Citizenship interviews - Tips, Recent experiencess and impressions

[HamiltonApplicant]

Some practical tips towards citizenship interviews:

• Do not wear perfumes!
• People get summoned for interview in an alphabetical ascending order. So if your surname starts with Z, expect a long wait...
  
• Try and answer the questions, if possible, in Yes/No format.
• Do not show any impatience with Biographical questions like your date of birth, address, etc. It is a simple technique to ascertain whether the person attending the interview is the person who he/she claims to be.
• Do not expect completely private settings, sometimes interview happens in the waiting area
  
• Don't try and crack jokes, unless you are absolutely sure! Just to be on the safer side...
  
• Take employment related documents such as pay stubs in addition to what you submitted as copies with the application. Just to be on the safer side...
  
• Translate passport stamps if the language is not English or French to be on the safer side. About $7 per copy. Just to be on the safer side...
  
• Take all your passports, even those before the period under consideration. Just to be on the safer side...

My experience was rather pleasant, here is composite experience:
Officer: Hello.
Us: Good afternoon
Officer: Please state your bio info
Us: Provided Bio info correctly
Officer: Please provide your ids one by one. Passport, PRC, Additional Ids, Proof of language proficiency
Us: Handed them over
Officer: Announces our test scores
Us: Very pleased with ourselves
Officer: Starts checking our Physical presence, mumbles, and compares what is in the passport with their records.
Us: We had 50 to 90 days of buffer, not concerned at all
Officer: Body language indicated the interview is near the end
Us: Now fully relaxed
Officer: Asks us whether we plan to continue to live in Canada
Us: Affirmative
Officer: Finally some small talk, Says the previous interviewee wore too much perfume and the interview had to be postponed to a later point in the day. Hands back all our documents.
Us: Express our concurrence
Office: Hands out a paper to me and asks me to verify bio info
Me: Tried some humor "Can double check with my passport?"
Officer: Don't you know your own name?
Me(thought): Bummer! Spouse, out loud: "If it was an attempted joke, it failed"
Officer: Everything looks OK! We will let you know the decision in 2 to 3 weeks
Us: thank you!

Status was changed to DM the following day, we received the oath invite in three weeks, the oath was taken after about six weeks! Hope this helps...
I request experienced forum members to share their experiences and tips.

 

[zineb83]

Mine was just a simple talk the lady was nice , where do you work , how is your daughter that all she look to my passport and that all , she sais you passed the test 19 the score , at it is she game me my document back , she said 4 to 8 weeks for the oath that all , DM after 2 days I hope my experience will help you , just me your self .

 

[Siar]

The one and only advice : be calm, smiley, spontaneous and never lie.

The interview is a normal talk in which one presents his/her self and what he has been doing since landing... One should be consistent and remember the dates...

 

[research-scientist]

To those who applied as family, did the agent interview both spouses together at the same time or separately?

 

[captainivan]

I was the second to the last person who got called for the interview after the exam, but I was very patient and I was enjoying a chat to the lady who ended up getting called last haha. I must have waited between half an hour to 45 minutes. There were about 3-5 officers working that day for about 40-50 applicants.

The officer who interviewed me was sitting right next to a trainee. Both of them were very pleasant and welcoming. That took away the little nerves that I had prior to the interview.

The officer was explaining to the trainee the procedures and what to look and ask so I was pretty much aware of what he was looking for on my documents and the reasons behind it.

I wouldn't say we had a long conversation but our talk lasted for over 5 minutes because when he asked some questions about my work and plans, I can say that he did enjoy my answers, or maybe because I was one of the last persons who got called for the interview so there's no more time pressure.

We were just exchanging yes and nos on the first questions then we became relaxed and more casual moving forward.

He then told me that I aced the exam, told me the next procedures, asked me if I have questions, and then I received a hand shake at the end.

It was good and memorable experience.

 

[HamiltonApplicant]

To those who applied as family, did the agent interview both spouses together at the same time or separately?

All of us were called together to the interview room, but questions were asked separately in the presence of the rest. There were no questions directed to the entire group...

 

[Siar]

Thanks for the great feedback.
Could you share with us your thoughts about what he was looking for on your documents and the reasons behind it ??

The officer was explaining to the trainee the procedures and what to look and ask so I was pretty much aware of what he was looking for on my documents and the reasons behind it.

 

[HamiltonApplicant]

The officer was explaining to the trainee the procedures and what to look and ask so I was pretty much aware of what he was looking for on my documents and the reasons behind it.
It was good and memorable experience.

Hello Captainvan,

Could you please tell us what your inteviewer was looking for on your documents and the reasons behind it. In my case, the interview took about 5 minutes to compare passport stamps with something which looked like my travel history, most probably from CBSA.

Thanks!

P.S. I have an interesting anecdote from a similar experience in a European country, I went to renew my residence permit to the designated office(Yes, resident permit renewal is done locally as a walk-in interview in Europe!). The officer was training an apprentice in the fine art of residence permit renewal. I knew the local language, which was not English. I heard the officer telling the apprentice, without realizing that I am fairly well versed in their language, that the applicant(yours truly) is from so and so country and working in such and such industry and therefore generally do not need any scrutiny! It kind of felt good...

 

[Nisha91]

The officer was explaining to the trainee the procedures and what to look and ask so I was pretty much aware of what he was looking for on my documents and the reasons behind it.

Could you share with us your thoughts about what he was looking for on your documents and the reasons behind it?

 

[NewUser2018]

ashole officers should enjoy versace cologne.

 

[NewUser2018]

Some practical tips towards citizenship interviews:

• Do not wear perfumes!
• People get summoned for interview in an alphabetical ascending order. So if your surname starts with Z, expect a long wait...
  
• Try and answer the questions, if possible, in Yes/No format.
• Do not show any impatience with Biographical questions like your date of birth, address, etc. It is a simple technique to ascertain whether the person attending the interview is the person who he/she claims to be.
• Do not expect completely private settings, sometimes interview happens in the waiting area
  
• Don't try and crack jokes, unless you are absolutely sure! Just to be on the safer side...
  
• Take employment related documents such as pay stubs in addition to what you submitted as copies with the application. Just to be on the safer side...
  
• Translate passport stamps if the language is not English or French to be on the safer side. About $7 per copy. Just to be on the safer side...
  
• Take all your passports, even those before the period under consideration. Just to be on the safer side...

My experience was rather pleasant, here is composite experience:
Officer: Hello.
Us: Good afternoon
Officer: Please state your bio info
Us: Provided Bio info correctly
Officer: Please provide your ids one by one. Passport, PRC, Additional Ids, Proof of language proficiency
Us: Handed them over
Officer: Announces our test scores
Us: Very pleased with ourselves
Officer: Starts checking our Physical presence, mumbles, and compares what is in the passport with their records.
Us: We had 50 to 90 days of buffer, not concerned at all
Officer: Body language indicated the interview is near the end
Us: Now fully relaxed
Officer: Asks us whether we plan to continue to live in Canada
Us: Affirmative
Officer: Finally some small talk, Says the previous interviewee wore too much perfume and the interview had to be postponed to a later point in the day. Hands back all our documents.
Us: Express our concurrence
Office: Hands out a paper to me and asks me to verify bio info
Me: Tried some humor "Can double check with my passport?"
Officer: Don't you know your own name?
Me(thought): Bummer! Spouse, out loud: "If it was an attempted joke, it failed"
Officer: Everything looks OK! We will let you know the decision in 2 to 3 weeks
Us: thank you!

Status was changed to DM the following day, we received the oath invite in three weeks, the oath was taken after about six weeks! Hope this helps...
I request experienced forum members to share their experiences and tips.

which office? 6 weeks is too long for if its hamilton, mine will be in toronto which means more than 6 weeks!

 

[HamiltonApplicant]

which office? 6 weeks is too long for if its hamilton, mine will be in toronto which means more than 6 weeks!

Hamilton ON was office. DM to Oath letter: 21 Days, Oath Letter to Oath: 49 days!

You are right, 49 days wait is a little too long for Hamilton, places like Toronto have many more oath ceremonies that Hamilton, which has only one ceremony a week! So you might not have to wait that long.

Only reason I think for this delay was that my oath ceremony was at RCMP, Hamilton and not at the usual place downtown. Looks like RCMP hosts the oath ceremony once a year, and I was lucky to get a spot, it was in a much congenial environs. Not like the hectic downtown location....

 

[ENGLISHFORCITIZENSHIP]

Thanks for the info. I have a question, since I am with a friend, and no working from last Dec, how does that affect that (work place question)? Is this Work information a must for passing the interview?

 

[HamiltonApplicant]

Thanks for the info. I have a question, since I am with a friend, and no working from last Dec, how does that affect that (work place question)? Is this Work information a must for passing the interview?

No, not at all! Work related documentation is not a must, I did not have any with me. But I was asked the company I work for now Canada is same as the one which employed me in the US. I forgot to mention it in my first post. Another pair was asked something about their work. I clearly heard the interviewer asking her to provide her employer details.

In your case, I would suggest you memorize your work history prior to December and take some supporting document if possible...

 

[mickey_mouse]

Interviews are easy and lenient for those whose applications have got no major concerns but those who got doubts, interviews can be lengthy and as bad as hell. I guess its mostly some one's luck if they get away with any concerns. Every application and interview is different and no tips or guidance can actually prepare any one. Just go there relaxed and prepare for the worst, in that way you have a good chance to come out good. Good luck to all!!!!!!!!