August/September Citizenship ceremony
- Thread starter Ana.me
- Start date
Have your PR card, your COPR, another piece of ID with photo/signature besides your PR card.
You can check this webpage from IRCC for more information : https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-citizenship/become-canadian-citizen/citizenship-ceremony.html
Basically, decide which type of oath you will take Swear/Affirm and practice it. Have your holy book near by if your choose that option. You will have to repeat each line of the oath after the judge. But it's a bit of a cacophony because you hear everyone talking at the same time. And also practice the national anthem. Depending of the type of ceremony (bilingual or not, the version differs). Like if you are taking the oath from the office in Montreal, the bilingual version has French first and ends in English. So check that out to know the tune and beat.
Did you get the invitation email yet? You should receive it about 7-10 days prior to the oath ceremony date. They have all the instructions to prep for the ceremony. It will indicate if it is a bilingual ceremony or not. It will also contain the instructions about how to send back the oath or affirmation form you need to sign AFTER the ceremony. Its the last page of a 10 pages long pdf file you will get in the invitation email.
Wish you the best
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During the oath ceremony, you will see an IRCC agent in private who will identify you with your IDs, will have you chop up your PR card. During that process, they will check with you your home address because they will mail the citizenship certificate to that address. Also, after the ceremony you will need to sign the Oath or Affirmation form and send it back by email. If it's anything like our ceremony, after the oath taking itself, they will show you a powerpoint presentation to explain how to sign and return that form. During that presentation, they will instruct you to also include your home address in the body of the email. I guess it's a way for them to double check your address.
So no. You don't need to apply separately to get your citizenship certificate.
You should get the email about 7-10 days prior to your ceremony.
For us (August 2021 applicant), Oath ceremony changed to 'in progress' on July 29th but saw update on August 1st. Then got email invitation on August 9th for Oath ceremony on August 18th. So it took 12 days after the scheduling of Oath to receive the email invitation (containing a 10 pages long pdf). And it was about 9 days prior to Oath ceremony itself.
I did receive the invitation but I was wondering if I had to sign a document and send it or just sign a document before the oath but guess not. You’re an absolute legend, thank you so much for the detailed response!
Hi There,
Technically how long in time does it take for the entire citizenship ceremony along with forwarding the documents take?
Feedback on Oath ceremony - Part 1
Our ceremony was online with the staff being in Montreal. It started at 12:30 and finished just shy of 15:00. So 2 hours 30 minutes long.
Two things really annoyed me during this whole process. First, people did not follow the instructions they received either in the 10 pages long pdf in the invitation email OR from the staff during the ceremony. I’m sure we could have save 30 minutes or more if people listened and paid attention to the staff when they were asked to do or not do something. Second, people not muting their microphone after the identification process. We heard lots of weird noises and people talking.
Before the online ceremony
1- READ the pdf. It gives you ALL the necessary information. It’s in the invitation email you will receive usually 7-10 days prior to the oath ceremony date.
2- If you are not familiar with ZOOM, TRY IT OUT with someone.
3- While you practice ZOOM, change you name for your seat number (page 1) it takes a few seconds to do this. The clerk spent like 15 minutes calling people that had 'administrator', 'iPhone' or their name as ZOOM ID. But the WORST part is when being called, people did not respond immediately. Please pay attention to the staff! Otherwise you are wasting their time and everybody else’s time. The reasons they ask you to use a seat number are many. It’s easier for them to spot you in the participants list. It protects your privacy rights. You are a NUMBER for the duration of that ZOOM call. Know it! Own it!
4- If you plan to sign electronically the Oath or Affirmation form (page 10), follow the instructions are on page 9. It tells you how to extract the form as a separate pdf file. It also explains how to take a picture of your handwritten signature (black ink on white paper) and add it through Acrobat reader to the pdf file you created that contains only the form. ATTENTION : you need to sign this form AFTER the ceremony NOT BEFORE.
5- Decide how you will take the oath. Meaning, if you will SWEAR/AFFIRM. And have your holy book ready if you choose that option. Practice you oath before the ceremony.
6- Practice our national anthem. Check if the ceremony is bilingual (page 1). Depending of the office in charge of the ceremony, the version you need to practice differs. For us it was a bilingual ceremony online from Montreal. So the anthem was the bilingual French first version. You can find more here https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-citizenship/become-canadian-citizen/citizenship-ceremony.html
7- Gather your documents and a pair of scissors the night before the oath. So everything is ready the day of the oath. I suggest you have a pen and paper close by as well just in case you need to jolt something down during the ceremony.
During the online ceremony
1- Once you enter the ZOOM call, you will see everyone else that are connected. The coordinator will give you instructions. Basically about what’s going to happen: registration, ceremony, presentation about the Oath or Affirmation form. The coordinator will ask people to change their ZOOM id to their seat number and have your paperwork ready. This person will then introduce the clerk. That took maybe 5-10 minutes tops.
2- Someone will redirect you to a breakout room. The clerk took over. I don’t know if they went from breakout room to breakout room. But in ours, they called out to everyone that did not have a seat number as a ZOOM id. This was a fun part… NOT! People weren’t paying attention and did not answer the clerk when they called their id like ‘administrator’, ‘iPhone’ or someone’s name. When people finally realized the clerk was speaking to them directly, they finally responded. The clerk asked for their seat number and changed their Zoom id for them. They also ask their name to presumedly cross-check everything with their participants list. They also asked people to remove any background they may have setup in ZOOM. I think they also asked to angle their camera so we could see their upper body and not just their head. Because they will record you. So the image needs to be clear and not altered in anyway. Also, DO NOT SHARE the link of the ceremony with your family. We had a family of like 5-6 persons, and the clerk warned them to leave the call. After that first warning, the clerk came back to them, I don’t remember exactly what they said. But the result was the same. The family was booted out of the ZOOM call. So all those little moments correcting seat number, blurry background, inattention to instructions, etc… well that time was wasted for everyone. So PLEASE change you seat number BEFORE the ceremony, DO NOT SHARE the link with your family, and LISTEN to the staff! BTW, the pdf contains everything the coordinator, clerk or agent will tell/ask you during the whole process.
3- The clerk then explained we would each be redirected one at the time to a private breakout room to see an agent. And that we needed to remember the agent’s name to be able to sent our signed form after the ceremony. They also told us to not worry as our seat number would then be changed with the agent’s code (so if you have the agent A12 and seat 140) then your ZOOM id would be change to something like A12-140. By that time it was 12:55. They started to send people to the private rooms. We personally waited in this breakout room 20 minutes until 13:15.
4- The agent introduced themselves. Write the agent’s name down, you will need it later. Then they asked for our name and address, followed by your PR Card and another ID with photo/signature. Hold those cars to your camera when asked. The agent seemed to lean towards their screen, I guess to view and/or take a screenshot of the document? Then they asked us to cut our PR card. So have a good pair of scissors handy and chop away! Then show the pieces to the agent. We did just in case before being prompted. They check your address because that’s where our citizenship certificate will be mail to.
The agent then explained that after the ceremony we have to sign the Oath or Affirmation form and sent it to them by email within 2 days. The email address is on page 1 of the pdf. Or we could reply to the invitation email because it came from the same email address. They also asked us to add their name in the subject line of the email, signed the form, attach that form to the email before sending it. The agent asked us the manner we would use to sign the form. You can either print the form, sign it then scan it and save it as a pdf file you’ll be able to attach to the email. OR you can extract the form (page 10) into a separate pdf file and sign the form electronically. You DO NOT TYPE your name on the form, they want your handwritten signature. You handwrite your signature on a white piece of paper with a black ink pen. You take a photo of that signature that you upload to your computer. Then in Acrobat reader, you can import your signature and add it to the form, save it and attach it to the email. We spent maybe 10 minutes with the agent as it was 13:25. NOTE : After the photo-op, the coordinator will show you a powerpoint presentation that explains what to do. They also requested we write our full home address within the body of the email.
When you are with the agent, it’s the time to ask any questions you have about your application or situation. Because in the public breakout rooms, you will not be able to discuss your particular file. Someone tried to do that and the clerk told them to asked the agent.
5- The agent sent us to another breakout room. Please, turn your microphone off! Some people forgot to turn it off after speaking with the agent. We heard all sort of noises and people talking. So for your privacy, close you microphone.
Part 2...
Our ceremony was online with the staff being in Montreal. It started at 12:30 and finished just shy of 15:00. So 2 hours 30 minutes long.
Two things really annoyed me during this whole process. First, people did not follow the instructions they received either in the 10 pages long pdf in the invitation email OR from the staff during the ceremony. I’m sure we could have save 30 minutes or more if people listened and paid attention to the staff when they were asked to do or not do something. Second, people not muting their microphone after the identification process. We heard lots of weird noises and people talking.
Before the online ceremony
1- READ the pdf. It gives you ALL the necessary information. It’s in the invitation email you will receive usually 7-10 days prior to the oath ceremony date.
2- If you are not familiar with ZOOM, TRY IT OUT with someone.
3- While you practice ZOOM, change you name for your seat number (page 1) it takes a few seconds to do this. The clerk spent like 15 minutes calling people that had 'administrator', 'iPhone' or their name as ZOOM ID. But the WORST part is when being called, people did not respond immediately. Please pay attention to the staff! Otherwise you are wasting their time and everybody else’s time. The reasons they ask you to use a seat number are many. It’s easier for them to spot you in the participants list. It protects your privacy rights. You are a NUMBER for the duration of that ZOOM call. Know it! Own it!
4- If you plan to sign electronically the Oath or Affirmation form (page 10), follow the instructions are on page 9. It tells you how to extract the form as a separate pdf file. It also explains how to take a picture of your handwritten signature (black ink on white paper) and add it through Acrobat reader to the pdf file you created that contains only the form. ATTENTION : you need to sign this form AFTER the ceremony NOT BEFORE.
5- Decide how you will take the oath. Meaning, if you will SWEAR/AFFIRM. And have your holy book ready if you choose that option. Practice you oath before the ceremony.
6- Practice our national anthem. Check if the ceremony is bilingual (page 1). Depending of the office in charge of the ceremony, the version you need to practice differs. For us it was a bilingual ceremony online from Montreal. So the anthem was the bilingual French first version. You can find more here https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-citizenship/become-canadian-citizen/citizenship-ceremony.html
7- Gather your documents and a pair of scissors the night before the oath. So everything is ready the day of the oath. I suggest you have a pen and paper close by as well just in case you need to jolt something down during the ceremony.
During the online ceremony
1- Once you enter the ZOOM call, you will see everyone else that are connected. The coordinator will give you instructions. Basically about what’s going to happen: registration, ceremony, presentation about the Oath or Affirmation form. The coordinator will ask people to change their ZOOM id to their seat number and have your paperwork ready. This person will then introduce the clerk. That took maybe 5-10 minutes tops.
2- Someone will redirect you to a breakout room. The clerk took over. I don’t know if they went from breakout room to breakout room. But in ours, they called out to everyone that did not have a seat number as a ZOOM id. This was a fun part… NOT! People weren’t paying attention and did not answer the clerk when they called their id like ‘administrator’, ‘iPhone’ or someone’s name. When people finally realized the clerk was speaking to them directly, they finally responded. The clerk asked for their seat number and changed their Zoom id for them. They also ask their name to presumedly cross-check everything with their participants list. They also asked people to remove any background they may have setup in ZOOM. I think they also asked to angle their camera so we could see their upper body and not just their head. Because they will record you. So the image needs to be clear and not altered in anyway. Also, DO NOT SHARE the link of the ceremony with your family. We had a family of like 5-6 persons, and the clerk warned them to leave the call. After that first warning, the clerk came back to them, I don’t remember exactly what they said. But the result was the same. The family was booted out of the ZOOM call. So all those little moments correcting seat number, blurry background, inattention to instructions, etc… well that time was wasted for everyone. So PLEASE change you seat number BEFORE the ceremony, DO NOT SHARE the link with your family, and LISTEN to the staff! BTW, the pdf contains everything the coordinator, clerk or agent will tell/ask you during the whole process.
3- The clerk then explained we would each be redirected one at the time to a private breakout room to see an agent. And that we needed to remember the agent’s name to be able to sent our signed form after the ceremony. They also told us to not worry as our seat number would then be changed with the agent’s code (so if you have the agent A12 and seat 140) then your ZOOM id would be change to something like A12-140. By that time it was 12:55. They started to send people to the private rooms. We personally waited in this breakout room 20 minutes until 13:15.
4- The agent introduced themselves. Write the agent’s name down, you will need it later. Then they asked for our name and address, followed by your PR Card and another ID with photo/signature. Hold those cars to your camera when asked. The agent seemed to lean towards their screen, I guess to view and/or take a screenshot of the document? Then they asked us to cut our PR card. So have a good pair of scissors handy and chop away! Then show the pieces to the agent. We did just in case before being prompted. They check your address because that’s where our citizenship certificate will be mail to.
The agent then explained that after the ceremony we have to sign the Oath or Affirmation form and sent it to them by email within 2 days. The email address is on page 1 of the pdf. Or we could reply to the invitation email because it came from the same email address. They also asked us to add their name in the subject line of the email, signed the form, attach that form to the email before sending it. The agent asked us the manner we would use to sign the form. You can either print the form, sign it then scan it and save it as a pdf file you’ll be able to attach to the email. OR you can extract the form (page 10) into a separate pdf file and sign the form electronically. You DO NOT TYPE your name on the form, they want your handwritten signature. You handwrite your signature on a white piece of paper with a black ink pen. You take a photo of that signature that you upload to your computer. Then in Acrobat reader, you can import your signature and add it to the form, save it and attach it to the email. We spent maybe 10 minutes with the agent as it was 13:25. NOTE : After the photo-op, the coordinator will show you a powerpoint presentation that explains what to do. They also requested we write our full home address within the body of the email.
When you are with the agent, it’s the time to ask any questions you have about your application or situation. Because in the public breakout rooms, you will not be able to discuss your particular file. Someone tried to do that and the clerk told them to asked the agent.
5- The agent sent us to another breakout room. Please, turn your microphone off! Some people forgot to turn it off after speaking with the agent. We heard all sort of noises and people talking. So for your privacy, close you microphone.
Part 2...
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If you are asking how long is the Oath ceremony, ours was a bilingual online ceremony out of Montréal. It took 2:30. We were 144 candidates. So I guess depending on the number of candidates registered for that ceremony, as well as if it's a bilingual ceremony or not, it can take up to 2 hours and 30 minutes. That information is in the pdf you will receive in the invitation email. I hoped ours would not be that long. But it was!
If you search the forums, I think some people said their's was like 1:30. I presumed it wasn't bilingual. But I did not asked at the time.
As for signing the Oath or Affirmation form, it took a few minutes to add the electronic signature, compose the email, add the form and click send. We got an automatic acknowledgment email back from IRCC.
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Part 1...
Feedback on Oath ceremony - Part 2
6- The clerk came back at 13:55 and explained they would call certain seat numbers to make sure the identification process was done for each one. If our number WAS NOT CALLED, that means everything IS FINE. People did not listen to the instructions. While the clerk called seat numbers, they were interrupted by people wondering if they missed something or why their number was not called. So please pay attention! Listen to the staff! Don’t leave your screen unattended or turn the sound off! That took 10 minutes, as it’s now 14:05.
7- The clerk then checked again that everyone had their camera on. Some obviously had closed it somehow. And to put our mikes off until the oath. So as to not distract the proceedings. Then we were redirected to the ‘main’ room with everyone else.
8- The coordinator took over at 14:10 and introduced the citizenship judge for our ceremony, and said there would be a brief video followed by the ceremony. The video was about Canada. The clerk introduced us to the judge something along the lines of ‘it is my privilege to present… 144 candidates from 40 countries that all fulfilled the requirements... ready to take the oath of citizenship’. I don’t remember the exact words but it was a poignant moment.
9- The judge spoke of the importance of the rights and responsibilities we take as Canadian citizens. How we can make this country even better for us and the future generations. By that time, it was 14:25. Time for the oath.
10- The clerk explained how we would proceed for the oath. We could SWEAR/AFFIRM our oath, we had to repeat each line after the judge spoke the line. Not to say the whole oath in one go. We had to repeat after the judge each sentence. For people needing their holy book, it was time to take it in their left hand. The clerk asked us to open our microphone but stay silent until the oath itself, and to lift our right hand. Then the clerk asked the judge to proceed.
11- The oath itself took 5 minutes as it’s 14:30. It was a cacophony as you hear not only the judge but everyone else say the line as you repeat it yourself. So there is a bit of delay and distortion. Practice before hand to know the words (it’s on page 4, you can print it).
12- The judge congratulated us and waved the Canadian flag! People applauded in celebration. Some people also waved a Canadian flag! We sang the national anthem. The words were shown on the screen so you can follow along. The coordinator then asked we turned off our mikes and showed a video of the Prime minister, M Trudeau congratulating us in becoming Canadian citizen. Being now part of the greatest country in the world! Canada!
13- For the photo-op with the judge, the coordinator asked us to turn off our camera so as not to take pictures of other people beside the staff. Then the video feeds of the judge and clerk were put to the forefront of the ZOOM screen. We had a few minutes to find the best angles and click away! The coordinator warned us we had 1 minute left. And that was it! It’s now 14:40.
14- The clerk thanked the judge who saluted us once more and then left. We were asked to remain online.
15- The coordinator then presented a powerpoint explaining how to sign the Oath and Affirmation form and to send it back to them. Two things to note here : a) when scanning the signed paper form, save it as a pdf file no more than 1 meg in size; b) add your home address in the body of the email.
16- It’s now 14:55! We ended the ZOOM call and proceeded to sign the form and send the email. We immediately received an automatic acknowledgement email from IRCC.
Final thoughts
The ceremony being bilingual meant they repeated everything in French then English multiple times. It might have added a degree of difficulty for people to understand and follow along. Being bilingual myself, it was a bit tedious to hear the same things being repeated multiple times. But I get it that some people are more nervous, or need reassurance. However, it added time to the process’s duration.
From my point of view, it went well. The staff seemed to know from past experiences how to react to the different situations that happened. They seemed mostly unperturbed. The clerk did say at one point ‘you did not listen to what I said earlier’. I hoped this chastised a few participants in being more attentive. The staff was/is there to help us become Canadian citizens. So please, be respectful of their time and everyone else’s time.
Prepare yourself before the ceremony. Join the ZOOM call on time. Listen to the staff. Turn your camera/mike on/off at the appropriate time. Pay attention to your surrounding as if you were truly in-person taking your oath.
Feedback on Oath ceremony - Part 2
6- The clerk came back at 13:55 and explained they would call certain seat numbers to make sure the identification process was done for each one. If our number WAS NOT CALLED, that means everything IS FINE. People did not listen to the instructions. While the clerk called seat numbers, they were interrupted by people wondering if they missed something or why their number was not called. So please pay attention! Listen to the staff! Don’t leave your screen unattended or turn the sound off! That took 10 minutes, as it’s now 14:05.
7- The clerk then checked again that everyone had their camera on. Some obviously had closed it somehow. And to put our mikes off until the oath. So as to not distract the proceedings. Then we were redirected to the ‘main’ room with everyone else.
8- The coordinator took over at 14:10 and introduced the citizenship judge for our ceremony, and said there would be a brief video followed by the ceremony. The video was about Canada. The clerk introduced us to the judge something along the lines of ‘it is my privilege to present… 144 candidates from 40 countries that all fulfilled the requirements... ready to take the oath of citizenship’. I don’t remember the exact words but it was a poignant moment.
9- The judge spoke of the importance of the rights and responsibilities we take as Canadian citizens. How we can make this country even better for us and the future generations. By that time, it was 14:25. Time for the oath.
10- The clerk explained how we would proceed for the oath. We could SWEAR/AFFIRM our oath, we had to repeat each line after the judge spoke the line. Not to say the whole oath in one go. We had to repeat after the judge each sentence. For people needing their holy book, it was time to take it in their left hand. The clerk asked us to open our microphone but stay silent until the oath itself, and to lift our right hand. Then the clerk asked the judge to proceed.
11- The oath itself took 5 minutes as it’s 14:30. It was a cacophony as you hear not only the judge but everyone else say the line as you repeat it yourself. So there is a bit of delay and distortion. Practice before hand to know the words (it’s on page 4, you can print it).
12- The judge congratulated us and waved the Canadian flag! People applauded in celebration. Some people also waved a Canadian flag! We sang the national anthem. The words were shown on the screen so you can follow along. The coordinator then asked we turned off our mikes and showed a video of the Prime minister, M Trudeau congratulating us in becoming Canadian citizen. Being now part of the greatest country in the world! Canada!
13- For the photo-op with the judge, the coordinator asked us to turn off our camera so as not to take pictures of other people beside the staff. Then the video feeds of the judge and clerk were put to the forefront of the ZOOM screen. We had a few minutes to find the best angles and click away! The coordinator warned us we had 1 minute left. And that was it! It’s now 14:40.
14- The clerk thanked the judge who saluted us once more and then left. We were asked to remain online.
15- The coordinator then presented a powerpoint explaining how to sign the Oath and Affirmation form and to send it back to them. Two things to note here : a) when scanning the signed paper form, save it as a pdf file no more than 1 meg in size; b) add your home address in the body of the email.
16- It’s now 14:55! We ended the ZOOM call and proceeded to sign the form and send the email. We immediately received an automatic acknowledgement email from IRCC.
Final thoughts
The ceremony being bilingual meant they repeated everything in French then English multiple times. It might have added a degree of difficulty for people to understand and follow along. Being bilingual myself, it was a bit tedious to hear the same things being repeated multiple times. But I get it that some people are more nervous, or need reassurance. However, it added time to the process’s duration.
From my point of view, it went well. The staff seemed to know from past experiences how to react to the different situations that happened. They seemed mostly unperturbed. The clerk did say at one point ‘you did not listen to what I said earlier’. I hoped this chastised a few participants in being more attentive. The staff was/is there to help us become Canadian citizens. So please, be respectful of their time and everyone else’s time.
Prepare yourself before the ceremony. Join the ZOOM call on time. Listen to the staff. Turn your camera/mike on/off at the appropriate time. Pay attention to your surrounding as if you were truly in-person taking your oath.
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Just wanted to give an update on my invite situation. I spoke with an IRCC agent this morning, but it did take several tries of calling to get connected but I finally spoke to someone. She said that you usually get a notice and then the actual ceremony invitation in your email. She did say that it typically gets sent out 2 weeks in advance, so there may be a delay in my ceremony since I have yet to receive any notification and it's a week and 1 day away. She put a request into my case officer/office where my application is at letting them know I haven't received the invitation yet. She did also mention that if I don't receive the invitation by Aug 30 since that is when I am scheduled for my ceremony then they will reschedule me for the next soonest one since it's not my fault for missing it since I never received the invite to it. She said it was good I called so there is a notation that I haven't gotten the invite and it wasn't my fault for missing should I never get the invite in time for the Aug 30 ceremony I am scheduled for. She was really nice and helped as much as she could. Not sure if anyone else has had this issue yet.