Application Review Process?

[vancouverbc2013]

Canadians and soon to be, hang in there.. almost there!!
I know no one really knows exactly but any idea what actually happens in a bit more details to our files from Application To Approval in most cases?
Would love to learn even from reasonable/educated opinions.

Bonne chance!

 

[dpenabill]

The application guide outlines the process, including all the routine steps and some information about possible additional steps (like being asked for more information). This information follows the subheading "Processing your application" which is part of "Step 6 - Submit your application."

That is a very general outline of the process, and each of the steps referenced has been discussed in depth in numerous threads in this forum. For example, Step 7 is barely two lines about preparing for the test, but you can find many topics in this forum in which preparing for the test, what to expect at the test, and related information, is discussed in depth.

Step 8 discusses actually going to the interview and test. Here too, there are scores of in-depth discussions about this step in this forum.

Additionally, there are numerous Program Delivery Instructions (PDIs) which provide further information about the various steps in citizenship application processing.

Many of these are grouped together under the heading "Citizenship decision-making" which can be found here:
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/operational-bulletins-manuals/canadian-citizenship/admininistration/decisions.html

Many of the links from that page go to a specific PDI, such as the one about interviewing adult applicants, which can be found here:
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/operational-bulletins-manuals/canadian-citizenship/admininistration/decisions/interviewing-adult-applicants.html

That PDI is just an example. There are many PDIs.

And, again for just one example, the information found in the PDI about interviewing adult applicants is also discussed in-depth in numerous topics in this forum. And similarly for most of the pieces of the puzzle, from basic decision-making procedures, to who and why someone is referred for a hearing with a Citizenship Judge, there are related topics in this forum.

Along the way, parallel to the processing of the application by IRCC processing agents, background checks are referred to the RCMP and CSIS, for criminality and security issues respectively. These are routine, mostly confidential/secret (meaning the public is given very little information about these procedures), but more thorough than a mere name-record check (the IRCC GCMS background checks, which are done multiple times during the processing, include a criminal history name-record check apart from the RCMP background check). Here too, this subject is discussed extensively in many topics in this forum.

Overall, all adult applications go through the following:


CPC-Sydney procedures:

-- Completeness check (assures application meets minimum requirements for processing . . . not requirements for citizenship, but requirements for processing a citizenship application)
-- GCMS check (last information we have about this is that this is repeated every time an action is taken on the application)
-- referrals to RCMP and CSIS for criminality and security clearances, respectively
-- Triage screening prior to referral to local office (probable this still happens but we are not certain; identifies applicants to be given RQ or other requests for additional information or documents)​

Local Office procedures:

-- Local office processing agent preparation for interview and testing
-- Interview and test (test as applicable)
-- Citizenship Officer review and decision
-- Oath​

There are additional steps or actions that can occur during the process, including:

-- selection for Quality Assurance Exercise (pursuant to which applicant is required to provide additional information and documentation)
-- Finger Print requests
-- update of or additional criminal history or security background checks
-- additional information or document requests, including RQ-lite (CIT 0520) or full-blown RQ (CIT 0171)

-- -- these can happen following AOR, prior to interview/test, at the interview, or following the interview​

-- referral for in-person hearing with Citizenship Officer (we see almost no reports of this but IRCC information and the Citizenship Act provide for this procedure in some cases)
-- referral for review and hearing with Citizenship Judge (if IRCC concludes applicant did not meet physical presence requirement, case goes to a Citizenship Judge)​

All of these are the subject of multiple discussions in this forum.

 

[Canamar]

@dpenabill when is the referral to CBSA happens, in Sydney or in Local office?

 

[dpenabill]

@dpenabill when is the referral to CBSA happens, in Sydney or in Local office?

What referral to CBSA?

If the applicant gives consent to IRCC to obtain CBSA travel history, my understanding is that allows IRCC to directly access this information in the online databases. No referral to CBSA necessary.

IRCC can make referrals to CBSA or the RCMP (for specific investigatory purposes, not just background clearance) or to overseas offices in some situations, but those would be specific inquiries for which there are specified grounds . . . those grounds are not as rigorous as what is required to obtain a search or seizure warrant, but must nonetheless meet certain procedural protocols to justify access to private personal information.

For example, if the applicant obtained PR status as a refugee and his citizenship application reveals he has a home country passport and has spent extensive time in his home country and otherwise used the passport frequently, IRCC can make a referral to CBSA to conduct an investigation into whether this individual should have refugee-cessation proceedings brought against him.

The processes and procedures involving referrals to other government agencies, however, are well behind the curtains. They are about investigatory methods which are strictly confidential, as in NOT public information. These processes and procedures are UNUSUAL and the vast majority of qualified applicants have no need to anticipate anything like this in the processing of their citizenship application.


If your question is about "WHEN does IRCC access the CBSA travel history?" and compare that to the applicant's presence calculation:

I do not know. I do not trust anyone else's claim to know this. I believe it is at least SOMETIMES done at CPC-Sydney but cannot confirm that it is. If it is done in CPC-Sydney, that most likely is part of the triage screening. But it is not certain that IRCC still does the CPC-Sydney triage screening the Harper-era government implemented in 2012 (I think it is probable this is still done but am far from confident let alone sure of this).

We see many reports from applicants being told at the interview that IRCC will need to further cross-check their travel history disclosures, presumably against the CBSA travel history, which of course they would not need to do if this had already been done. (Suggesting it has not yet been done as of the interview.)

But we also see reports by applicants who missed a trip or two, or made some other error in reporting their travel history, and are questioned about this at the interview, suggesting the interviewer (or some other IRCC processing agent) has already compared the applicant's travel history with the CBSA travel history.

And it seems likely that some pre-test RQs have been issued because someone at IRCC identified discrepancies between the applicant's account of travel and the CBSA travel history.

What we do know is that discrepancies between an applicant's accounting of travel history and the CBSA travel history can come up at just about any stage of the process.



Edit to add:

I. Link to a comprehensive list-with-links of citizenship application related PDIs:

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/operational-bulletins-manuals/canadian-citizenship/overview/functional-guidance-on-table-contents.html

II. Note that some of the steps referred to above can involve a broad range of actions. The local office processing agent's preparation for the interview, for example, can range from a somewhat perfunctory internal cross-check of information in the application to conducting all sorts of background checking exercises . . . one of the latter I have often made reference to is researching open source information. This can, for example, include searching Internet social media and other websites for information about the applicant. One search mentioned rather often is LinkedIn. So, again, I have just referenced the subject here, such as the local office processing agent's preparation for the interview, but there often is a great deal of discussion in many topics in this forum about that particular step. Far, far too much to revisit or rehash here, other than to highlight an illustrative example.

 

[sauga_applcnt]

IRCC can make referrals to CBSA or the RCMP (for specific investigatory purposes, not just background clearance)

I have a question... does this apply to citizenship applications? My application from January 2017 has just been suspended and referred to CBSA for an investigation? what would they investigate and how long does a CBSA investigation usually take?

thanks in advance @dpenabill

 

[dpenabill]

I have a question... does this apply to citizenship applications? My application from January 2017 has just been suspended and referred to CBSA for an investigation? what would they investigate and how long does a CBSA investigation usually take?

thanks in advance @dpenabill

You are referencing a post more than four years old. Things change. Off the top of my head I forget when significant changes were made to the law governing the suspending of citizenship applications.

I cannot guess what in particular the investigation is about. Without knowing that, and other than you knowing what it is likely about (you know your case, so you should have an idea at the least), since investigations are confidential, behind the secrecy curtain, it could be difficult to find this out. A lawyer, however, could go over the case with you, and make inquiries that could help put what's happening into better context and help you decide what to do next.

Short answer, then, is to see a lawyer.

Thing is, some issues can lead to very, very long timelines. I have seen cases where the application is pending 8, 10, 12, and even more years. Very difficult to forecast without knowing what the issue is.

Longer Observations:

In any event, just about any issue regarding any of the requirements for a grant of citizenship can be the subject of an investigation; and IRCC can suspend the processing of the application as long as is necessary to receive

"any information or evidence or the results of any investigation or inquiry for the purpose of ascertaining whether the applicant meets the requirements [relating to a grant of citizenship], whether the applicant should be the subject of an admissibility hearing or a removal order or [whether there is a security or criminality prohibition]."​

Yeah, it's broad, very broad. Could be about alleged misrepresentation, questions about your actual physical presence, PR status issues (like failing to be in compliance with the PR Residency Obligation), questions about prohibitions related to security or criminality. If you came to Canada as a refugee or protected person it could be about investigating possible cessation of status.

Noting, again, that YOU know your own case as well as anyone, so you should be able to identify the more likely reason IRCC has concerns.

You have previously discussed obtaining the assistance of a lawyer. Given how long the application has been pending, and depending on what you apprehend might be behind this (again, you should have at least some idea), that is probably a good idea if not an imperative.

If you are confident there is nothing lurking in your case that could result in terminating your PR status, and you are in Canada, you could choose to continue waiting or even ask to withdraw the application so you can re-apply, assuming you are currently eligible. If, for example, you believe (based on a frank, objective assessment of your case) that this is about questioning whether you met the actual physical presence requirement as of the date of your application, and you are now otherwise eligible and clearly meet the physical presence requirement, in that situation to withdraw and re-apply MIGHT (only *MIGHT*) make sense. HOWEVER, given the timeline, there is at least the appearance that a more serious issue could be involved. So, probably is time to see a lawyer . . . and it might be as important, if not more important, to get the lawyer's help to find out what the issue is more than to push for an outcome on the application.