Hello
I have a family with a child but I was planning to apply as a single applicant by paper. My wife and child will be applying separately. However, it came to my attention that if someone is eligible to apply online, then he/she can’t apply by paper. Please look at the attached link. The web page was last updated March 2022
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-citizenship/become-canadian-citizen.html
I agree with the observations by
@forw.jane
It is highly likely, close to certain, that as long as you are qualified for the grant of citizenship, there should be no problem applying by paper EVEN THOUGH you are eligible to apply online AND the IRCC website instructions says "
Apply on paper only if you’re not eligible to apply online."
This is contrary to something I often say (and it is in my signature as well) about following instructions: "
If in doubt, follow the instructions; otherwise, yep, follow the instructions." Moreover, I typically caution against exceptions based on interpreting questions or instructions based on what the applicant believes IRCC
really wants.
This is an exception to the no exceptions caution.
It might be that IRCC prefers the online application, now, but even if that is true I doubt that explains the instruction. I agree with
@forw.jane that the instruction is almost certainly aimed at stopping PRs from making multiple applications. The "
Don't apply both ways" part of the instruction is, almost certainly, the point.
I do not embrace exceptions to no exceptions (to following the instructions) at all casually or lightly. So I will add that these observations are based in large part on reviewing the requirements for a grant of citizenship in conjunction with IRCC information about being "eligible" to apply on paper, and seeing no hint that there is any criteria precluding use of the paper application by PRs qualified for a grant of citizenship. In contrast, not all qualified PRs are eligible to apply online, and meanwhile just the anecdotal reporting in this forum alone illustrates there has been no shortage of applicants anxious about the lack of progress on their application making a second application using the other method. Multiple applications unnecessarily increase the workload for IRCC, especially if the processing of multiple applications leads to complications, as it often does (noting that for now the processing streams for online and paper applications are mostly if not entirely separate, so both can undergo a significant amount of processing until the duplication in applications is recognized in the applicant's GCMS).
