Application for Canadian Citizenship - A Comprehensive Guide

[paolo1967]

PART - 6

Post-Application Phase​

You have now submitted your Citizenship application. If you paid close attention to the guide and prepared a killer application package - the chances of you getting your application back is very less to none.

The hard part begins now - Waiting! In this initial stage after submission, you'd have to wait for AOR.

What can you do while you wait?

It generally takes about 2 months from the date they receive the application for you to get a AOR. (This can vary slightly from person to person). While you wait for AOR (and for further steps after you receive AOR), you can do the following -

• You can check the status of your application using ECAS (about 24 hours after you receive AOR) .
• Please try and contribute - Try to help others on the forum with any questions they might have.
• If you want a more in-depth knowledge of how citizenship applications are processed, I recommend giving Operational Instructions and Guidelines for Citizenship
  • From the page above, open links under 'Administration' for relevant information.
• Check the 2019 Citizenship tracker for past year's trend.
• Check the 2020 Citizenship tracker for current trend.
• Please make sure you enter your information in the appropriate tracker. Larger sample size translates to more accurate stats.
• In due time, you would have to write your citizenship test so start preparing for it.
• You can read qorax's detailed post on Oath ceremony and his post on Citizenship Interview.

Routine vs Non-Routine Applications and Additional document requests

Your citizenship application could be processed in 2 different ways - Routine and Non-Routine.

• Routine applications generally move much faster than their non-routine counterparts.
• One of the major reasons why an application could go into non-routine processing is if IRCC requests additional documentation OR if they set up an additional interview for you.
• There are different kinds of additional documents. Credit : I am paraphrasing from dpenabill's post.
  • RQ - Lite <CIT 0205> (Residency Questionnaire - 'Lite')
  • RQ <CIT 0171> (This is a full-blown Residency Questionnaire)
  • You might also get an RQ in the name of PPQ - QAE (Physical Presence Questionnaire - Quality Assurance Exercise)
  • This thread claims to have solved the mystery of the aforementioned QAE process but take it with a grain of salt.

What happens during application processing?

At the time of writing this post, the "official" processing time is 12 months. In reality, however - It ranges anywhere between 6 months to Forever. A sizable portion of the applications are processed between 6 - 9 months time.

• Though we send the initial application to CPC - Sydney, further processing of your application is generally done by the office responsible for the location you live in.
• As your application progresses, the ECAS status will keep changing. Find out what the ECAS status changes mean.
• Here are all the legal guidelines by which IRCC processes the applications.

The basic consensus of how a citizenship application might progress is explained below. This might vary slightly between applicants but this should give you a general idea. There is some speculation here and I am paraphrasing this from one of dpenabill's post and other posts in this forum.

• CPC-Sydney issues an AOR after the completeness-checking the application package
• A file is opened in GCMS (simultaneously).
• The application is sent for background checks
  • Criminality checks are done by RCMP
  • Security checks are done by CSIS
  • GCMS checks are done by IRCC
• CPC-Sydney might do some additional processing (?)
• Application is forwarded to the local visa office for further processing
• Local Visa Office (LVO) checks and verifies the authenticity of the information / documents in the application package
• LVO sends Notice to appear for citizenship test and interview
• LVO sends a Notice to appear for Citizenship Ceremony (Oath)

After the oath: Next Steps

You are officially a Canadian Citizen after you take the oath of citizenship.

• Official sources state that you need to wait a minimum of 2 business days before you can apply for a Canadian Passport.
• However, in reality, you can apply for a passport as soon as your ECAS status changes to 'Complete' and this can happen before 2 business days.

Closing notes

Canadian Citizenship is a privilege and not a right. Let's embrace it, respect it and let's never abuse it. NEVER lie on an immigration / citizenship application - It is not worth the consequences.

I hope that the mods make this a sticky thread for easy access. Let's further discuss about the nuances of this process and help each other in this beautiful journey of becoming a citizen of this great nation.

-rajkamalmohanram

Thank you for wonderful post, do we have to submit copy of passports all pages?

 

[ms2020]

The online physical presence calculator does not have any place to sign and date when I print it. Does anyone else face this issue?

 

[mikeposer]

Hello there..
I have a weird situation. I sent all my documents for the citizenship yesterday and today I found out that CIC don't accept IELTS Academic version , however i did sent that by mistake.. I do have IELTS general report too(expired) but I did not sent that...I called the CIC call center. They asked to wait as CIC might just return the entire file back or ask for additional documents...any one has experienced this situation before?

 

[rajkamalmohanram]

Hello there..
I have a weird situation. I sent all my documents for the citizenship yesterday and today I found out that CIC don't accept IELTS Academic version , however i did sent that by mistake.. I do have IELTS general report too(expired) but I did not sent that...I called the CIC call center. They asked to wait as CIC might just return the entire file back or ask for additional documents...any one has experienced this situation before?

Yup, there was an applicant @cat_woman who had her application returned because of the very same reason. Once you get your application back, remove the Academic IELTS, include your General IELTS (even if it is expired) and send the entire application package back to Sydney.

 

[mikeposer]

@rajkamalmohanram do you recommend sending the file again like next week with an explanation letter to ignore the first file and and resent all the forms again with correct IELTS result

 

[Rakit]

Hello everybody , please following the explanation and my understanding for the police certificate we are not required to provide the Canadian one correct , only those from foreign countries because I don't want to miss any documents for me or my family
My second question, suppose you have a closed work permit you landed exemple 10-2-2017 and the employer redid a new contract with starting date 20-2-2017 , so which of the two dates should I use for the calculator

 

[ufarooqi]

Application form says:

Note: If you were in your country or territory of origin immediately prior to becoming a permanent resident and landing in Canada and this time falls within this four (4) year period, you are not required to provide a police certificate.

I'm confused about the word immediately.

I applied my Permanent Residence from my country of origin and then moved to Canada on a work visa while my PR application was still in process. While in Canada, my application was approved after three months and I became Permanent Resident. Do I still need to provide police certificate for my country of origin?

 

[KPA_Canada]

Hi Guys I need some help from you as your already submitted application.

I am in final stage to send my Citizenship application but i still get confusion about submitting Language proof. I have studies B.E Mechanical in India and did IELTS test while applying PR, so I can send my ILETS report a well as diploma transcripts, but my wife just completed her diploma and she has only transcripts. She couldn't get her diploma certificate from college instead she has provisional certificate and she didnt write IELTS.

So my questions is Can i send her diploma transcripts and provisional diploma certificate for language proof, will accept by IRCC. I highly need your opinion on this.

Thanks

 

[sivapras]

i am not able to download the citizenship application form. getting weird error

Please wait... If this message is not eventually replaced by the proper contents of the document, your PDF viewer may not be able to display this type of document. You can upgrade to the latest version of Adobe Reader for Windows®, Mac, or Linux® by visiting http://www.adobe.com/go/reader_download. For more assistance with Adobe Reader visit http://www.adobe.com/go/acrreader. Windows is either a registered trademark or a trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Mac is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the United States and other countries. Linux is the registered trademark of Linus Torvald

I am using latest adobe software. any one has come across this error and can any one attach the form here.

Thanks

 

[rajkamalmohanram]

Hi Guys I need some help from you as your already submitted application.

I am in final stage to send my Citizenship application but i still get confusion about submitting Language proof. I have studies B.E Mechanical in India and did IELTS test while applying PR, so I can send my ILETS report a well as diploma transcripts, but my wife just completed her diploma and she has only transcripts. She couldn't get her diploma certificate from college instead she has provisional certificate and she didnt write IELTS.

So my questions is Can i send her diploma transcripts and provisional diploma certificate for language proof, will accept by IRCC. I highly need your opinion on this.

Thanks

You can simply submit your IELTS General TRF. You don't have to submit your diploma transcripts.

For your wife, I'm not quite sure but submitting a provisional certificate + the transcript that shows the medium of instruction should be fine IMO.

 

[rajkamalmohanram]

i am not able to download the citizenship application form. getting weird error

Please wait... If this message is not eventually replaced by the proper contents of the document, your PDF viewer may not be able to display this type of document. You can upgrade to the latest version of Adobe Reader for Windows®, Mac, or Linux® by visiting http://www.adobe.com/go/reader_download. For more assistance with Adobe Reader visit http://www.adobe.com/go/acrreader. Windows is either a registered trademark or a trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Mac is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the United States and other countries. Linux is the registered trademark of Linus Torvald

I am using latest adobe software. any one has come across this error and can any one attach the form here.

Thanks

You cannot view this form on the browser. So, you have to download it first and view it on a PDF reader like Adobe Acrobat.

If you are using Chrome :

1. Click on the 3 dots on the right corner of the browser window
2. Go to Settings
3. Click on Site Settings
4. Click on Additional Site Settings
5. Click on PDF documents
6. Enable "Download PDF files instead of automatically opening them in Chrome"
7. Refresh the page and click the link to the application form again
8. The form will be downloaded instead of opening on Chrome.

 

[ufarooqi]

@rajkamalmohanram Can you please answer following query.

Application form says:

Note: If you were in your country or territory of origin immediately prior to becoming a permanent resident and landing in Canada and this time falls within this four (4) year period, you are not required to provide a police certificate.

I'm confused about the word immediately.

I applied my Permanent Residence from my country of origin and then moved to Canada on a work visa while my PR application was still in process. While in Canada, my application was approved after three months and I became Permanent Resident. Do I still need to provide police certificate for my country of origin?

 

[rajkamalmohanram]

@rajkamalmohanram Can you please answer following query.

Application form says:

Note: If you were in your country or territory of origin immediately prior to becoming a permanent resident and landing in Canada and this time falls within this four (4) year period, you are not required to provide a police certificate.

I'm confused about the word immediately.

I applied my Permanent Residence from my country of origin and then moved to Canada on a work visa while my PR application was still in process. While in Canada, my application was approved after three months and I became Permanent Resident. Do I still need to provide police certificate for my country of origin?

No IMO but if it is not too much trouble, I would recommend a PCC from your country of origin and submit it with your application.

 

[MonuTalli]

The online physical presence calculator does not have any place to sign and date when I print it. Does anyone else face this issue?

Yup, I just signed and dated at the bottom.

 

[AbuZain]

You MUST include EVERYTHING you've been doing throughout your eligibility period (includes unemployment, self-employment, study, retirement or a homemaker)

If have been working and studying during the same time, should I put two entries of detail like working and studying or otherwise? For Example: I have been working as a cashier from 2019-Sep - June, 2020 and studying part time during the same time. Please explain!