Submitted request for proof of citizenship… I don’t even know if they’ve got it at this point. Really freaking out

[shibureka]

Hi! I was born in the US to a Canadian citizen and decided to finally apply for proof of citizenship as I want to study/live in Canada. According to my mail service, they received my paper application over three months ago. However, I read again and again that there is something called an AOR- which I never received. Additionally, when I try the online tracking with my receipt number it shows up that I either entered the information wrong or that they have not yet received or even started processing my application.
My question is… should I freak out/seek an alternative? I have less than 13 months until I need to apply to university- I know I applied late, but the decision was recent. Paying for American college is not doable at all for me at this point. I have read about these things being buggy and it being hard to tell but I am so worried. I paid almost two hundred dollars trying to get this thing done additionally (color printing costs, photo costs, sending the application, etc…) and thus not knowing where it is freaks me out. Please help!

 

[shibureka]

Hi! I was born in the US to a Canadian citizen and decided to finally apply for proof of citizenship as I want to study/live in Canada. According to my mail service, they received my paper application over three months ago. However, I read again and again that there is something called an AOR- which I never received. Additionally, when I try the online tracking with my receipt number it shows up that I either entered the information wrong or that they have not yet received or even started processing my application.
My question is… should I freak out/seek an alternative? I have less than 13 months until I need to apply to university- I know I applied late, but the decision was recent. Paying for American college is not doable at all for me at this point. I have read about these things being buggy and it being hard to tell but I am so worried. I paid almost two hundred dollars trying to get this thing done additionally (color printing costs, photo costs, sending the application, etc…) and thus not knowing where it is freaks me out. Please help!

I am also freaking out because there’s stuff online saying some documents needed to be notarized?! What?? There was nothing on the document checklist about notarization- I sent photo copies of my birth certificate (American), my dad’s (Canadian), driver’s licenses (both me and my dad’s), passports (I can’t remember but I think both), the incredibly specific photos, that entire packet we had to print out and get an app to finish, my receipts, etc, all in color, but the photo copies were done at a FedEx Store!!! Am I screwed here? Agh!

 

[dranzer19]

I cannot say anything about notarization so someone else can chime in on that aspect. AOR can take months to come. If there is any issue with your application (you didn't submit required documentation, etc) then they will send your application documents back to you. Best course of action would be to call IRCC and ask them for an update although not sure if they will be able to say anything as it is pre AOR right now. Good luck!

 

[Mounat]

Hi! I was born in the US to a Canadian citizen and decided to finally apply for proof of citizenship as I want to study/live in Canada. According to my mail service, they received my paper application over three months ago. However, I read again and again that there is something called an AOR- which I never received. Additionally, when I try the online tracking with my receipt number it shows up that I either entered the information wrong or that they have not yet received or even started processing my application.
My question is… should I freak out/seek an alternative? I have less than 13 months until I need to apply to university- I know I applied late, but the decision was recent. Paying for American college is not doable at all for me at this point. I have read about these things being buggy and it being hard to tell but I am so worried. I paid almost two hundred dollars trying to get this thing done additionally (color printing costs, photo costs, sending the application, etc…) and thus not knowing where it is freaks me out. Please help!

Yes, now would be a good time to freak out but, hopefully, it should also prompt you to take action. Call and find out if your application has been received and the AOR was just lost in the mail. If received, find out your UCI number so you can track online. If not received, send a new application ASAP and, in both cases, request urgent processing to apply for college.

By the way, what receipt number are you entering online to find status if you haven't received an AOR? Hopefully not the USPS/Fedex/UPS tracking number for that won't work with IRCC application status tool.

 

[armoured]

Hi! I was born in the US to a Canadian citizen and decided to finally apply for proof of citizenship as I want to study/live in Canada. ... My question is… should I freak out/seek an alternative? I have less than 13 months until I need to apply to university-

Okay, freak out a little bit less.

First: you do not need to already be a citizen to apply to university. You can just apply as a USAian and figure it out. While there may be some programmes that are highly competitive and/or expensive that would evaluate applications differently, if you're accepted, it would be a rare programme indeed that would 'unaccept' you for showing later that you're a citizen. (It may be harder to get into some programmes as a foreigner, or in some cases highly restrictive, but those are more the exception). Oh it's quite likely they don't require ANY documentation of citizenship until you start studies, but just take your word for it, and that won't be for quite some time. (And see below - you can absolutely say you are a citizen now. You are.) Note though that you might have to jump through hoops other non-Cdn students don't have to, ujust by function of not having gone to school in Canada.

Second: if you have the time before then, I'd recommend you travel to Canada and at the border, say you're a citizen. Because you are, a citizen by descent (at this point only presumed because you don't have papers to prove it). Take a copy of birth certificate and parent's citizenship record/proof, and see what happens. Bring cpies of the app to get citizenship that you already submitted. I bet 99/100 they'll admit you as a citizen. (And if not, they'll admit you as a US citizen). You could event try to get a social insurance number based on what you have - no idea if that will be successful but can't hurt to try.

Third: do a bit of research. The rules for which students pay domestic rates are (to my knowledge based on case of Ontario) set by government, and there is a high chance your case will be covered. Because: you're a citizen, you just haven't received citizenship docs yet. They're not out to stop citizens from getting educated. Next step: check what universities require to show right to domestic tuition - because a) they're actually a bit less strict than outsiders may think in terms of what they accept, and b) it's anyway not an issue until you have to pay tuition, which can be staggered over school year. (They'll usually have a hard deadline within semester when needed but that's to show documentation).

So wild guess: you won't likely need the citizenship cert etc until about september 2024, and even then you have some space / room.

 

[shibureka]

I am also freaking out because there’s stuff online saying some documents needed to be notarized?! What?? There was nothing on the document checklist about notarization- I sent photo copies of my birth certificate (American), my dad’s (Canadian), driver’s licenses (both me and my dad’s), passports (I can’t remember but I think both), the incredibly specific photos, that entire packet we had to print out and get an app to finish, my receipts, etc, all in color, but the photo copies were done at a FedEx Store!!! Am I screwed here? Agh!

Update, I have still not received a AOR and all my attempts to contact literally ANYONE in the government has FAILED!!! I am going back to Canada next month and thus plan to use the hotlines that are for some unknown reason only available in Canada then. Hopefully all will be well.

 

[shibureka]

Yes, now would be a good time to freak out but, hopefully, it should also prompt you to take action. Call and find out if your application has been received and the AOR was just lost in the mail. If received, find out your UCI number so you can track online. If not received, send a new application ASAP and, in both cases, request urgent processing to apply for college.

By the way, what receipt number are you entering online to find status if you haven't received an AOR? Hopefully not the USPS/Fedex/UPS tracking number for that won't work with IRCC application status tool.

What number do I call? Also, my receipt number has not been working! I received a receipt for paying for my application and whatnot and it was part of what I sent with my application. I have used the receipt number for that but it has shown up with nothing. Agh, it's all too difficult.

 

[shibureka]

I cannot say anything about notarization so someone else can chime in on that aspect. AOR can take months to come. If there is any issue with your application (you didn't submit required documentation, etc) then they will send your application documents back to you. Best course of action would be to call IRCC and ask them for an update although not sure if they will be able to say anything as it is pre AOR right now. Good luck!

What number do I call? I've been unable to find anything online.

 

[armoured]

Update, I have still not received a AOR and all my attempts to contact literally ANYONE in the government has FAILED!!! I am going back to Canada next month and thus plan to use the hotlines that are for some unknown reason only available in Canada then. Hopefully all will be well.

You can try contacting your MP. If you do not have one, pick an address in Canada where you expect to live and ask the MP's office for assistance.

 

[armoured]

You can try contacting your MP. If you do not have one, pick an address in Canada where you expect to live and ask the MP's office for assistance.

Note here: don't expect the MP's office to be able to fix your issues or solve your problems (although occasionally they can assist a bit more) - what you're basically asking for here is help to figure out if your application is in the system and being processd, since you haven't been able to determine that yourself. Note that the process of getting the certificate of citizenship still should take whatever current timeline is.

BTW you can apply for a temporary/limited validity passport, usually upon strength of the citizenship certificate application (ie that you are a presumed citizen).