Citizenship test: Collective action required, or expect endless delays, years. Example of the effective lobbyng of people awaiting spousal sponsorship

[Flandernss]

What can possibly be happening, for real?

Oaths were the first thing they resumed after the pandemic, already in the summer of 2020. Tests were resumed much later.

When i started having the impression that they were more regular on both Oath and tests.... all of the sudden, it gets stuck (Montreal appears to be on halt virtually altogether for Oaths).

 

[cobie2]

What can possibly be happening, for real?

Oaths were the first thing they resumed after the pandemic, already in the summer of 2020. Tests were resumed much later.

When i started having the impression that they were more regular on both Oath and tests.... all of the sudden, it gets stuck (Montreal appears to be on halt virtually altogether for Oaths).

I'm wondering what sort of collective action we can take in the case of the Montreal office. In my 5+ years in Quebec I've found inefficiency and ineffectiveness to be par for the course for the public service sector here - general lack of resources and capacity, lazy and parasitical civil servants for the most part (maybe being the most unionized province has something to do with it, it's practically impossible for a civil servant to be fired). While citizenship falls under federal jurisdiction the federal employees staffing IRCC Montreal are still from Quebec so in all likelihood the same mentality prevails.

 

[CaBeaver]

I'm wondering what sort of collective action we can take in the case of the Montreal office. In my 5+ years in Quebec I've found inefficiency and ineffectiveness to be par for the course for the public service sector here - general lack of resources and capacity, lazy and parasitical civil servants for the most part (maybe being the most unionized province has something to do with it, it's practically impossible for a civil servant to be fired). While citizenship falls under federal jurisdiction the federal employees staffing IRCC Montreal are still from Quebec so in all likelihood the same mentality prevails.

QC takes a fixed number of immigrants, I think it's around 50,000 immigrants a year. But I am not sure if it's the same as the number of citizens. Also Montreal is the only office in QC. The backlog must be huge in the Montreal office. Unless they start offloading these backlogs to new staff members and branches, and start thinking outside the box in terms of the oath, this backlog will take years to clear. The oath in particular is a very easy administrative work, and shouldn't take this long, but for some reason even the oath is stuck, which makes me think of the first point as a reason

 

[cobie2]

QC takes a fixed number of immigrants, I think it's around 50,000 immigrants a year. But I am not sure if it's the same as the number of citizens. Also Montreal is the only office in QC. The backlog must be huge in the Montreal office. Unless they start offloading these backlogs to new staff members and branches, and start thinking outside the box in terms of the oath, this backlog will take years to clear. The oath in particular is a very easy administrative work, and shouldn't take this long, but for some reason even the oath is stuck, which makes me think of the first point as a reason

Question is how do we get their attention? Apparently even local MPs can't seem to get through to them, the same generic answer is being given to everyone - that covid delays are out of their control. Media isn't as powerful anymore so I doubt media articles will achieve anything. I'm taking the liberty of posting the experience of someone from the Facebook "Montreal Citizenship applications" group who called their MP's office:

 

[Flandernss]

"Test & interview key roadblocks to replenishing test-ready inventory"

So I am guessing they are accumulating these tests done since dec 2020 to focus on Oaths ("a labour intensive activity") like they did last fall.

Anyway, these are from the blow. I found the answer to most of my questions on the IRCC ATIP document:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uLTJFxlUwXj3YHpXrcvMITBf9YbLbF6s/view

 

[Flandernss]

@rajkamalmohanram

I am looking forward to the next upcoming ATIP document you will bring us soon so I understand what is going on with Oaths at this point.

It seems they are undergoing a similar situation to Oaths now as they were with tests in late 2020.

 

[rajkamalmohanram]

@rajkamalmohanram

I am looking forward to the next upcoming ATIP document you will bring us soon so I understand what is going on with Oaths at this point.

It seems they are undergoing a similar situation to Oaths now as they were with tests in late 2020.

Yup but please note that IRCC might ask for two 30-day extensions beyond the original schedule of 30 days. So, in total, it might take 90 days or more before I get those notes. I hope I get it sooner to make sense of what is going on right now.

 

[americanincanada]

Where did you get this stats?

They are updated weekly here: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/check-status.html
The graph I shared is for Adults (18 years or older) who have applied for a grant of citizenship and have received an AOR.

 

[rajkamalmohanram]

I have requested the following information from their corporate records via the Access to Information Act :


Please provide any and all records including but not limited to memos, briefing notes, internal notes, reports, discussions, emails, policies pertaining to ALL of the following for timeline between Jan 01, 2021 till the date this request is processed :

1. The total number of applicants invited for the online testing for the timeline mentioned above.
2. The total number of applicants invited for the virtual / in-person oath ceremonies for the timeline mentioned above.
3. The total number of applications in backlog categorized as follows : Applicants awaiting Background checks to be complete, Applicants awaiting a test invite and Applicants awaiting oath invitation for the timeline mentioned above.
4. The total number of "Decision Made" status issued for applicants for the timeline mentioned above.
5. Plans and measures being pursued to minimize backlog for applicants waiting for the online citizenship test AND virtual oath ceremony.
6. Increasing the number of online oath ceremonies and/or increasing the number of participants per ceremony (including holding in-person and online testing in parallel to maximize efficiency)

Today, I received this email from the ATIP clerk working this request :

Dear Rajkamal Mohanram:

This is to acknowledge receipt of your request submitted pursuant to Access To Information Act*, which was received on August 25, 2021, for the following records:

Please provide any and all records including but not limited to memos, briefing notes, internal notes, reports, discussions, emails, policies pertaining to ALL of the following for timeline between Jan 01, 2021 till the date this request is processed, August 25, 2021 : 1. The total number of applicants invited for the online testing for the timeline mentioned above. 2. The total number of applicants invited for the virtual / in-person oath ceremonies for the timeline mentioned above. 3. The total number of applications in backlog categorized as follows : Applicants awaiting Background checks to be complete, Applicants awaiting a test invite and Applicants awaiting oath invitation for the timeline mentioned above. 4. The total number of "Decision Made" status issued for applicants for the timeline mentioned above. 5. Plans and measures being pursued to minimize backlog for applicants waiting for the online citizenship test AND virtual oath ceremony. 6. Increasing the number of online oath ceremonies and/or increasing the number of participants per ceremony (including holding in-person and online testing in parallel to maximize efficiency.

In order to process your request, we require clarification on the following points:
1. Would you be open to narrow down the request to either Final or Most recent versions of the documents? Also emails to DG level and above?
2.
3.

Please note that we will put your request on hold until we receive the requested information from you. If we have not received your reply by September 29, 2021, we will consider the request abandoned and close our file accordingly.



Should you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

I responded in the following manner :

Dear XXX,

I would like to narrow down the emails to DG level and above; however, for everything else, I'd like to see all the documents created or modified starting Jan 01, 2021 and not just the latest versions.

Thanks,

Raj

 

[duckduckgoose]

I have an updated ATIP document regarding citizenship online applications and IRCC production and throughput and all streams.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SQPJW0MKT3-HkynGtOsnPynhicLjpYTu/view?usp=sharing

Specifically it details all the backlog and processing around DM to oath and the typical processing timeline (around 23 months around Canada). Information is current as of early August 2021

Request

" Statistics comparing Citizenship paper applications for 2018, 2019, 2020 and online applications (launched in November 2020). Please provide documentation which highlights IRCC's prioritization, processing speed based on the application year (and type for online application) and policy direction regarding addressing backlogs for older applicants.

*For processing speed, this refers to the timeline for the point of view of the applicant from submission of the application till when they were granted citizenship (typically through the oath ceremony).

*For policies, the most recent finalized policy is good along with any on-going drafts or amendments to the current policies which have yet to be finalized.

*To be more specific, assume older applications refers to citizenship applications which are still in progress (no oath ceremony has been performed) and which have a date of submission to IRCC more than 12 months prior to the receipt of this information request (July 5th). So any applications which were submitted to IRCC before July 5th 2020. "

 

[novascotia27]

I have an updated ATIP document regarding citizenship online applications and IRCC production and throughput and all streams.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SQPJW0MKT3-HkynGtOsnPynhicLjpYTu/view?usp=sharing

Specifically it details all the backlog and processing around DM to oath and the typical processing timeline (around 23 months around Canada). Information is current as of early August 2021

Request

This is so bad!!! 21 months of processing time ! That’s insane.. I wonder what’s the difference between streamlined and routine applications .. anybody ?

 

[CaBeaver]

This is so bad!!! 21 months of processing time ! That’s insane.. I wonder what’s the difference between streamlined and routine applications .. anybody ?

If it's 21 months that's good actually. My application has already exceeded 21 months, and it seems I have to wait until Q1 2022 for the oath, i.e., ~ 28 months in total. That's absolutely insane

 

[umanitoba]

I have an updated ATIP document regarding citizenship online applications and IRCC production and throughput and all streams.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SQPJW0MKT3-HkynGtOsnPynhicLjpYTu/view?usp=sharing

Specifically it details all the backlog and processing around DM to oath and the typical processing timeline (around 23 months around Canada). Information is current as of early August 2021

Request

Wow! Thanks for sharing. This is a disaster, processing time only to dm is between 21-24 months for different offices. Based on the document they are saying the backlog is only growing and soon will reach to 470 k!!!!! Look at the number of people waiting for years!! Why they are accepting new applications then??
We need to share this info with media immediately or we will wait for years.

 

[Grand Jumper]

Should we ask to resume the ceremony in person, outside un a park with for exemple two hundred people, at least for those who have the two doses of the vaccine?

 

[Flandernss]

This is so bad!!! 21 months of processing time ! That’s insane.. I wonder what’s the difference between streamlined and routine applications .. anybody ?

Arent "streamlined" the e-applications?

Unfortunately the document does not explain why next to no Oaths happened for the period April-June.