Apply in Winnipeg or Toronto - Moving for work

[trsiddiqui]

I am eligible to apply for Citizenship now. However, I have sublet my apartment and going to move to Toronto next month. During the first few weeks, I am going to live in temporary accommodations (airbnb) and wont have a permanent address until a few weeks after. I have two options here. I could either apply from Winnipeg and give my uncle's address and come back for test and oath. Or I could move to Toronto and wait until I can find an apartment, and then apply, which means I lose 4-12 weeks. Other things that I am considering while reaching a decision is whether applications from Winnipeg get processed quicker than from Toronto. What do you guys think? I have seen the 2019 and 2020 citizenship application sheets but cant make out anything from it. I have seen some applicants mentioned that they moved during the process and they contacted them with the new address. In my situation, i wont even have a new address for a short while.

Another question I have is how to track your application? From the CIC website, I have found that the only way to submit an application is by paper only. Is there an online way of submitting an application. If not, how are all these people tracking their applications?

 

[jc94]

I am eligible to apply for Citizenship now. However, I have sublet my apartment and going to move to Toronto next month. During the first few weeks, I am going to live in temporary accommodations (airbnb) and wont have a permanent address until a few weeks after. I have two options here. I could either apply from Winnipeg and give my uncle's address and come back for test and oath. Or I could move to Toronto and wait until I can find an apartment, and then apply, which means I lose 4-12 weeks. Other things that I am considering while reaching a decision is whether applications from Winnipeg get processed quicker than from Toronto. What do you guys think? I have seen the 2019 and 2020 citizenship application sheets but cant make out anything from it. I have seen some applicants mentioned that they moved during the process and they contacted them with the new address. In my situation, i wont even have a new address for a short while.

Another question I have is how to track your application? From the CIC website, I have found that the only way to submit an application is by paper only. Is there an online way of submitting an application. If not, how are all these people tracking their applications?

Lots of questions there

You have to apply by paper, I don't know why - I've seen people claim it's for security but if IRCC was really interested in security they'd require everyone to log into ECAS (ie: a SSLT/TLS secured website) for all their updates and only email you that there is "an update" like banks do. IRCC sends things over email (which is generally extremely insecure) or via Canada Post.

You can't track your application until you get AoR. This takes 2-4 months generally.

If you apply with an email IRCC MAY contact you by email. Or they may not They may send some things by email and others via Canada Post then claim over the phone they send it via email. If by email your spam filter will very likely catch it.

Applying with your Uncles address could be considered misrepresentation. I would personally wait and apply from a permanent address. You can't even change it until you get AoR and Canada Post's willingness/ability to forward IRCC post is unknown (there are reports that it works and doesn't).

Now yes generally ON has a ton of applications so you may be faster elsewhere especially MB/SK (this is a guess). You could review the sheets but unless you have a lot of time of are great at Geography to work out where each person was it's hard to read too much. Also based on number I've seen in person and read online those sheets of circa 100 people a month? There are literally thousands of applicants a month (at my oath 1800 people had done taken oath in three days). So it's a very small subset. ON also has many more agents processing applications.

That said, I would apply from Toronto as you will also get processed in a local office. Requests such as Interview/Oath CAN be given at short notice and even at 10 days out (or even < 21 days) flights are going to be very expensive as is temporary accommodation - and do you really want to catch a flight that arrives 3 hours before an IRCC appointment and then get delayed?

You presumably have waited at least 3 years for this, 4-12 weeks is just extra buffer (always a good idea). It's also not going to take 4-12 weeks to find an apartment in Toronto unless you are ultra picky or have major limitations. Just be advised it's expensive, about $2k a month for a 1 bedroom. Best price I've seen this year (close to downtown/subway) is $1720 for 374 sqft bachelor.

Hope this answers all questions but let me know if not.

 

[trsiddiqui]

Thank you for the detailed response @jc94. Those are some really good points and I am now inclined towards sending my application by paper from Toronto.

The reason for a 4-12 weeks delay in getting a permanent address is that I am arriving there in the second week of march and will be staying in temporary accommodations (hotel, airbnb etc) until April. I plan on setting out for apartment search as I arrive in Toronto. It might just be in Winnipeg but people post a lot of ads with outdated photos of apartments, and there are things like smells and general feel of the place that can't be experience with photos. Things are probably different in Toronto but I still want to give myself sometime before getting into a year lease. I realize that the apartments are much expensive in Toronto, my budget for a one bedroom is $1900-$2000 + util. I have seen some ads and will schedule appointments as soon as I arrive in Toronto.

I will be posting more queries here as I have questions along the process. I have been scouring this forum to learn about common dos and donts in the application so I will try my level best to not ask questions already answered. Thanks again.

 

[jc94]

Thank you for the detailed response @jc94. Those are some really good points and I am now inclined towards sending my application by paper from Toronto.

The reason for a 4-12 weeks delay in getting a permanent address is that I am arriving there in the second week of march and will be staying in temporary accommodations (hotel, airbnb etc) until April. I plan on setting out for apartment search as I arrive in Toronto. It might just be in Winnipeg but people post a lot of ads with outdated photos of apartments, and there are things like smells and general feel of the place that can't be experience with photos. Things are probably different in Toronto but I still want to give myself sometime before getting into a year lease. I realize that the apartments are much expensive in Toronto, my budget for a one bedroom is $1900-$2000 + util. I have seen some ads and will schedule appointments as soon as I arrive in Toronto.

I will be posting more queries here as I have questions along the process. I have been scouring this forum to learn about common dos and donts in the application so I will try my level best to not ask questions already answered. Thanks again.

Well I'm not sure you'll have a different experience in Toronto; but I know I was able to find and move into an apartment in 3 weeks in Toronto while holding down a new full time job and working well above average hours. You just have to be willing to go out and see places even if it's -30C and snowing.

To be honest most places you can just walk in and say got a unit available to view and they'll either have a show one or someone will be about to move out. I had far more luck doing this than trying to look online and book appointments. There are no shortage of apartments here. Though for that budget your options are likely < 500 sqft or in a less desirable area, including but not exclusively further out/away from subway.