Be there very early for oath? Or any other planning advice, please?

[eeeeeeeelectric]

Hi, All,

Sorry if this is a repeat. My oath is tomorrow, and I'm super type A, worry-wortish around timeliness. Any advice about amount of time needed to get in line and do the pre-oath registration (if there is such a thing) for the big day, please?

I'm sure I'm just looking for concerns since I have everything else in order! Have to fetter the excitement someplace.

Many thanks! I'll follow the Prime Minister by a mere matter of minutes with my swearing in!

 

[thecoolguysam]

Hi, All,

Sorry if this is a repeat. My oath is tomorrow, and I'm super type A, worry-wortish around timeliness. Any advice about amount of time needed to get in line and do the pre-oath registration (if there is such a thing) for the big day, please?

I'm sure I'm just looking for concerns since I have everything else in order! Have to fetter the excitement someplace.

Many thanks! I'll follow the Prime Minister by a mere matter of minutes with my swearing in!

Congratulations

Reach the CIC office 1 hour early just to be on the safe side just in case to avoid any traffic jams etc. The early you reach the better it is.

Generally, the oath ceremony lasts for 2-3 hours

Good luck and best wishes to you

 

[fdk511]

Congrats on getting the invite. We got to our oath location 15 minutes before the official start time. They didn't start sorting us out until 1:35 and everyone was seated almost 45 minutes later (FWIW, the ceremony was in Edmonton). For a posted start time of 1:30 PM, we were actually done around 3:45 PM, so definitely plan on being there for longer than an 1 hour!

As for the registration part: it basically involves scanning your invite, asking you to sign on the waiver form if you haven't done so already (the 3rd page), reviewing your COPR and collecting your PR card (which won't be returned). We had taken all of our passports whose copies were submitted in our citizenship application as well, but they never looked at them. Given the number of people in our ceremony (97), it would have taken an inordinate amount of time to review everyone's passports.

As mentioned in another reply to you, things do happen, so planning on being there a bit early can reduce any unwanted stress due to finding parking spots, traffic/construction woes or even the good-old-fashioned flat tire.

If you are bringing small kids along, pack some goodies/water to calm them down if they get hungry/thirsty!

Hi, All,

Sorry if this is a repeat. My oath is tomorrow, and I'm super type A, worry-wortish around timeliness. Any advice about amount of time needed to get in line and do the pre-oath registration (if there is such a thing) for the big day, please?

I'm sure I'm just looking for concerns since I have everything else in order! Have to fetter the excitement someplace.

Many thanks! I'll follow the Prime Minister by a mere matter of minutes with my swearing in!

 

[eeeeeeeelectric]

Thank you so much! One more question, please. Do they immediately whisk us away from our family member/s? Just curious. I suspect so given the test regimen (which I am not at liberty, of course, to disclose details of as per their instructions).

Thank you and congrats to us all!!

 

[cybervjs]

Hi,
I wanna know from you guyz if there is anymore Documents i have to take with me for the Oath Ceremony apart from {Invitation letter( all pages ) + PR Card + Landing Paper + All current and expired passport + Driving License & Health Card} because on invitation it says bring all original documents for which you have submitted copies with your application. i mean are they checking all application all over again during ceremony or ID's Basically?

 

[wes786]

Hi,
I wanna know from you guyz if there is anymore Documents i have to take with me for the Oath Ceremony apart from {Invitation letter( all pages ) + PR Card + Landing Paper + All current and expired passport + Driving License & Health Card} because on invitation it says bring all original documents for which you have submitted copies with your application. i mean are they checking all application all over again during ceremony or ID's Basically?

I haven't heard that they check anything else other than what you have listed above. I would still take everything they have listed in the letter just incase they want to look at something. You don't want to be regretting that you didn't bring an educational document with you to your oath ceremony. CIC is evil like that... ;D

 

[DBN]

Thank you so much! One more question, please. Do they immediately whisk us away from our family member/s? Just curious. I suspect so given the test regimen (which I am not at liberty, of course, to disclose details of as per their instructions).

Thank you and congrats to us all!!

Hi èeeeeee
Where is ur ceremony will be held ? And what time ?

 

[ari5323]

Hi, All,

Sorry if this is a repeat. My oath is tomorrow, and I'm super type A, worry-wortish around timeliness. Any advice about amount of time needed to get in line and do the pre-oath registration (if there is such a thing) for the big day, please?

I'm sure I'm just looking for concerns since I have everything else in order! Have to fetter the excitement someplace.

Many thanks! I'll follow the Prime Minister by a mere matter of minutes with my swearing in!

Very unfortunately you have to be there lined up the whole night before.
Dont panic, you wont die out there in the cold, I have an extra blanket and pillow , will bring it with pleasure for you,

 

[eeeeeeeelectric]

My ceremony is Nov 4 @10:30 in Surrey Central City.

Haha!!! I'll run out there now and get in line!

 

[neo_baron]

Thank you so much! One more question, please. Do they immediately whisk us away from our family member/s? Just curious. I suspect so given the test regimen (which I am not at liberty, of course, to disclose details of as per their instructions).

Thank you and congrats to us all!!

My ceremony was about 8 years ago so things might have changed, but my family members and I could see each other at all times, even we weren't really next to each other. I mean, we got in and I had to line up to check in, hand in my PR and landing paper, take a seat, and so on. As soon as I lined up, my family members entered the room and took a seat. We couldn't chat until the ceremony was over as they were in the audience, but could see each other at all times. Relax, it's an emotional and once in a lifetime feeling

 

[Bigudi]

My ceremony is Nov 4 @10:30 in Surrey Central City.

Haha!!! I'll run out there now and get in line!

So... can you tell us how was your experience?

 

[eeeeeeeelectric]

So... can you tell us how was your experience?

It was rather amazing, given that our new PM was sworn in not two hours prior, taking the same oath himself!
I arrived an hour early at Surrey Central City, and we got lattes, and headed over to the concrete steps up to CIC.
There were citizens steaming out from the 8:30 session at 9:30. I was filled with elation, wanting to personally congratulate each one.
We arrived at the top where there was already a long line. I found a gentleman from Ireland who was a March applicant also. He was just as excited as I. I had thought from attending a friend's ceremony that they separated families here, so, I said goodbye to my spouse so that she could wait for the arrival of two more family members.
The officer came out and gave us an initial instruction, but I didn't hear him with the babies crying, and people talking. It was a bit chaotic for a second, but I just followed into the queue to register. They only checked my COPR, passport, PR card was surrendered, and my oath letter was reviewed, whereupon she circled the mysterious number on the demographics page. That number was my assigned seat!
I handed over my signed consent form and took a flag pin to add to my lapel, which already had a poppy.
We started some time after 10:30. I'm not sure how much later, but a mere half of the seats were full then, with many people stilled queued up.
I'll save the ceremony particulars for you to experience, but it was a cordial, very moving, amazing experience. We had 79 citizens from 15 countries!
Today I applied for my passport, and over the weekend I picked up my cultural access pass.
Nov 24 is the eta for the passport. Almost done!

 

[Bigudi]

It was rather amazing, given that our new PM was sworn in not two hours prior, taking the same oath himself!
I arrived an hour early at Surrey Central City, and we got lattes, and headed over to the concrete steps up to CIC.
There were citizens steaming out from the 8:30 session at 9:30. I was filled with elation, wanting to personally congratulate each one.
We arrived at the top where there was already a long line. I found a gentleman from Ireland who was a March applicant also. He was just as excited as I. I had thought from attending a friend's ceremony that they separated families here, so, I said goodbye to my spouse so that she could wait for the arrival of two more family members.
The officer came out and gave us an initial instruction, but I didn't hear him with the babies crying, and people talking. It was a bit chaotic for a second, but I just followed into the queue to register. They only checked my COPR, passport, PR card was surrendered, and my oath letter was reviewed, whereupon she circled the mysterious number on the demographics page. That number was my assigned seat!
I handed over my signed consent form and took a flag pin to add to my lapel, which already had a poppy.
We started some time after 10:30. I'm not sure how much later, but a mere half of the seats were full then, with many people stilled queued up.
I'll save the ceremony particulars for you to experience, but it was a cordial, very moving, amazing experience. We had 79 citizens from 15 countries!
Today I applied for my passport, and over the weekend I picked up my cultural access pass.
Nov 24 is the eta for the passport. Almost done!

That's amazing. Thanks for sharing.

 

[wes786]

It was rather amazing, given that our new PM was sworn in not two hours prior, taking the same oath himself!
I arrived an hour early at Surrey Central City, and we got lattes, and headed over to the concrete steps up to CIC.
There were citizens steaming out from the 8:30 session at 9:30. I was filled with elation, wanting to personally congratulate each one.
We arrived at the top where there was already a long line. I found a gentleman from Ireland who was a March applicant also. He was just as excited as I. I had thought from attending a friend's ceremony that they separated families here, so, I said goodbye to my spouse so that she could wait for the arrival of two more family members.
The officer came out and gave us an initial instruction, but I didn't hear him with the babies crying, and people talking. It was a bit chaotic for a second, but I just followed into the queue to register. They only checked my COPR, passport, PR card was surrendered, and my oath letter was reviewed, whereupon she circled the mysterious number on the demographics page. That number was my assigned seat!
I handed over my signed consent form and took a flag pin to add to my lapel, which already had a poppy.
We started some time after 10:30. I'm not sure how much later, but a mere half of the seats were full then, with many people stilled queued up.
I'll save the ceremony particulars for you to experience, but it was a cordial, very moving, amazing experience. We had 79 citizens from 15 countries!
Today I applied for my passport, and over the weekend I picked up my cultural access pass.
Nov 24 is the eta for the passport. Almost done!

Very nice!!!

I still remember parts of my ceremony back from 2001. I know that times have changed, and things are a bit different now, but I still remember the experience and the amazing feeling you get after . Congratulations once again...

 

[Diplomatru]

It was rather amazing, given that our new PM was sworn in not two hours prior, taking the same oath himself!
I arrived an hour early at Surrey Central City, and we got lattes, and headed over to the concrete steps up to CIC.
There were citizens steaming out from the 8:30 session at 9:30. I was filled with elation, wanting to personally congratulate each one.
We arrived at the top where there was already a long line. I found a gentleman from Ireland who was a March applicant also. He was just as excited as I. I had thought from attending a friend's ceremony that they separated families here, so, I said goodbye to my spouse so that she could wait for the arrival of two more family members.
The officer came out and gave us an initial instruction, but I didn't hear him with the babies crying, and people talking. It was a bit chaotic for a second, but I just followed into the queue to register. They only checked my COPR, passport, PR card was surrendered, and my oath letter was reviewed, whereupon she circled the mysterious number on the demographics page. That number was my assigned seat!
I handed over my signed consent form and took a flag pin to add to my lapel, which already had a poppy.
We started some time after 10:30. I'm not sure how much later, but a mere half of the seats were full then, with many people stilled queued up.
I'll save the ceremony particulars for you to experience, but it was a cordial, very moving, amazing experience. We had 79 citizens from 15 countries!
Today I applied for my passport, and over the weekend I picked up my cultural access pass.
Nov 24 is the eta for the passport. Almost done!

Congratulations and +1!!