Is Swearing-In in Person Still Required for New Canadian Citizens?

[Frank Thomas]

Good morning,
Is there anyone here who just became a Canadian citizen fairly recently? If so, did you have to attend a swearing-in/oath taking ceremony in person as a new Canadian citizen, or was your citizenship certificate mailed to you? I’m just curious with this covid issue going on.

Based on what I read, provincial governments take your permanent resident cards at the swearing-in ceremony?

 

[scylla]

Good morning,
Is there anyone here who just became a Canadian citizen fairly recently? If so, did you have to attend a swearing-in/oath taking ceremony in person as a new Canadian citizen, or was your citizenship certificate mailed to you? I’m just curious with this covid issue going on.

Based on what I read, provincial governments take your permanent resident cards at the swearing-in ceremony?

If you read through the threads here, you'll see that lots of people have had virtual oaths.

If you attend in person, your PR card is taken away from you. If you take the oath online, you are required to destroy your PR card while on video.

 

[scylla]

Good morning,
Is there anyone here who just became a Canadian citizen fairly recently? If so, did you have to attend a swearing-in/oath taking ceremony in person as a new Canadian citizen, or was your citizenship certificate mailed to you? I’m just curious with this covid issue going on.

Based on what I read, provincial governments take your permanent resident cards at the swearing-in ceremony?

Just to add to my comment above, note that you must be physically in Canada regardless of whether you take the oath in person or virtually.

 

[bellaluna]

Oaths have been online ever since citizenship processing resumed, maybe since late 2020/early 2021.

Nothing yet reported on this forum to indicate in-person oaths have resumed.

 

[Frank Thomas]

@bellaluna and @scylla, thank you both so much. I just wonder nonetheless why they would require people to be physically present in Canada when the swearing-in ceremony is done virtually and they can simply mail you your citizenship certificate. I believe you would be required to destroy/cut your PR card with a scissors?

 

[scylla]

@bellaluna and @scylla, thank you both so much. I just wonder nonetheless why they would require people to be physically present in Canada when the swearing-in ceremony is done virtually and they can simply mail you your citizenship certificate. I believe you would be required to destroy/cut your PR card with a scissors?

Because the oath needs to be taken on Canadian soil.

 

[bellaluna]

@bellaluna and @scylla, thank you both so much. I just wonder nonetheless why they would require people to be physically present in Canada when the swearing-in ceremony is done virtually and they can simply mail you your citizenship certificate. I believe you would be required to destroy/cut your PR card with a scissors?

IRCC never mails PR cards or citizenship certificates to addresses outside of Canada.

And just my opinion, it's the simple principle of it. If you want to be a Canadian citizen, be in Canada at the very least.

Are there countries that grant citizenship outside of their own soil? I'd be interested to know.

 

[DimT44]

IRCC never mails PR cards or citizenship certificates to addresses outside of Canada.

And just my opinion, it's the simple principle of it. If you want to be a Canadian citizen, be in Canada at the very least.

Are there countries that grant citizenship outside of their own soil? I'd be interested to know.

Some Caribbean countries do. And you don't have to step foot in the country at all. There must be others too.