Difficulty of Citizenship application compared to PR application

[Fpm800]

Hi everyone,

This coming March/2021 myself and my fiance will be eligible for citizenship application. We both obtained our PR when I applied via express entry and she was my dependent. At that time I did all the paperwork via the online application and everything went smoothly. I want to slowly start to prepare for the citizenship application for us. My question is how difficult is the citizenship application compared to the express express application? If I was able to successfully complete the express entry application, do you think I should be able to complete our citizenship application myself? Or should I hire a lawyer? I am hoping that this won't be necessary as covid19 ate away at our savings.

Since arriving to Canada we have both not travelled anywhere but I am worried as her passport will expire on September/2021 and we will be sending the application in the end of March/2021. She won't be eligible to renew her passport from the Philippines prior to us sending our application for citizenship. We don't want to have to wait until September/2021 to renew her passport to then apply for citizenship. Would this be an issue?

Also, I have a new passport after needing to renew mine before it expired. Will they want the copies of my old passport?

In addition, would we need new ielts tests and background checks?

I would like to thank anyone who can provide some wisdom

 

[Seym]

The citizenship application is by far easier and shorter to fill, no need for any representative, you can easily do it yourself. The forum can help for some specific questions, including the sticky thread that should already cover most of them.

No issues with the passports. Having a valid passport is not a requirement for the citizenship application.

Not sure about the ielts, but I think you can reuse it. Someone else may confirm here...

Good luck!

 

[Fpm800]

The citizenship application is by far easier and shorter to fill, no need for any representative, you can easily do it yourself. The forum can help for some specific questions, including the sticky thread that should already cover most of them.

No issues with the passports. Having a valid passport is not a requirement for the citizenship application.

Not sure about the ielts, but I think you can reuse it. Someone else may confirm here...

Good luck!

Thanks for encouragement.

 

[s23srinivas]

Thanks for encouragement.

Expired IELTS General results are considered valid for the citizenship application.
I used my expired scores and am a Citizen now without having to face any challenges during my application processing.
All the best!

 

[Fpm800]

Expired IELTS General results are considered valid for the citizenship application.
I used my expired scores and am a Citizen now without having to face any challenges during my application processing.
All the best!

Awesome. One less thing to worry about.

 

[terulinkarezinka]

If you managed to successfully go through EE process by yourself, Citizenship process will be a piece of cake. I had a consultant for EE, for my peace of mind and did citizenship on my own - very straightforward application and checklist. The envelope for me and my husband weighted nothing. Also, my husband did IELTS for PR purposes in 2015, now applying in 2019 (aug) he didn't have to re-do the test. They're ok with the old one as long as you have the results still.

 

[Doda]

Awesome. One less thing to worry about.

But make sure to use the expired one you used in you PR application and not a different one as it will be returned back as incomplete.

 

[Fpm800]

If you managed to successfully go through EE process by yourself, Citizenship process will be a piece of cake. I had a consultant for EE, for my peace of mind and did citizenship on my own - very straightforward application and checklist. The envelope for me and my husband weighted nothing. Also, my husband did IELTS for PR purposes in 2015, now applying in 2019 (aug) he didn't have to re-do the test. They're ok with the old one as long as you have the results still.

Did you send both your applications in one envelope?
Also, your husband sent a copy of the ielts results not the original, right?

 

[terulinkarezinka]

Did you send both your applications in one envelope?
Also, your husband sent a copy of the ielts results not the original, right?

If you request processing of both applications together - then you send all in one envelope. Each application with it's checklist - i think i paper-clipped them together. This way you should both have test together and most importantly the ceremony.
All docs you're sending are just copies - originals should be brought to the interview on your test date (pre-covid times). honestly, there wasn't too many - bio page of passport, pic of your other ID, like DL. Then the application itself, passport format pics, proof of payment, calculation of the presence days - that's what i can recall. It was really straight forward.
Also, I did ask my consultant for advice (we had issue with one of the questions as my husband overstayed US visa, but we admitted work experience before and had to input his time is US somehow). She literally said: "put there whatever you want. You've been to Canada for 8 years, paid your taxes, worked your job, been a good resident. No one cares about that your partner overstayed tourist visa 15 years ago. Citizenship application is pure formality so they have grounds to give it to you not automatically."

 

[Fpm800]

If you request processing of both applications together - then you send all in one envelope. Each application with it's checklist - i think i paper-clipped them together. This way you should both have test together and most importantly the ceremony.
All docs you're sending are just copies - originals should be brought to the interview on your test date (pre-covid times). honestly, there wasn't too many - bio page of passport, pic of your other ID, like DL. Then the application itself, passport format pics, proof of payment, calculation of the presence days - that's what i can recall. It was really straight forward.
Also, I did ask my consultant for advice (we had issue with one of the questions as my husband overstayed US visa, but we admitted work experience before and had to input his time is US somehow). She literally said: "put there whatever you want. You've been to Canada for 8 years, paid your taxes, worked your job, been a good resident. No one cares about that your partner overstayed tourist visa 15 years ago. Citizenship application is pure formality so they have grounds to give it to you not automatically."

That is amazing to hear. Now I honestly was thinking of getting a lawyer mainly due to the fact that I over stayed my visa in the US as I was brought to the US as a child and that has always stayed in the back of my mind like it would give me issues here in Canada when I apply for citizenship. Did your husband get asked about the over stayed visa in the US?

 

[terulinkarezinka]

Hello, never got asked anything in citizenship process - we declared work experience from US in work permit and PR - he had to provide criminal check as part of his PR application. It never got question during the process. He was never deported, so criminal record came back just fine and that's what mattered.
Now in citizenship application we stated his status as "foreign national" and that's it. We were honest with timeline and never claimed any legal status there. No one asked about that, as he wasn't in US ever since, no need for criminal check again. We already had test and interview and no one asked there. We have Oath on Sept 18.

 

[Fpm800]

Hello, never got asked anything in citizenship process - we declared work experience from US in work permit and PR - he had to provide criminal check as part of his PR application. It never got question during the process. He was never deported, so criminal record came back just fine and that's what mattered.
Now in citizenship application we stated his status as "foreign national" and that's it. We were honest with timeline and never claimed any legal status there. No one asked about that, as he wasn't in US ever since, no need for criminal check again. We already had test and interview and no one asked there. We have Oath on Sept 18.

That good to hear. Had to do the criminal background (police certificate) check for the EE application and never was asked anything about it. Guess its just one of those annoying things that stays in the back of your mind until everything is fully done.
Congrats on passing the test and interview. Good luck with the oath. It's around the corner, must feel amazing. When did you send in your application?

 

[ybjianada]

In terms of meeting the requirements, the PR status is substantially more difficult to obtain than citizenship, the latter mainly requiring you to live in Canada as a PR for 3 years.

One thing I don't understand however, is why citizenship applications are still done only via paper whereas PR apps moved to the online mode 5 years ago.

 

[Fpm800]

In terms of meeting the requirements, the PR status is substantially more difficult to obtain than citizenship, the latter mainly requiring you to live in Canada as a PR for 3 years.

One thing I don't understand however, is why citizenship applications are still done only via paper whereas PR apps moved to the online mode 5 years ago.

Yea I looked for two weeks straight for the online citizenship application as I could not believe that one did not exist since I did the EE/PR application all online. Then I had to accept that everything has to be done on paper for the citizenship application.

But anyway you guys have made me feel a lot better about the citizenship application and not having to hire a lawyer.

 

[terulinkarezinka]

That good to hear. Had to do the criminal background (police certificate) check for the EE application and never was asked anything about it. Guess its just one of those annoying things that stays in the back of your mind until everything is fully done.
Congrats on passing the test and interview. Good luck with the oath. It's around the corner, must feel amazing. When did you send in your application?

You're exactly on point here - we never travelled to US while even being PR here in Canada out of fear that they will find out his history and we will mess up our future in Canada. It is a big relief to know that in just 2 weeks we will be done wth immigration and we will be Canadians and allowed to live our life in peace.
We applied In Aug 2019, we did test in January - but everything was put on hold due to Covid.
I am wishing you all the best with your application and your future in Canada.