for few more months then when it's done I should prepare for test. Talking to an agent on the phone was no help, now they have the excuse of 27 months processing so you can't even complain. I found out from ATIP that call centre agent of course could send message or request your file to be processed (they noted everytime I called and wrote down no action require) but they won't do it because it's within the timeframe.

I don't understand the way they work, waiting 27 months is ok only if it's transparent and first come first serve, but now what we are seeing is some people completed all steps and some is waiting without any update. From what I notice, for online applicants, they seem to start working on files with AOR from Nov 25 to Dec 2, so it surely will be a long wait because it's summer, they will take vacation soon and no one wants to go back to work. For paper applications, I think they are working on Nov and Dec.

Will you try to contact them to ask?
 

thuong

Star Member
Apr 25, 2017
129
81
got my background check completed on April 26. the Sydney office. still no test invite. is it gonna happen soon or I should take it easy and get ready for the test in September for instance? anyone in similar situation? thanks
After BG completed, file will be transferred to local office, so it depends on the workload there. My friend has same AOR as you and local office sent test invite 4 days after BG completed