Is There Any Case In Which You Can Take the Oath Outside Canada?

[Frank Thomas]

Hello,
Can anyone tell me if there is any time in which IRCC could consider letting someone take the oath of citizenship on Zoom while outside Canada? If someone is out of Canada (staying outside of the country) and doesn’t intend to come to Canada any time soon, could that constitute a reason enough for them to consider letting the person take the oath while outside Canada?

 

[forw.jane]

Hello,
Can anyone tell me if there is any time in which IRCC could consider letting someone take the oath of citizenship on Zoom while outside Canada? If someone is out of Canada (staying outside of the country) and doesn’t intend to come to Canada any time soon, could that constitute a reason enough for them to consider letting the person take the oath while outside Canada?

Have seen instances where the reason was health of oneself or family member because of which they allowed it after evaluating the submitted documentation. If the reason is not serious one they normally reject it. They are still not giving blanket approval for all.

 

[Frank Thomas]

Thank you for your reply, Jane. I’m in a tough situation and worried that my candidacy for citizenship may end up being rejected or the file closed or resent to the beginning stage which was complicated enough.

I asked them last week to reschedule my oath taking ceremony because I am out of Canada. I tried to encourage them to consider pushing it to a month early next year depending on their availabilities and possibilities. Due to some family challenges, I ended up having to take a job here in my country of origin to help my family. I was hoping to take a vacation sometime early next year so that I could travel out of my country of origin to Canada for the oath taking. Unfortunately, my boss didn’t accept to authorize my vacation because he said there is a very important company event early next year which would require my presence and that of all my co-workers.

I had already contacted the CIC to propose the month in question for my oath taking if it could be possible for them. If I contact them again to ask to reschedule, they may likely assume that I’m not serious and my entire file and candidacy may be rejected in the process.

Even more challenging is the fact that if I were to somehow obtain a short permission that could permit me to travel to Canada, I may end up being stuck there because it will take at least an extra five business days for me to get an express Canadian passport, and possibly even longer for me to obtain a visa to return to my country of origin, because I have to return there again for some time before moving fully back to Canada.

I’m in a very tough situation and feel quite discouraged.

 

[Frank Thomas]

Especially given the fact that permanent resident cards are cut during the oath taking- I won’t be able to travel quickly back to my country of origin after the oath taking because I won’t have any travel document.

 

[steaky]

Especially given the fact that permanent resident cards are cut during the oath taking- I won’t be able to travel quickly back to my country of origin after the oath taking because I won’t have any travel document.

How about your passport from the country of origin? If you do not have a Canadian passport, but your country of origin passport is one of the countries eligible to apply an ETA, then you might be able to get a special authorization to return to Canada:

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/visit-canada/dual-canadian-citizens-visit-canada.html#findOut

 

[Frank Thomas]

Thanks for your response, Steaky. The challenge for me is returning to my country of origin from Canada after the oath taking when my PR card would have been destroyed and my Canadian passport is not yet issued. Even if I were to use the passport from my country of origin to return there while waiting for the Canadian passport to be mailed to my address in Canada, at the departure gate at the airport, immigration enforcement officials will ask me how I got into Canada because I will no longer have a permanent resident card or other valid travel document to explain my status in Canada.

 

[steaky]

Thanks for your response, Steaky. The challenge for me is returning to my country of origin from Canada after the oath taking when my PR card would have been destroyed and my Canadian passport is not yet issued. Even if I were to use the passport from my country of origin to return there while waiting for the Canadian passport to be mailed to my address in Canada, at the departure gate at the airport, immigration enforcement officials will ask me how I got into Canada because I will no longer have a permanent resident card or other valid travel document to explain my status in Canada.

Which departure gate at the airport would you meet immigration enforcement officials? There is no exit control in Canadian airports and I rarely seen any CBSA agents at departure gates or the passenger boarding bridge.

 

[Sohaib89]

You do not need a PR card to go back to your country of origin. The PR card is only to enter Canada. I would suggest fly to Canada for the oath day and get done with the oath. Ask them for an e-certificate which you can download and print anytime you want. Apply for the passport from your country of origin using a color printout of the citizenship certificate. Others have done it so it should not be a problem for you unless your country does not have a Canadian embassy. Make sure to have all the forms ready and signed by your references and guarantor when you go to Canada.

 

[Frank Thomas]

Well, if the ticket agents and custom agents at the gates open up my passport from Central Africa, they would see that it doesn’t contain a visa and I will no longer have my PR card considering it would have been cut off during the oath taking ceremony. How then will I explain or justify how I entered Canada when I will be returning back to my country of origin? I won’t have enough time to wait for my Canadian passport to be produced because I will be rushing back to my country of origin after the oath taking ceremony.

 

[Frank Thomas]

You do not need a PR card to go back to your country of origin. The PR card is only to enter Canada. I would suggest fly to Canada for the oath day and get done with the oath. Ask them for an e-certificate which you can download and print anytime you want. Apply for the passport from your country of origin using a color printout of the citizenship certificate. Others have done it so it should not be a problem for you unless your country does not have a Canadian embassy.

Perfect, this should hopefully work. I just hope they don’t cause me any trouble at the airport for using the passport from my country of origin to return there after I have already taken oath as a Canadian citizen. That’s because ticket agents at airports often open passports to check for visas, etc and find out how people entered into various countries. Thanks a lot, Sohaib89.

 

[scylla]

Thanks for your response, Steaky. The challenge for me is returning to my country of origin from Canada after the oath taking when my PR card would have been destroyed and my Canadian passport is not yet issued. Even if I were to use the passport from my country of origin to return there while waiting for the Canadian passport to be mailed to my address in Canada, at the departure gate at the airport, immigration enforcement officials will ask me how I got into Canada because I will no longer have a permanent resident card or other valid travel document to explain my status in Canada.

There are no exit controls in Canada. This won't happen.

 

[scylla]

Well, if the ticket agents and custom agents at the gates open up my passport from Central Africa, they would see that it doesn’t contain a visa and I will no longer have my PR card considering it would have been cut off during the oath taking ceremony. How then will I explain or justify how I entered Canada when I will be returning back to my country of origin? I won’t have enough time to wait for my Canadian passport to be produced because I will be rushing back to my country of origin after the oath taking ceremony.

No one verifies how you entered Canada when you are leaving Canada. This simply doesn't happen.

 

[Frank Thomas]

No one verifies how you entered Canada when you are leaving Canada. This simply doesn't happen.

Thank you Scylla and all of you who took time from your busy schedules to respond to me, I am very grateful. I was so worried and didn’t want to lose this opportunity, especially considering they contacted me pretty fast after the results of my citizenship test- in just a couple of days instead of their routine 4-6 months.

 

[Sohaib89]

Perfect, this should hopefully work. I just hope they don’t cause me any trouble at the airport for using the passport from my country of origin to return there after I have already taken oath as a Canadian citizen. That’s because ticket agents at airports often open passports to check for visas, etc and find out how people entered into various countries. Thanks a lot, Sohaib89.

No worries. No one checks when you exit Canada so you should be all good. Just make sure you prepare all forms and get them signed by references and guarantor when you go to Canada for the oath. Good luck.

 

[elisa222]

Hi there, I hope everything works well for you!
I have a similar situation for my parents. They took the oath in Canada and applied for passports but had to go back home for a family emergency. No one checks if you have a PR when you exit, right, haha. Now my question is for their return: I have their Canadian passports here in Canada and was planning on sending them through a cousin to my parents, so they can enter Canada with their new passports. My question is: is that doable, can they enter Canada with a brand new passport, not stamped at all.. would that be a problem? My parents also have a few years left on their 10-year visa on their original country passports.
Should they show both to the authorities when they arrive in Toronto, or just one of the options, and which one???
PLEASE HELP WITH YOUR ANSWERS AND EXPERIENCE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH!