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No update from IRCC on citizenship oath ceremony. Next steps?

issteven

Hero Member
Jan 2, 2014
673
201
Hello,
Finally the journey is over :D Today I took the oath of citizenship. It lasted about 20 minutes. They said I will received the certificate within two weeks. I applied from Montreal. Here is the timeline:

25/02/2019 - document sent
28/02/2019 - document delivered
30/04/2019 - received file number email
17/06/2019 - processing application got started
17/09/2019 - received the invitation to test email
08/10/2019 - took the citizenship test
24/02/2020 - application approved
25/02/2020 - decision made on ecas
27/02/2020 - received the invitation to do the ceremony on 13/03/2020
12/03/2020 - received the cancellation email due to COVID-19
06/07/2020 - received virtual ceremony email
08/07/2020 - virtual ceremony
4 months+ from test to DM??? too slow...
 

Hmj58

Full Member
Jun 13, 2020
29
6
Hello,
Finally the journey is over :D Today I took the oath of citizenship. It lasted about 20 minutes. They said I will received the certificate within two weeks. I applied from Montreal. Here is the timeline:

25/02/2019 - document sent
28/02/2019 - document delivered
30/04/2019 - received file number email
17/06/2019 - processing application got started
17/09/2019 - received the invitation to test email
08/10/2019 - took the citizenship test
24/02/2020 - application approved
25/02/2020 - decision made on ecas
27/02/2020 - received the invitation to do the ceremony on 13/03/2020
12/03/2020 - received the cancellation email due to COVID-19
06/07/2020 - received virtual ceremony email
08/07/2020 - virtual ceremony
Congrats..Were you alone or within a group in the oath
 

Mike263

Hero Member
Jun 2, 2020
209
94
@dpenabill
I am little concerned about the design of virtual oaths invites. Even in ongoing July 2020 - past Jan up to July 2019 citizenship applicants/clients (irrespective of whether they'd previously received oath notices or not or cancelled) are now getting video ceremony invites "in a random manner". Apparently, it looks a little bit random but actually it is not.

Based on the pattern or sequence of virtual oath ceremony invitations, I'm assuming there is definitely some sort of re-screening or security clearance process going on in the background, and it does makes sense because it's been months since in-person ceremonies were cancelled and individual's circumstances might have changed. And ONLY after the receipt of satisfactory results (feedback) of that screening process, IRCC would then probably put that candidate(s) in a queue and/or forward the application(s) for further processing, scheduling etc for the next available virtual oath. Screening process usually takes time and may be random depending upon individual's circumstances, and how much time that department takes to process and respond back to IRCC.

That's my speculation. Please share your theories as well.

https://www.canada.ca/en/security-intelligence-service/services/security-screening-for-immigration-and-citizenship-applications.html
 
Last edited:

singh93

Member
Sep 27, 2019
10
5
Received a call from IRCC Mississauga for virtual oath ceremony on July 17,2020. Previously I was scheduled for March 30,2020
 
Jul 26, 2015
18
1
Anyone from calgary whose oath was on day 1 of cancellation(March 15)and they have not recieved virtual oath. I dont know what is going on. I was supposed to be first one to recieve oath and have not since the virtual oath is taking place. Any news around or do i need to call
 
Jul 26, 2015
18
1
For rescheduling oath in the initial ceremony invite that got cancelled, it was given that if you wanna reschedule please email calgary office. So I thought if I can use the same email to ask them that I am not called or may be if I missed the call.

P.S.: looking for people in the same boat

@startupcalgary We're NOT supposed to contact local ircc office or unless we've been instructed to do so. We must contact ircc thru Webform or telephone.
 

Mike263

Hero Member
Jun 2, 2020
209
94
For rescheduling oath in the initial ceremony invite that got cancelled, it was given that if you wanna reschedule please email calgary office. So I thought if I can use the same email to ask them that I am not called or may be if I missed the call.

P.S.: looking for people in the same boat
@startupcalgary Those instructions specifically came with your in-person ceremony (which was cancelled later). Well it's up to you if you wana directly contact local ircc office. IRCC official website does not instruct to contact local office but it does mention to contact via Webform and/or telephone client support centre (1-888-242-2100).
 

Chrisstina

Hero Member
Sep 14, 2018
375
119
Thanks. No I wasn't any of them. However, my initial oath was scheduled for 13th of March which was the first day that the ceremony got cancelled.
I am Feb 2019 applicant, my interview was on 5th Feb 2020 and oath ceremony was scheduled for 31st March. I hope I may also get virtual oath
by August,2020. Once again Congratulations.
 
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dpenabill

VIP Member
Apr 2, 2010
6,438
3,183
@dpenabill
I am little concerned about the design of virtual oaths invites. Even in ongoing July 2020 - past Jan up to July 2019 citizenship applicants/clients (irrespective of whether they'd previously received oath notices or not or cancelled) are now getting video ceremony invites "in a random manner". Apparently, it looks a little bit random but actually it is not.

Based on the pattern or sequence of virtual oath ceremony invitations, I'm assuming there is definitely some sort of re-screening or security clearance process going on in the background, and it does makes sense because it's been months since in-person ceremonies were cancelled and individual's circumstances might have changed. And ONLY after the receipt of satisfactory results (feedback) of that screening process, IRCC would then probably put that candidate(s) in a queue and/or forward the application(s) for further processing, scheduling etc for the next available virtual oath. Screening process usually takes time and may be random depending upon individual's circumstances, and how much time that department takes to process and respond back to IRCC.

That's my speculation. Please share your theories as well.

https://www.canada.ca/en/security-intelligence-service/services/security-screening-for-immigration-and-citizenship-applications.html
I have already expressed quite a lot regarding current processing and oath ceremony scheduling.

Makes sense to me that updating background screening is at least one of the processing aspects affecting who and when. After all, it is safe to infer that, at the least, it is still necessary to conduct another GCMS background screening (which covers various things, including at least an updated screening for hits in name-record criminal history databases) attendant scheduling the oath, since the last internal operations information obtained stated that this check was to be done EVERY time any action is taken on the file (so this is done multiple times during the overall process, from initial completeness screening, to referral to local office, to preparation for and administration of test and interview, and attendant actually scheduling the oath . . . with additional instances along the way for many applicants depending on the particulars for a specific individual).

And I suppose it is fair to criticize my lack of concern about the particular procedures and criteria being employed because I do not have a personal stake in the game; I've been a citizen for more than a half dozen years now. In opposition to this, though, I think sober forum participants should confront the more heavy-handed characterizations of IRCC operations, including the "random" characterization, but including many others which in effect accuse IRCC personnel (as in Canadians) of callous disregard for the responsibilities of their offices and positions and otherwise suggest that current processing is arbitrary or capricious. Any of these characterizations erroneously suggest to those who have applications in process, and who come here for some insight about what to REALISTICALLY expect, that there is little or no effort to process applications with due regard for procedural fairness. That is misleading. The process virtually came to a standstill. It appears to be starting operations in a limited, slowly-progressing way. There is a real crisis happening and given what is looming nefariously across the border to our south, potentially a worsening crisis.

How much detail in things we can figure out, like criteria used to select virtual oath participants, particular processing steps, or such, is kind of beside the point since this is clearly a transitional phase. It appears almost obvious that all these things are in *development* stages, so to say. Some false starts and restarts are rather likely. The best we can do now is wait and watch. (ATI process, in particular, would be digging up yesterday's efforts with recognition that IRCC has already moved beyond that information.)

Much of the discussion simply strikes me to be in the vein of "are we there yet" when it is rather obvious that NO, we are NOT there yet.



The "random" characterization in particular:

As I have attempted to illuminate, objections to the "random" characterization are twofold:
-- relative to its actual meaning, it is simply not at all applicable; the odds are very high that IRCC is not using a lottery or haphazardly opening files to schedule oath ceremonies, so much so it is actually quite ludicrous to suggest it is "random" in this sense​
-- as for the common, essentially slang usage of "random," which essentially is an insult, that is all it is, a generic, trite, and uninformative insult, dismissive and derogatory​

For the Section 5(1) grant citizenship process BOTH are misleading. One simply not applicable. The other an insubstantial slur lacking any real information or insight into the what and how being applied during these days.
 
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mvdr

Member
Jun 30, 2015
17
7
Promising news - spoke to IRCC.... they mentioned that earlier video oath was only for urgent cases.....But now it is open for everyone....

So all we need is to wait for our turn....should be coming soon!!!


I am DM on Feb 22 2020 and scarborough centre....
Thank you for the update! I am an April 2019 application and got Decision made Nov 2019, still waiting for Oath invite.