CITIZENSHIP APPLICATIONS PROCESSING FAST.....???

[newcomer]

Thank you so much Halloum for all that useful info.

Well I have not applied yet ,I can apply only by 2014.However,I believe sending some additional docs. as suggested by you might prove beneficial.In addition,I am little concerned about the renewal of my PP as its expiring in early 2014.

Do you think getting it renewed by the end of current year will be a good idea as I have read that renewing any identity doc. within 3 months of applying can raise a red flag ?

Regards

 

[Suin]

@ suin

yes,my settlement counsellor told me that CIC ask you questions/interview before test to ask about residence ,work ,children education,how many times you leave canada etc to recheck the details you submit in the application so if you say any thing else what you have already written in the application then you will get in trouble otherwise its just simple.

thank you very much for your reply. strange that they want to recheck all the information - I am sure that they will know all about it before the interview themselves.

 

[Suin]

Interview is before the test, and the office that will process is close to where you are living.

It is very true that the Mississauga is very efficient ,if you pass the test you get to know the results same day and get the oath letter same day as well if pass.Hope this help.............

is it possible to choose the processing office? or at least to find out which one is the closest to me?

 

[Suin]

I would recommend you submit: a coloured copy of your passport(s) (all pages)+ translation of non english stamps+ your T4s + your tax returns+ a mapping of the stamps on passport(s) to the declared absences so it is easy to review. Good luck. If you have time also add CBSA report and health records.

have you renewed your passport since you landed?

wow, that is lots of paperwork! have you submitted all of these with your application? I thought they can get access to all information after they get consent - according to new application forms.

 

[newcomer]

wow, that is lots of paperwork! have you submitted all of these with your application? I thought they can get access to all information after they get consent - according to new application forms.

I agree with you Suin,in the sense that its lot of paper.Nevertheless,I believe except CBSA and health records all other docs. are usually readily available.And if one can avoid the lethal lash of RQ by submitting these couple of docs. it would be pretty wise to do so.
In addition, due to the introduction of CBSA intent clause in the new citizenship application form ,in future there will be no need to present CBSA records by the applicant.If I remember clearly ,sometimes back I read a tweet of Minister Kenny that, by 2014 ,the whole system of international exit and entry will be computerized (every entry/exit will be recorded electronically as is done by the US) .So,if this type of system comes in place,RQ will be gradually eliminated as due to electronic record of every exit/entry .

All in all,odds are that eventually this system will be streamlined and become efficient.

 

[Suin]

I agree with you Suin,in the sense that its lot of paper.Nevertheless,I believe except CBSA and health records all other docs. are usually readily available.And if one can avoid the lethal lash of RQ by submitting these couple of docs. it would be pretty wise to do so.
In addition, due to the introduction of CBSA intent clause in the new citizenship application form ,in future there will be no need to present CBSA records by the applicant.If I remember clearly ,sometimes back I read a tweet of Minister Kenny that, by 2014 ,the whole system of international exit and entry will be computerized (every entry/exit will be recorded electronically as is done by the US) .So,if this type of system comes in place,RQ will be gradually eliminated as due to electronic record of every exit/entry .

All in all,odds are that eventually this system will be streamlined and become efficient.

yes, I totally agree with you. Before submitting my application I was strongly considering to add my CBSA and health records as well as my kids, but when I read the new form prior filling it in, I understood that they can easily access to all of this data any time during the process. I travelled just twice outside of Canada for all my residence period. And those trips were just 2 weeks long.

 

[Suin]

is there any way to find out which local office my application can be sent to?
thanks

 

[Halloum]

Thank you so much Halloum for all that useful info.

Well I have not applied yet ,I can apply only by 2014.However,I believe sending some additional docs. as suggested by you might prove beneficial.In addition,I am little concerned about the renewal of my PP as its expiring in early 2014.

Do you think getting it renewed by the end of current year will be a good idea as I have read that renewing any identity doc. within 3 months of applying can raise a red flag ?

Regards

If you can apply before renewing your passport then do that. On my last call with CIC, the lady said, to my surprise, that almost every body is receiving a RQ except those who never renewed their passports/travel documents. I understand it is a lot of paper work but you need to put your self on the officer shoes. If you have non english/non french stamps on front of you how would you know? so translation is most important. If you claim you have only exited twice then this better agree to the stamps on your passport and the entires to Canada appear on CBSA report. Remember all the bureaucracy when a governement department talk to another ( it will take them some time to get it) . So i suggest that you send it and make sure you map it to your absesnces and tie it back to the stamps on your passport ( especially for those who have lots of stamps like me). After i submitted my RQ, it took me almost a whole weekend to tie and map every thing (imagine how long it takes somebody else to do that) and i found 4 errors with my days (so make sure you have enough extra days). It does not cost you alot to get these records. So get them for your benefit, even if you do not end up submiting them. I know people who order there health records regularly just to make sure thier doctors are not charging OHIP for procedures they have not received.. (although this maybe the least of your worries .. ). I must say also that sending these with the application may not save you from receiving RQ or put you on fast track but at least you will have every thing ready and you can send a copy the next morning instead after 45 days and then thinking about requiing an extension because you have not received things on time. Do you have a US visa?

 

[siki]

is there any way to find out which local office my application can be sent to?
thanks

Where about r u ?

 

[Suin]

Where about r u ?

Oshawa/Whitby, Ontario, area

 

[thunderlight]

If you can apply before renewing your passport then do that. On my last call with CIC, the lady said, to my surprise, that almost every body is receiving a RQ except those who never renewed their passports/travel documents. I understand it is a lot of paper work but you need to put your self on the officer shoes. If you have non english/non french stamps on front of you how would you know? so translation is most important. If you claim you have only exited twice then this better agree to the stamps on your passport and the entires to Canada appear on CBSA report. Remember all the bureaucracy when a governement department talk to another ( it will take them some time to get it) . So i suggest that you send it and make sure you map it to your absesnces and tie it back to the stamps on your passport ( especially for those who have lots of stamps like me). After i submitted my RQ, it took me almost a whole weekend to tie and map every thing (imagine how long it takes somebody else to do that) and i found 4 errors with my days (so make sure you have enough extra days). It does not cost you alot to get these records. So get them for your benefit, even if you do not end up submiting them. I know people who order there health records regularly just to make sure thier doctors are not charging OHIP for procedures they have not received.. (although this maybe the least of your worries .. ). I must say also that sending these with the application may not save you from receiving RQ or put you on fast track but at least you will have every thing ready and you can send a second copy the next morning instead after 45 days and then thinking about requiing an extension because you have not received things on time. Do you have a US visa?

it is impossible that almost everyone receives a RQ, imagine how long will everything last! and they know the cbsa records and tax records etc, they know everything, so dont fall into that lie that everyone receives RQ, aprox 10% of the cases to 20%, like i said immigration officers can see in their computers police records, tax records, cbsa entries, credit card history, bank history EVERYTHING

 

[newcomer]

Hi Halloum,

Thanks once again for your detailed reply.

Yeah for sure I will try to submit most of the above mentioned docs. (except CBSA and health records)and may be some additional ones such as for my post secondary education in Canada,volunteer work letters etc..I immigrated with my family from Middle East so we do have many stamps in Arabic,which obviously need to be translated before submitting the copies.However ,I have strong belief that within an year or so ,this system will gradually start becoming efficient.As ,now there is so much chaos in the processing ,that it cannot continue like this for longer duration.It has to improve eventually.Few steps towards this goal are already on their way i.e. CBSA intent clause,introduction of exit/entry recording for everyone at POEs by 2014 or so,increase in application fee etc.Honestly,I would not be surprised if one day we wake up with the news that CIC is going to follow two different processing systems for old and new applications,the later one obviously will be processed fast.They have already done that with the PR process.That might also encourage the older applicants to withdraw their applications and apply with the new fee.Again another way to clear the backlog to some extent.

Regarding renewing the PP ,its pretty confusing as I have my parents living alone in my home country and I cannot afford to postpone the renewal of my passport .One can never know when you have to travel outside Canada.However,I might try to renew it ASAP ,so that it should be renewed atleast 10-11 months before my application is filed.Besides that,after landing in 2011 ,I never went outside Canada .Infact,I purposely refrained myself from getting a US visa just to avoid any problem with my citizenship application.

If you can apply before renewing your passport then do that. On my last call with CIC, the lady said, to my surprise, that almost every body is receiving a RQ except those who never renewed their passports/travel documents. I understand it is a lot of paper work but you need to put your self on the officer shoes. If you have non english/non french stamps on front of you how would you know? so translation is most important. If you claim you have only exited twice then this better agree to the stamps on your passport and the entires to Canada appear on CBSA report. Remember all the bureaucracy when a governement department talk to another ( it will take them some time to get it) . So i suggest that you send it and make sure you map it to your absesnces and tie it back to the stamps on your passport ( especially for those who have lots of stamps like me). After i submitted my RQ, it took me almost a whole weekend to tie and map every thing (imagine how long it takes somebody else to do that) and i found 4 errors with my days (so make sure you have enough extra days). It does not cost you alot to get these records. So get them for your benefit, even if you do not end up submiting them. I know people who order there health records regularly just to make sure thier doctors are not charging OHIP for procedures they have not received.. (although this maybe the least of your worries .. ). I must say also that sending these with the application may not save you from receiving RQ or put you on fast track but at least you will have every thing ready and you can send a second copy the next morning instead after 45 days and then thinking about requiing an extension because you have not received things on time. Do you have a US visa?

 

[siki]

Oshawa/Whitby, Ontario, area

lol I am in oshawa as well .Your local office is going to be Scarborough as they don't have any office in Oshawa anymore.

 

[Suin]

lol I am in oshawa as well .Your local office is going to be Scarborough as they don't have any office in Oshawa anymore.

we could be neighbours too!

do you know, if Scarborough is fast or slow in processing times?

 

[siki]

we could be neighbours too!

do you know, if Scarborough is fast or slow in processing times?

I don't know coz I got the RQ. Looking at the other people timelines here it looks reasonable.