Is the Calgary office extremely backlogged right now?

[drummerlover33]

I'm not sure if it's just me, but I wanted to know if anyone from Sept 2020 onwards in Calgary has received their test invites yet? My file has been tagged for endorsement to the Calgary office for test booking for 3 months now, but it's still sitting somewhere in Sydney, NS as of this week. My friends who applied in Calgary between Nov 2019 - Jan 2020 are only getting their invites now, so I have a feeling it could be a year before they clear the local backlog.

Hope some fellow Calgarians can share their experiences!

 

[citizenship.enthusiast]

I'm not sure if it's just me, but I wanted to know if anyone from Sept 2020 onwards in Calgary has received their test invites yet? My file has been tagged for endorsement to the Calgary office for test booking for 3 months now, but it's still sitting somewhere in Sydney, NS as of this week. My friends who applied in Calgary between Nov 2019 - Jan 2020 are only getting their invites now, so I have a feeling it could be a year before they clear the local backlog.

Hope some fellow Calgarians can share their experiences!

I don't think your file can be at Sydney and have test ready status. The processing office has to pick it up before it gets test ready.
You should request GCMS notes under ATIP to find out when the last activity was on your file. And don't request it from CIC as they will redact most of the information but from CBSA.

Also, yes, Calgary office is dead but hopefully they are forced to return to work as the province opens on July 1st but who knows.

 

[drummerlover33]

I don't think your file can be at Sydney and have test ready status. The processing office has to pick it up before it gets test ready.
You should request GCMS notes under ATIP to find out when the last activity was on your file. And don't request it from CIC as they will redact most of the information but from CBSA.

Also, yes, Calgary office is dead but hopefully they are forced to return to work as the province opens on July 1st but who knows.

Thanks for the insight! If I request GCMS notes from CBSA, will there be information about my application (e.g. where my application is, etc.)? My understanding is that CBSA only has information on when you enter / leave Canada and maybe a couple of security items, but do let me know if I'm missing something here.

 

[citizenship.enthusiast]

Thanks for the insight! If I request GCMS notes from CBSA, will there be information about my application (e.g. where my application is, etc.)? My understanding is that CBSA only has information on when you enter / leave Canada and maybe a couple of security items, but do let me know if I'm missing something here.

No prob. CBSA will send you exact same GCMS notes but will not redact a lot of information like paper file history, security screening results, intra office transfers, notes, etc unlike CIC.
When you submit an ATIP, ask for any information including your screening and file notes relevant to your citizenship application. You can also request your entry/exit record on the same request if you would like.
The ATIP response time for CBSA is just shy of 60 days while CIC would probably send you one at 30 days. You can request from both the agencies at the same time.

 

[VictorCA]

I applied March 2020 and got my test invite this month. I am discouraged to see that very few Calgary applicants from 2020 have moved past the test phase. When will this end?