How long can I wait for the Citizenship Oath

[mack1982]

I entered Canada to get a PR Card on 2016-05-21 and left on 2016-06-02.
I moved to Canada permanently on 2019-04-22. I renewed my PR card after two years. My new PR card expires on 2026-09-25.
I filed my citizenship application on 2022-08-03 and, on 2022-10-22, moved to the US on a J2 Visa and have been living there till now.

I had my citizenship interview last week, and the officer was, understandably, concerned regarding my RO, PR status, and intention to return to Canada.


"Having a valid PR Card doesn't mean that you are a permanent resident" was a concerning comment from the officer.
Since the J Visa is a Training Visa, the officer also suggested delaying the oath for 6 months, assuming I will return in 6 months. I clarify that my spouse's training program will continue for a few years (Medical Residency).

The officer asked me for supplementary evidence (payslips, lease, presence calculator, etc.), which I emailed to them late last week.

I don't know when they will respond, and on 2024-03-22, my 5-year windows will start cutting into my days in Canada. How long can I wait for the Citizenship Oath?

Permanent Move to Canada	2019-03-22​
eligibility period	2017-07-24​	2022-07-24​
Citizenship Application filed	2022-08-03​
Days Absent	701​
Days Present	1125​

 

[Seym]

The day you can look back 5 years in the past and have less than 2 years of presence as a PR is the day you will put your PR status in geopardy.
Please do the calculation yourself, but from the look of it, you've accumulated 3 years of presence (and a month or so of buffer) since you became a PR and are now outside the country, so 6 years after you become a PR those 3 years will only become 2... If you don't get your citizenship in 2024, you should really make a plan to come back to Canada for an extended period in the beginning of 2025 it seems.

 

[Alan555]

I entered Canada to get a PR Card on 2016-05-21 and left on 2016-06-02.
I moved to Canada permanently on 2019-04-22. I renewed my PR card after two years. My new PR card expires on 2026-09-25.
I filed my citizenship application on 2022-08-03 and, on 2022-10-22, moved to the US on a J2 Visa and have been living there till now.

I had my citizenship interview last week, and the officer was, understandably, concerned regarding my RO, PR status, and intention to return to Canada.


"Having a valid PR Card doesn't mean that you are a permanent resident" was a concerning comment from the officer.
Since the J Visa is a Training Visa, the officer also suggested delaying the oath for 6 months, assuming I will return in 6 months. I clarify that my spouse's training program will continue for a few years (Medical Residency).

The officer asked me for supplementary evidence (payslips, lease, presence calculator, etc.), which I emailed to them late last week.

I don't know when they will respond, and on 2024-03-22, my 5-year windows will start cutting into my days in Canada. How long can I wait for the Citizenship Oath?

Permanent Move to Canada	2019-03-22​
eligibility period	2017-07-24​	2022-07-24​
Citizenship Application filed	2022-08-03​
Days Absent	701​
Days Present	1125​

Following your application for Citizenship, have you looked at your tracker to see what items are complete, eg Background, Probitions, Language, etc as all of these will dictate when the oath date will be sent out.
I would guess due to you living in the US and not Canada it could add a few months on due to the complexity of the application.

 

[mack1982]

Thank you all.

So, it's just maintaining PR. In that case, I have the year 2024, which should be enough for the citizenship process.
I check the tracker occasionally. So far, only Citizenship Tests and Background Checks have been completed.

I moved to Canada permanently on 2019-04-22. The immigration officer at the airport warned me that day that I don't have many days left to spend outside Canada. I told him that I was aware of it. It looks like that incident went on my file because it was mentioned in my interview last week.

I found it interesting because I thought only breaking RO obligations would go on your file.