Time line
Received Application : Sep 2009
Started Processing : June , 2010
File Transferred to Mississauga office : Sep 2010
Citizenship Test : Jan , 2011
RQ Submitted and Received (acknowledged by CIC) : Jan , 2011
Canadian Citizen - May 2015
I have usually seen ppl get their citizenship and then dont share their experience for the benefit of this forum because I have gotten so much help from this forum that I would like to give it back to the forum here.
The above is my time line from the date I applied and the date I got the RQ (request for questionnaire) to the Month I got the citizenship also the same period was the "not so good years of my life".
So I want to focus on the same period to help others with similar time line on some actionable steps
I used to call up the Citizenship/ Immigration toll free number every other week or so for the updates, even if you dont get the answer that you are looking for they will make a note on your file every time you call,
Some are sympathetic and some are not, if your time line is more than the one mentioned on the website for unusual cases - you can ask them to send a msg on your behalf to the relevant office handling your citizenship file.
So this is what I did and I got a very generic email reply saying we are working on the file and its in process. (advice: order your CAIPs note first)
What use is that, CIC office is no help after this point as this is all they can do after the unusual cases.
I was tempted to file a case of Mandamus so that my file after 5 years of still in process see some day light.
Pros and cons of doing that is
-Pros
This will force the Office to take out the file from the pile and look into it
And you will probably get an answer within 3 months
-Cons
The file will stop only at the citizenship Judge
you would have a lot of explaining to do
Again thank you to the lot of good ppl on this forum who has helped me with some suggestion of some good lawyer and the fee associated with that(usually around 4000)
And after visiting some of them I was told to stay put for another couple of months and then after that they will file it on my behalf.
I did that and while doing that I requested my CAIPs Notes from the cic website, although I didnt understand completely what it said I did know that they have recently renewed my Security checks so I figured the worst was not true ( that My file is lost). You cant get much information from these note but you can come to some kind of conclusion.
Again I went into the forum and researched and some helpful ppl suggested to ask the ward consular or the mayor office to check up on your behalf.
This was the one time when I think back that I msged the Ward Consular office and they actually sent a msg to the office cause according to the forum its not helpful but in my case they did and I got a call from the Immigration/ Citizenship office saying "they have received a mail from the Ward consular office and they are looking into my file.
To cut it short after that I got the date for oath and my wait of 6 years is over from the date of my application.
I hope my experience gives hope to ppl in similar situation and some idea of some logical steps which can be taken to get to the end result, a bit faster!
Also again I would like some help from the forum where my dad has a similar case but his PR is expiring soon. My dad has been traveling overseas with my mom (who is a canadian Citizen) for a while now and although I have read the forum where if a PR is accompanied by a canadian Spouse he or she can maintain his or her PR obligation.
Can any one PM me a good lawyer who can file the paper accordingly in a right manner for his PR card renewal
Received Application : Sep 2009
Started Processing : June , 2010
File Transferred to Mississauga office : Sep 2010
Citizenship Test : Jan , 2011
RQ Submitted and Received (acknowledged by CIC) : Jan , 2011
Canadian Citizen - May 2015
I have usually seen ppl get their citizenship and then dont share their experience for the benefit of this forum because I have gotten so much help from this forum that I would like to give it back to the forum here.
The above is my time line from the date I applied and the date I got the RQ (request for questionnaire) to the Month I got the citizenship also the same period was the "not so good years of my life".
So I want to focus on the same period to help others with similar time line on some actionable steps
I used to call up the Citizenship/ Immigration toll free number every other week or so for the updates, even if you dont get the answer that you are looking for they will make a note on your file every time you call,
Some are sympathetic and some are not, if your time line is more than the one mentioned on the website for unusual cases - you can ask them to send a msg on your behalf to the relevant office handling your citizenship file.
So this is what I did and I got a very generic email reply saying we are working on the file and its in process. (advice: order your CAIPs note first)
What use is that, CIC office is no help after this point as this is all they can do after the unusual cases.
I was tempted to file a case of Mandamus so that my file after 5 years of still in process see some day light.
Pros and cons of doing that is
-Pros
This will force the Office to take out the file from the pile and look into it
And you will probably get an answer within 3 months
-Cons
The file will stop only at the citizenship Judge
you would have a lot of explaining to do
Again thank you to the lot of good ppl on this forum who has helped me with some suggestion of some good lawyer and the fee associated with that(usually around 4000)
And after visiting some of them I was told to stay put for another couple of months and then after that they will file it on my behalf.
I did that and while doing that I requested my CAIPs Notes from the cic website, although I didnt understand completely what it said I did know that they have recently renewed my Security checks so I figured the worst was not true ( that My file is lost). You cant get much information from these note but you can come to some kind of conclusion.
Again I went into the forum and researched and some helpful ppl suggested to ask the ward consular or the mayor office to check up on your behalf.
This was the one time when I think back that I msged the Ward Consular office and they actually sent a msg to the office cause according to the forum its not helpful but in my case they did and I got a call from the Immigration/ Citizenship office saying "they have received a mail from the Ward consular office and they are looking into my file.
To cut it short after that I got the date for oath and my wait of 6 years is over from the date of my application.
I hope my experience gives hope to ppl in similar situation and some idea of some logical steps which can be taken to get to the end result, a bit faster!
Also again I would like some help from the forum where my dad has a similar case but his PR is expiring soon. My dad has been traveling overseas with my mom (who is a canadian Citizen) for a while now and although I have read the forum where if a PR is accompanied by a canadian Spouse he or she can maintain his or her PR obligation.
Can any one PM me a good lawyer who can file the paper accordingly in a right manner for his PR card renewal
