Hi, I don't think it's an auto reply though because I can see the officer's initial at the bottom of the email and the response was sent to me a day or two after I emailed them. It sounds reassuring if this is real but I would be really disappointed if I find out that this is what they say all the time to people who waits. It says,
"Hello,
Your applications are in the queue to be schedule for a ceremony. Once you have been scheduled, we will contact you by email.
Since the beginning of COVID-19, IRCC has been increasing its use of digital tools to process Citizenship grant applications. E-applications were implemented in November 2020 in a limited capacity, and other virtual tools have been implemented to move towards virtual processing to the extent possible.
Applications are processed utilizing a first-in first-out processing model, with a small number of the oldest e-applications being processed as well. This ensures that the oldest of paper applications are processed while also allowing the move towards online services. Service delivery and processing times may vary depending on the complexity of each individual case.
The pandemic has had a considerable impact on overall processing times and they may vary from location to location depending on local inventories. IRCC is closely monitoring processing times and is working towards decreasing them as quickly as possible"