Edmonton September 2012 - April 2013 Citizenship Applications

[outlawtorn]

Hi everyone,

To get a sense of what to expect, I started this topic to gather some information about people applied from September 2012 to April 2013 in Edmonton. Please let everyone know your timeline if you have applied in this period.

Here is mine:
Applied: Feb 2013
In Process: April 2013
Transferred to Edmonton local office: Nov 2013
Arrived at Edmonton local office: Dec 2013
Test Date: ?

Good luck to all of you!

 

[loonytoon44]

1.We received your application for Canadian citizenship (grant of citizenship) on September 12, 2012.

2.We sent you a letter acknowledging receipt of your application(s), and a study book called Discover Canada on September 12, 2012. Please consider delays in mail delivery before contacting us.

3.We started processing your application on March 15, 2013.

A letter was sent to me on August 15th, 2014 to take my citizenship test and verify my identity on September 5th, 2014....only issue is that I am travelling for work so I have sent them proof I have tickets paid for etc. and asked to rebook my test.

Nick

 

[outlawtorn]

Hi Nick (loonytoon44),

Do you know when your application has transferred to Edmonton?

It seems that they are sending test invitations around 24 months after receiving the application for most Edmontonians!

Hopefully, they will rebook you soon after you came back. Good luck.

 

[loonytoon44]

I am nervous as they could administratively close my application. I am hoping they see that I am making an effort to rebook as opposed to just not showing up.

 

[jcpyeg]

The Edmonton office is just plain sad.

 

[loonytoon44]

Hi Nick (loonytoon44),

Do you know when your application has transferred to Edmonton?

It seems that they are sending test invitations around 24 months after receiving the application for most Edmontonians!

Hopefully, they will rebook you soon after you came back. Good luck.

Hello. They sent my application to Edmonton in October 2013

 

[bambino]

I applied August 14 2012, in process March 15, 2013, transferred to Edmonton mid September, 2013.

Routine application, no test date yet. Call centre agent sent an inquiry to the local office on the 24 month anniversary of my applying. Judging from Nick's timeline, there is no rhyme or reason to whatever happens at the local office.

Can't wait to give them a piece of my mind, once and if I have my citizenship certificate in hand, of course.

 

[outlawtorn]

Any news bambino and loonytoon44?
Lack of activity in threads related to Edmonton office is worrying. I don't know it is because nothing is happening or it is because everyone is happy. Haha. ;D

 

[kisunja]

Just giving the thread a bump and checking in...
Applied: Mid-January 2013
In Process: End of March 2013
File transferred to Edmonton: end of December 2013
Silence...

 

[Alabaman]

applied october 2012
processing started march 2013
pre-test RQ september 2013
submitted RQ october 2013


still waiting

 

[bambino]

Any news bambino and loonytoon44?
Lack of activity in threads related to Edmonton office is worrying. I don't know it is because nothing is happening or it is because everyone is happy. Haha. ;D

My test is tomorrow. In mid-August, which marked 24 months since I had applied, the CIC call centre sent an inquiry to the local office. I think that caused them to act. Within a week, my expired security/background checks got renewed, and soon thereafter my test was scheduled.

 

[outlawtorn]

Great news bambino. Good luck with your test! Let us know how it went.

It looks like around 24 months after applying is the norm these days. That's sad when you see your friends get their test invitations in a year in other cities.
I don't know what is wrong with Edmonton office, even Calgary is considerably faster.

 

[Alabaman]

what can we do about it?

 

[bambino]

Thanks, outlawtorn.

In my case it is just three days shy of 25 months, and that's with the extra "reminder" that was sent to the local office. I hope that's not a bad sign for those who applied after I did.

As to what can be done - probably nothing. Edmonton had been without a citizenship judge for a long time, and that surely caused delays. I suspect, however, that it is the inadequate level of staffing at the local office that is the real culprit, a result of the influx of immigrants to the area over the past several years and the federal budget cuts/hiring freezes over the same period.

I will try to bring up the subject at my interview (in a friendly, non-accusatory fashion of course, LOL) in order to get a sense as to what the hell the friggin' problem is.

 

[outlawtorn]

I received the notice to take the citizenship test in mid October. I have friends who applied in Jan. 2013 and Mar. 2013 and are invited to take the test in Oct, too. So, it looks like the things are going faster than before.

Here is my timeline:
Applied: Feb 2013
In Process: April 2013
Transferred to Edmonton local office: Nov 2013
Arrived at Edmonton local office: Dec 2013
Test Date: Oct 2014