Citizenship Test Scheduled Feb2021 - Now CIC saying they never did Security Clearance

[InfoSeeker12]

Hi everyone. I'm seeking help from experts for a complicated case for my friend.

In 2021 February - he sat for online Citizenship test. Failed the test. Did not hear back anything about re-test for few weeks.
I kept reminding him that they usually schedule after 3 months. But eventually he got an email saying that because of Covid all activity is being suspended.

In the meantime, his PRC expired. Which he applied and around Feb 2022, received the new PRC card.

Fast forward to May 2022. My friend is already hopeless about getting citizenship. So I pushed him to write email to the local MP - as i heard that perhaps they can atleast get some answer.

Yes - they got the answer. The MP says that CIC told them - that for some unforeseen reason (perhaps Covid, or someone was lazy), they never did the Security Clearance - and now all the validity of the documents have expired. My friend used to live in Middle East - Saudi Arabia. Anyone who has done immigration from there knows how damn difficult it is to get security clearance, while you are there. Once you left the country, there is no way they will give you anything.

So now - CiC wants security clearance again.

My thought process - hire a lawyer and ask CIC to finalize the case. The person has been in Canada since 2012. No parking ticket even. Why they are hell bent on on destroying lives and making it full of agony. Sorry - im so frustrated about his situation and then going through my dad's Passport renewal process - long lineups in GTA.

Regardless - any expert opinion. anyone who may have gone through similar experience? How did you solve the issue? Is there way round to getting security from abroad - because that is next to impossible. He left the country back in 2012, he doesnt have anyone there now. Plus going to Ottawa and getting security clearance from Saudi Embassy - not sure how smooth is that process.

 

[hassan09]

Hi everyone. I'm seeking help from experts for a complicated case for my friend.

In 2021 February - he sat for online Citizenship test. Failed the test. Did not hear back anything about re-test for few weeks.
I kept reminding him that they usually schedule after 3 months. But eventually he got an email saying that because of Covid all activity is being suspended.

In the meantime, his PRC expired. Which he applied and around Feb 2022, received the new PRC card.

Fast forward to May 2022. My friend is already hopeless about getting citizenship. So I pushed him to write email to the local MP - as i heard that perhaps they can atleast get some answer.

Yes - they got the answer. The MP says that CIC told them - that for some unforeseen reason (perhaps Covid, or someone was lazy), they never did the Security Clearance - and now all the validity of the documents have expired. My friend used to live in Middle East - Saudi Arabia. Anyone who has done immigration from there knows how damn difficult it is to get security clearance, while you are there. Once you left the country, there is no way they will give you anything.

So now - CiC wants security clearance again.

My thought process - hire a lawyer and ask CIC to finalize the case. The person has been in Canada since 2012. No parking ticket even. Why they are hell bent on on destroying lives and making it full of agony. Sorry - im so frustrated about his situation and then going through my dad's Passport renewal process - long lineups in GTA.

Regardless - any expert opinion. anyone who may have gone through similar experience? How did you solve the issue? Is there way round to getting security from abroad - because that is next to impossible. He left the country back in 2012, he doesnt have anyone there now. Plus going to Ottawa and getting security clearance from Saudi Embassy - not sure how smooth is that process.

Hi,

Getting police clearance certificate from Saudi Arabia when no valid residency permit exists is almost an impossible thing to do! IRCC usually understands that and if he wrote an explanation that would be suffice- Even if he did provide one in his first citizenship application (assuming he had a valid residency at that time)

So your friend now has renewed his PR- One thing which is not clear to me which documents are expired( citizenship?) also who sent him the email saying that due to covid all activities are being suspended? and what activities? (IRCC ?)

I don't see reason why his application would be suspended!

 

[armoured]

So now - CiC wants security clearance again.

Could you please specify - what exactly has IRCC requested from you? (in writing, not in some oral communication from the MP's office or otherwise).

 

[InfoSeeker12]

Firstly - thank you for responding back.

My basic question - if and if I can ever ask to a CIC officer is - do you allow anyone to take Citizenship test, without passing Security Clearance. Or do you renew their PRC, without Security Clearance.....or this is all just a fake answer to applicant - just to tell them for unknown reasons, your application is delayed. But i wish they have courtesy to tell how long its delayed. i feel so bad, that the person keep seeing great jobs in US - but can't apply cuz he wont come under the NAFTA rule.

Anyways - back to your questions..

so the email response from the MP was - CIC told them that the validity of the Security Clearance has expired. Now that is such a fr...g confusing statement, cuz what do CIC actually mean. The actual security clearance papers from Saudi was given somewhere back in 2014or 13, when he filed for PRC. As far as i recall from my own citizenship application, if you have been inside canada for so long with PRC, you dont have to get security clearance from previous countries all over again. If he got PRC in 2016, must have got security clearance then.

Now they are saying they forgot to work on it. That's literally what MP told my friend over phone - and the clearance has expired. I honestly i have no clue why ...and my biggest question is - God forbid there was issue with security clearance - do they allow you to take citizenship test without clearance?

 

[hassan09]

Firstly - thank you for responding back.

My basic question - if and if I can ever ask to a CIC officer is - do you allow anyone to take Citizenship test, without passing Security Clearance. Or do you renew their PRC, without Security Clearance.....or this is all just a fake answer to applicant - just to tell them for unknown reasons, your application is delayed. But i wish they have courtesy to tell how long its delayed. i feel so bad, that the person keep seeing great jobs in US - but can't apply cuz he wont come under the NAFTA rule.

Anyways - back to your questions..

so the email response from the MP was - CIC told them that the validity of the Security Clearance has expired. Now that is such a fr...g confusing statement, cuz what do CIC actually mean. The actual security clearance papers from Saudi was given somewhere back in 2014or 13, when he filed for PRC. As far as i recall from my own citizenship application, if you have been inside canada for so long with PRC, you dont have to get security clearance from previous countries all over again. If he got PRC in 2016, must have got security clearance then.

Now they are saying they forgot to work on it. That's literally what MP told my friend over phone - and the clearance has expired. I honestly i have no clue why ...and my biggest question is - God forbid there was issue with security clearance - do they allow you to take citizenship test without clearance?

Quick answer to your question, security clearance takes separate track then citizenship test, so yes they could send him to appear for test while clearance is not yet done ! ( Same like my case). Oh and by the way, security clearance is not carried by IRCC, they are more of a facilitator, actual clearance are done by various agencies (RCMP, CBSA,..)

 

[InfoSeeker12]

Could you please specify - what exactly has IRCC requested from you? (in writing, not in some oral communication from the MP's office or otherwise).

Thanks for your question. I just called my friend and asked to repeat exactly what the MP said over phone. He is saying - Criminality Check has expired. Ok...so that could mean international ---wherever he lived in the past life, OR it could be within Canada, cuz he's been here since 2012 and haven't been to anywhere since then, not even US....so i guess its Canadian Criminality Check...which is not that big of a deal.

But since it was not clear - my friends has again email the MP - to clairfy if the next step required from his is to complete Criminality Check with RCMP and send the details to CIC.

 

[armoured]

Thanks for your question. I just called my friend and asked to repeat exactly what the MP said over phone. He is saying - Criminality Check has expired. Ok...so that could mean international ---wherever he lived in the past life, OR it could be within Canada, cuz he's been here since 2012 and haven't been to anywhere since then, not even US....so i guess its Canadian Criminality Check...which is not that big of a deal.

But since it was not clear - my friends has again email the MP - to clairfy if the next step required from his is to complete Criminality Check with RCMP and send the details to CIC.

Okay - my point is, your friend has - so far - not been asked to do anything yet.

There's no point in getting wound up about whether or not he might be asked to get a PCC from Saudi again, because he hasn't been asked to do it. Okay, yet.

My guess is that this just means IRCC/CSIS let the request get stale, partly because of covid stuff, and when they renew, they'll just use the existing file. Yes, only a guess.

Best to find out what's required of him and keep prssure on, but pointless to worry about saudi PCC at this point.