Citizenship grant applied July 23, 2010. - should I be worried??

[Inaki]

We received your application for Canadian citizenship (grant of citizenship) on July 23, 2010.

We sent you a letter acknowledging receipt of your application(s), and a study book called A Look at Canada on July 23, 2010. Please consider delays in mail delivery before contacting us.

We started processing your application on March 3, 2011.

Your file was transferred to the Mississauga CIC office on March 22, 2011. The Mississauga CIC office will contact you if additional information is required. The Mississauga CIC office will contact you regarding your citizenship test once all the necessary checks on your file are complete.

 

[Inaki]

I meant to ask if anyone can advise if this time frame is considered excessive or if there are others in the same case as me.

I called CIC and they just told me I have to be patient. That there doesnt seem to be anything wrong in the file. I have no idea why this is taking so long.

Please advise.

 

[melo]

i am having your timeline , i applied in march 2010 and i just had my test on january . so nothing to worry about. i suggest you to send a fax to your local cic office

 

[northyork_beaver]

Inaki... You don't have to worry... You will recieve a letter probably on May or June. Mine I waited for 12 months when I got a letter for citizenship test, then 3 weeks after the test another letter was recieved and telling me about my schedule to appear for oath of citizenship tadditional 15 days. Timeframe 13 to 16 months.

 

[Inaki]

Thanks for the replies. N-Beaver please note that I applied in 2010 not in 2011.

Mole, can you please enlighten me on what should I say in the fax? I will google the fax number for Mississauga office. which by the way i live in Etobicoke, seems we dont have any CIC office here.

 

[Inaki]

I am still waiting to my citizenship grant. I requested the notes, went an see my MP.. But nothing has helped as at now. No RQ, no request of info, nothing, but waiting for the background checks. Now to complicate things further my PR expired and I applied for renewal on April, 2013 and last time I called the call center they said my file has been transferred to a "special" department. Wow I am out of luck. I have not been out of Canada since 4 years ago. What is this about now? Does anyone has a recommendation of what else can I do to take this case further?

 

[eileenf]

Does anyone has a recommendation of what else can I do to take this case further?

1. Start laying the groundwork to file for a writ of mandamus http://residencequestionnaire.wordpress.com/mandamus/
a. Go back to your MP and have them write another letter demanding/requesting resolution of your case.
b. Fax your local CIC office (where your application is) demanding resolution of your case. Suggest that if resolution is not provided, you will file for the intervention of the federal court through a writ of mandamus due to the unreasonable delay. Repeat this monthly.

2. Write a letter to the editor of your newspaper describing the unreasonable delay and the challenges it has posed for you (lack of vote, possible job issues, travel challenges) despite your community involvement, long time residence in Canada and your status as a tax payer.

3. Join the Association of Future Canadianshttp://residencequestionnaire.wordpress.com/association-of-future-canadians/ to work with others against the unreasonable delays that effect hundreds of thousands.

4. Consider talking to the press. Rumor has it that Nick Keung (nkeung@thestar.ca) may be looking for other interview subjects about the citizenship delay.

5. Hire a lawyer and file for a writ of mandamus.

 

[Msafiri]

I am still waiting to my citizenship. I requested the notes, went an see my MP.. But nothing has helped as at now. No RQ, no request of info, nothing, but waiting for the background check. Now to complicate things my PR expired and I applied for renewal on April, 2013 and last time I called the call center they said my file has been transfer to a "special" department. Wow I am out of luck. I have not been out of Canada since 4 years ago. What is this about now? Does anyone has a recommendation of what else can I do to take this case further?

With respect to eileenf I suggest you first get your GCMS notes to see what the issue is as this will direct your efforts towards a successful Mandamus application. However start shopping around for prices on this...maybe contact the owner of this forum. How did you get your PR? FSW, Sponsorship etc?

 

[Inaki]

Thanks eileenf and Msafiri for your advice. I can definitely request the notes (again) but honestly speaking I can't tell much from it. The only thing that appears clear is that the background checks have not been finalized. A couple of months ago, I asked the call center agent for more details about the Background checks and they told one of them was expired and needed to be redone and the other one was never received - though started in 2011.

The MP office mentioned they are doing a follow-up with CIC in October. I will start by finding out the fax number of Mississauga Office and send them a letter requesting an admin review of the case and explain the reason of the delay. eileenf gave me a good idea on what to write on it.

I got my PR after been granted Refugee Status.

 

[Msafiri]

CIC carry out multiple checks for citizenship applicants. These checks are not always completed at the same time especially the checks by CSIS (intelligence). As such applicants end up in a loop where one or two checks are valid but one hasn't come through. By the time the last check clears then the initial 2 have expired and the process re-starts. This is what appears to be the case here.

I asked about PR as it appears refugee related cases have more of a problem with CSIS checks - my understanding is that the refugee process may sometimes skip checks other streams get during PR process because they depend on the basis of the claim with a significant factor being credibility. Often details will emerge post PR issuance that contradict the version of events provided by the claimant to the IRB. Go the Mandamus route - the judge will likely compel whichever organization is holding the process up to give CIC an answer so they can in turn tell you yes or no.

 

[eileenf]

Go the Mandamus route - the judge will likely compel whichever organization is holding the process up to give CIC an answer so they can in turn tell you yes or no.

Thanks to Msafiri for the insight into the security checks for refugees.

Regarding pursuing a writ of Mandamus, your chances of encouraging the CIC to resolve the case before any court proceedings, or prevailing in any possible court proceedings would be greatly improved if you lay the groundwork by making official demands to the CIC for resolution of your case. Asking your MP to do the same will help. If you hire a lawyer, they can do this as well.

You need to document that you have communicated your desire for the process to be resolved. You need to document that you consider the wait to be unreasonable. You need to document that you do not accept the CIC's inaction, nor the inaction (or slow action) of the agencies doing background checks for the CIC's process. You need to establish that you are accessible and in communication, available to provide further information or documentation, while the CIC is inactive and not performing their duty.

Read up on mandamus cases and others' experiences to get a sense of how these cases go: http://residencequestionnaire.wordpress.com/mandamus/

 

[Inaki]

Thanks again eileenf and Msafir. I feel very powerless with this frustrating situation. Sometimes I try not to think of it and give it a rest (as I don't have control about it) but some other days I cant help hammering my head wondering what the problem could be and if there is any how come I have not been contacted for clarification?. Today I was requested to go on a business trip outside Canada and I had to excuse myself due to "Immigration issues". Now I don't even have a PR card not to mention that without a PR I cannot get a travel document.

I wonder if I am an isolated case or there are other people in the same situation.

 

[Msafiri]

The opacity of the process beyond a generic quoted timeline for routine and non routine cases coupled with the elimination of any useful info on ecas makes the process frustrating for many. If you go the Mandamus route a good lawyer will apply for CIC to pay your legal costs which in effect is tax payer (read your) money! Its a good idea to have valid PR Card for personal or business travel reasons. Lack of a Canadian Passport or a delay to this via delayed citizenship processing isn't necessarily a strong argument since not having one doesn't mean you can't travel. Passport Canada issues a travel document for convention refugees.

As per eileenf make sure there is nothing CIC can flip back to you as a cause for delay so make sure they have your valid address on file, that you always responded back to any requests in a timely manner and that your paperwork is in order. Try not to rely solely on contacting the Call Center better to have things in writing.

Depending on the nature of your refugee claim e.g. state vs non state persecution, route to Canada, your home country, which ground/s considered, if you were a government official etc its possible to ascertain the possible duration of the checks but this is personal...talk to a lawyer. I'd expect Mandamus to set you back 5K+ for a good lawyer.

 

[Inaki]

Lucky me. At least I seem to have a renewed PR now. ;D

We received your application for a permanent resident card on April 22, 2013.
We started processing your application on June 3, 2013.
Your request for a permanent resident card was approved on December 13, 2013. Your Permanent resident card will be mailed to you or if quality assurance is required, made available for you to pick up at a CIC office.

 

[Inaki]

A month has passed by after the decision was made and I have not received the Card as as yet. I can't understand how CIC works.