+1(514) 937-9445 or Toll-free (Canada & US) +1 (888) 947-9445

IRCC Scarborough Applicants - Online Test/Interview/DM/Oath

adey786

Hero Member
Jun 29, 2010
784
458
Visa Office......
Abu Dhabi
NOC Code......
1111
Pre-Assessed..
Yes
App. Filed.......
05-01-16
Doc's Request.
13-01-16
Nomination.....
08-12-15
AOR Received.
05-01-16
File Transfer...
03-03-16
Med's Done....
13-01-16
Passport Req..
08-05-16
VISA ISSUED...
26-05-16
Have you received the citizenship certificate yet?
I was about to update here and saw your message.

Yes, just checked my mail box and found certificates for self and family members. Took Oath on 28th, so received certificates in about 1 week.

@Lex2019 : you also must have received certificates.
 

tobe-canadian

Full Member
Mar 11, 2021
23
7
I was about to update here and saw your message.

Yes, just checked my mail box and found certificates for self and family members. Took Oath on 28th, so received certificates in about 1 week.

@Lex2019 : you also must have received certificates.
Congratulations :) Finally its all over!!!

Thanks for the update!
 
  • Like
Reactions: adey786

adey786

Hero Member
Jun 29, 2010
784
458
Visa Office......
Abu Dhabi
NOC Code......
1111
Pre-Assessed..
Yes
App. Filed.......
05-01-16
Doc's Request.
13-01-16
Nomination.....
08-12-15
AOR Received.
05-01-16
File Transfer...
03-03-16
Med's Done....
13-01-16
Passport Req..
08-05-16
VISA ISSUED...
26-05-16
  • Like
Reactions: tobe-canadian

Lex2019

Hero Member
Jan 21, 2019
423
369
I was about to update here and saw your message.

Yes, just checked my mail box and found certificates for self and family members. Took Oath on 28th, so received certificates in about 1 week.

@Lex2019 : you also must have received certificates.
Nope. Not here. Tired checking
 

adey786

Hero Member
Jun 29, 2010
784
458
Visa Office......
Abu Dhabi
NOC Code......
1111
Pre-Assessed..
Yes
App. Filed.......
05-01-16
Doc's Request.
13-01-16
Nomination.....
08-12-15
AOR Received.
05-01-16
File Transfer...
03-03-16
Med's Done....
13-01-16
Passport Req..
08-05-16
VISA ISSUED...
26-05-16

SSA36

Full Member
Apr 2, 2021
24
45
Hi guys!

An update on my file that might be helpful for those who have an emergency situation similar to mine, and how my file turned into urgent processing, as well as steps taken to expedite my certificate and passport.

Background:
I have a medical complication that requires me to travel out of Canada to receive the necessary care. I had my citizenship test on 11th March, and got a call for an interview few days later which was set for 26th March. Got DM on 27th March and then silence. My health turned for the worse as I waited, and I was debating whether to email my interview officer about my condition since I had all my medical records in hand. I was afraid though if it backfired and my oath got further delayed or if I would be asked to reschedule the Oath for a few months later, that would be like waiting this whole time for nothing; I wanted to ensure I complete the process before I go. With this confusion I turned to the forum; I messaged on this group where very helpful members @adey786 @icykool23 and @BadGamer6 offered me different suggestions and outlooks on what could potentially happen if I did email my interview officer.. I decided to go for it emailed my officer 26 days after my DM.

Oath:
I emailed my interview officer about my situation in detail, outlining my medical issues and due to Covid Restrictions, clinics and ER weren't able to monitor me regularly. I attached all my documentation and requested if, in anyway, an early Oath date was possible. Hit send. That wait felt like an eternity to me.
In a couple of hours my officer replied back, very kindly, and informed me that my oath was scheduled for 2 weeks away, was that fine with me? I requested again, if an earlier date is possible. He said he would speak to the concerned teams and get back to me. In an hour he emailed again that I should watch out for an email or a call for the next oath date, when its available, and it should be sooner than 2 weeks. I got an email the next day for Oath on the 29th of April instead of the originally scheduled 10th of May.
I feel that we often judge officers at IRCC and that they might be highly opinionated or lazy in processing, while in this case, my interview officer was nothing but kind and helpful throughout.

Citizenship Certificate:
And so came the Oath date, where I was sworn in. At the end, I had another officer signing me off, who informed me that my certificate would take 6 to 8 weeks, the standard mailing time. Again, I informed her of my medical condition and that I could email her my medical records. She was super nice and told me that wasn't necessary, and she will make sure she mails it out as early as possible, and I should keep a lookout for it in 3 to 4 days.
Again, my experience with another kind officer, who assisted me and ensured I got the help I needed. My certificate arrived on the 4th of May, 5 days after my Oath.

Urgent Passport Process:
To ensure my passport was issued on time, I researched on getting an appointment with Service Canada well before. You submit a webform and request urgent processing, along with your reason for travel, but most importantly, that you have already booked your flight and have your travel itinerary ready. After sending the webform, I got a call within a day and a half, where my in-person appointment was scheduled within 5 minutes. I made sure to take the appointment for Thursday (the 6th of May), giving time for my certificate to arrive (it came on Tuesday the 4th of May).
I again got a call from Service Canada, and they outlined all the documents required for the application and to bring along a printed travel itinerary which is necessary for urgent processing.

I finally went in today to apply for my passport, the process took 20 minutes. My certificate was verified on the spot and returned to me, and I was asked to collect my passport on Monday the 10th.

I am solely sharing my story for the following reasons:
1. Those of you who have a medical complication or a family tragedy, or any reason that requires utmost urgency for your application, do not hesitate to reach out for help to your interview/oath officers (but please have proof ready!). They may be able to help you out. If not, you would be asked to wait which you are doing now anyway. I have also outlined my passport process for those who require it urgently.

2. Don't judge all IRCC officers based on what is going on with all the delayed applications. I know and understand the frustration, and I feel due to bureaucratic reasons, lack of capacity, overworked officers and COVID 19 applications are furiously delayed. However, this does not necessarily mean officers are lazy or are taking their sweet time; I have read some posts on how officers email you at night, or on weekends. My DM was processed on a weekend too.

3. At the end of the day, I immigrated from a country where I resided for 25 years, was loyal, paid government fees and taxes, spent my whole childhood there, and felt that was my home, but I was never accepted as a citizen or given rights, despite loving that country so much. It was painful, but it made me realize that Canada granting me citizenship is a huge privilege for me, as it is for alot of us who have immigrated to Canada for many reasons. Please be mindful of that.

I hope this has been helpful. Good luck to all of you on your journey. It will end, trust me.

Here is my timeline:
Application Received: 17th December 2019 Single Applicant
AOR: 19th February 2020
Processing: 3rd March 2020
Test Date: 11th March 2021
Interview Date: 26th March 2021
DM: 27th March 2021
Oath Ceremony: 29th April 2021 (Urgent Processing due to Medical Emergency)
Certificate Received: 4th May 2021
Passport to be issued: 10th May 2021
 
Last edited:

xs2me

Member
Jan 18, 2018
16
1
Guys, this might be a silly question so please excuse me, I apologize in advance, but how do you all know which Visa office is processing your citizenship application?
 

adey786

Hero Member
Jun 29, 2010
784
458
Visa Office......
Abu Dhabi
NOC Code......
1111
Pre-Assessed..
Yes
App. Filed.......
05-01-16
Doc's Request.
13-01-16
Nomination.....
08-12-15
AOR Received.
05-01-16
File Transfer...
03-03-16
Med's Done....
13-01-16
Passport Req..
08-05-16
VISA ISSUED...
26-05-16
Oh yes IRCC officers are really nice.

I sent a thank you note confirming receipt of certificates to Oath officer yesterday, and I got a quick response with many pleasantries !
 

Hapique

Hero Member
Oct 17, 2015
217
144
Guys, this might be a silly question so please excuse me, I apologize in advance, but how do you all know which Visa office is processing your citizenship application?
from GCMS notes or asking IRCC directly via phone.
 

number411

Hero Member
Jul 10, 2015
403
94
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
Hi guys!

An update on my file that might be helpful for those who have an emergency situation similar to mine, and how my file turned into urgent processing, as well as steps taken to expedite my certificate and passport.

Background:
I have a medical complication that requires me to travel out of Canada to receive the necessary care. I had my citizenship test on 11th March, and got a call for an interview few days later which was set for 26th March. Got DM on 27th March and then silence. My health turned for the worse as I waited, and I was debating whether to email my interview officer about my condition since I had all my medical records in hand. I was afraid though if it backfired and my oath got further delayed or if I would be asked to reschedule the Oath for a few months later, that would be like waiting this whole time for nothing; I wanted to ensure I complete the process before I go. With this confusion I turned to the forum; I messaged on this group where very helpful members @adey786 @icykool23 and @BadGamer6 offered me different suggestions and outlooks on what could potentially happen if I did email my interview officer.. I decided to go for it emailed my officer 26 days after my DM.

Oath:
I emailed my interview officer about my situation in detail, outlining my medical issues and due to Covid Restrictions, clinics and ER weren't able to monitor me regularly. I attached all my documentation and requested if, in anyway, an early Oath date was possible. Hit send. That wait felt like an eternity to me.
In a couple of hours my officer replied back, very kindly, and informed me that my oath was scheduled for 2 weeks away, was that fine with me? I requested again, if an earlier date is possible. He said he would speak to the concerned teams and get back to me. In an hour he emailed again that I should watch out for an email or a call for the next oath date, when its available, and it should be sooner than 2 weeks. I got an email the next day for Oath on the 29th of April instead of the originally scheduled 10th of May.
I feel that we often judge officers at IRCC and that they might be highly opinionated or lazy in processing, while in this case, my interview officer was nothing but kind and helpful throughout.

Citizenship Certificate:
And so came the Oath date, where I was sworn in. At the end, I had another officer signing me off, who informed me that my certificate would take 6 to 8 weeks, the standard mailing time. Again, I informed her of my medical condition and that I could email her my medical records. She was super nice and told me that wasn't necessary, and she will make sure she mails it out as early as possible, and I should keep a lookout for it in 3 to 4 days.
Again, my experience with another kind officer, who assisted me and ensured I got the help I needed. My certificate arrived on the 4th of May, 5 days after my Oath.

Urgent Passport Process:
To ensure my passport was issued on time, I researched on getting an appointment with Service Canada well before. You submit a webform and request urgent processing, along with your reason for travel, but most importantly, that you have already booked your flight and have your travel itinerary ready. After sending the webform, I got a call within a day and a half, where my in-person appointment was scheduled within 5 minutes. I made sure to take the appointment for Thursday (the 6th of May), giving time for my certificate to arrive (it came on Tuesday the 4th of May).
I again got a call from Service Canada, and they outlined all the documents required for the application and to bring along a printed travel itinerary which is necessary for urgent processing.

I finally went in today to apply for my passport, the process took 20 minutes. My certificate was verified on the spot and returned to me, and I was asked to collect my passport on Monday the 10th.

I am solely sharing my story for the following reasons:
1. Those of you who have a medical complication or a family tragedy, or any reason that requires utmost urgency for your application, do not hesitate to reach out for help to your interview/oath officers (but please have proof ready!). They may be able to help you out. If not, you would be asked to wait which you are doing now anyway. I have also outlined my passport process for those who require it urgently.

2. Don't judge all IRCC officers based on what is going on with all the delayed applications. I know and understand the frustration, and I feel due to bureaucratic reasons, lack of capacity, overworked officers and COVID 19 applications are furiously delayed. However, this does not necessarily mean officers are lazy or are taking their sweet time; I have read some posts on how officers email you at night, or on weekends. My DM was processed on a weekend too.

3. At the end of the day, I immigrated from a country where I resided for 25 years, was loyal, paid government fees and taxes, spent my whole childhood there, and felt that was my home, but I was never accepted as a citizen or given rights, despite loving that country so much. It was painful, but it made me realize that Canada granting me citizenship is a huge privilege for me, as it is for alot of us who have immigrated to Canada for many reasons. Please be mindful of that.

I hope this has been helpful. Good luck to all of you on your journey. It will end, trust me.

Here is my timeline:
Application Received: 17th December 2019 Single Applicant
AOR: 19th February 2020
Processing: 3rd March 2020
Test Date: 11th March 2021
Interview Date: 26th March 2021
DM: 27th March 2021
Oath Ceremony: 29th April 2021 (Urgent Processing due to Medical Emergency)
Certificate Received: 4th May 2021
Passport to be issued: 10th May 2021

Thanks for sharing your story. You had a genuine medical reason for urgent processing and they did it.
Most of the complaints here are from regular applicants, the published processing time of 1 year is no longer valid. There are no complaints against individual employees in IRCC who are of course very professional in all situations, the complaint is towards the system which has not adapted itself to the virtual world and the pandemic situation yet. Slow moving..
 
  • Like
Reactions: SSA36

Lex2019

Hero Member
Jan 21, 2019
423
369
Oh it should be in pipeline. Hang in there.
Well, the pipeline seems to be longer than normal. They sent out the certs on April 29 and still nothing. Called up Canada Post and they have happily told me that the delay is absolutely normal... I'm having a lot of trouble getting used to normalcy these days... If they do get lost en route then it will take 8 weeks before IRCC can re-issue new ones... Flippin hell...
 

tobe-canadian

Full Member
Mar 11, 2021
23
7
Well, the pipeline seems to be longer than normal. They sent out the certs on April 29 and still nothing. Called up Canada Post and they have happily told me that the delay is absolutely normal... I'm having a lot of trouble getting used to normalcy these days... If they do get lost en route then it will take 8 weeks before IRCC can re-issue new ones... Flippin hell...
Do you have tracking number?
 

tobe-canadian

Full Member
Mar 11, 2021
23
7
Initial certificates are sent by regular mail. No tracking. You get a tracking number when they send it after passport printing
Thanks for clarification!
Hopefully you will receive your certificate soon!
I wish there was an express post system in place for such sensitive documents
 

nicolass

Star Member
Dec 1, 2016
63
33
Hey guys, I’m about to take the test in a few days. I keep seeing posts about people missing their ID photos.
Can someone explain the exact steps? I can’t find anything online.
Do you log in and then asked to take a photo, then photo of ID ? Is it one ID or two IDs? Then you do the test? Any other steps?

Thanks.