My apologies for focusing on a tangent . . . the primary query has been well answered above, including the link to the PDI regarding the interview, so I hope my comments below are not too much a distraction.
I do want to emphasize one aspect of the interview: one of its purposes is to verify ability in an official language. The proof of language ability submitted with the application is ONLY for the purpose of meeting the requirements to make a complete application. That proof with application requirement was added to the process less than a decade ago because a high percentage of applicants were failing to meet the language ability requirements, diverting a substantial amount of CIC/IRCC resources to process applications which led to hearings (which involve a huge, disproportionate consumption of time and resources) for applicants ultimately denied citizenship (until this requirement was added to the application, there were many thousands of applications denied each year due to a failure to meet the language ability requirement).
The knowledge of Canada test
plus interview is the screening done to verify the applicant meets the statutorily required ability in an official language. As noted by others, Covid has skewered this process some, and it is unclear why some virtual test applicants are required to also participate in a subsequent interview, while some are not. Nonetheless, the proof of language ability submitted with the application only gets the application past the completeness screening; all applicants who are subject to the language ability requirement can be further screened for language ability . . . and when in-person testing and interviews resume, that will indeed be a routine part of the process.
Of course the interview has additional purposes, as described in the linked PDI and discussed by others above.
Thank you for the link to this PDI.
The PDI you cite and link definitively answers the question as to passport stamps which is asked in this forum again and again.
Those experienced with IRCC procedure are well aware that in EVERY case, in regards to EVERY application process, with perhaps only rare exceptions, if a document to be presented to IRCC contains information that is not in one of the official languages, a properly authenticated translation is required . . . EVEN IF this requirement is not always or uniformly enforced. There are, for example, at least a dozen references to "translations" in the guide instructions for an adult citizenship application, and yet again and again if the request for this or that particular document does not explicitly state that a translation must be provided for any information not in an official language, the question is asked, "
is a translation required?" . . .
. . . and this is most frequently asked in regards to passport stamps. Over and over again we see queries in the vein of "
the request for passport pages does not say to provide a translation of stamps, so do I need to have a translation of passport stamps not in English or French?" And, unfortunately, we also see a fair number of responses "
I did not have a translation of my passport stamps and it was OK, so you will be OK." A form of reasoning, illogical reasoning, that is all too common here, and which is all too often misleading.
(Note: I am among those who took the risk of arriving at my interview without a translation of stamps in a language other than French or English, and it was OK; but I know what the requirement is, and among my excuses I got the notice to attend the interview way, way sooner than I expected, and just days before it was scheduled, catching me off-guard with no time to get the translation done, which of course I should have done as a matter of course when I applied. I am known for failing to follow my own advice.)
The PDI you cite and link definitively answers such questions:
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/operational-bulletins-manuals/refugee-protection/removal-risk-assessment/translation.html#s3
It states:
Note: At this time, these instructions are applicable to the immigration and citizenship programs.
It further states:
In all situations, supporting documents that are in a language other than English or French must be accompanied by an official translation of the original document, or of a certified copy of the original document in English or French.
I cannot explain why this particular PDI, which states it applies to ALL situations, and is applicable for both immigration and citizenship, is found in the hierarchy of PDIs under Refugee protection, let alone Pre-removal risk assessments, and yet cannot be reached through the link-trees for either of those. I have been finding navigation of the PDIs problematic since the Harper government started replacing operational manuals and bulletins with PDIs around seven years ago.
But in any event,
@Seym, I appreciate you were able to navigate to this particular PDI and have shared a link to it here. It helps to have a definitive IRCC source to reference even when the answer to a question is otherwise widely known and well understood.
