Oath ceremony timing / citizenship certificate / passport

[EU_2010]

Hi,
March applicant here and this all went much faster than expected. Currently waiting for "decision made" and the oath ceremony invite so presumably this is only a couple of weeks away at this point.

My concern is the timing of it all as I have upcoming out-of-country travel of about 2 weeks each in July, August, September, and a few days in early October, then nothing until mid December.

How easy is it to postpone an oath ceremony and how far into the future can this be done? Just conscious I will need a window of at least 2 weeks - ideally longer to obtain the citizenship certificate, apply for the passport, and receive the Canadian passport before I leave the country. I know there are ways to line up at certain offices, pay for express, and get the passport within 2 or 3 days with proof of travel. My colleague recently had to do this, but I would like to avoid the added stress if I can and go the normal route, book an appointment etc.

Is the e-certificate the fastest way to obtain the certificate post ceremony? Is it possible to obtain a physical certificate (against a fee) later on (with no time pressure) in addition to the e-certificate? How can this be requested?

 

[xf2278389393]

The e-certificate would definitely be the fastest and best way. Once you have the e-certificate, you can get a paper certificate at no charge and instantly, simply by printing it out on whatever paper you want (beige or cream colored paper, which you can get online or in any office supply store in Canada, would be what IRCC prints paper certificates on).

If you have travel plans or any other commitments, you can email IRCC to let them know about that and they will record those as periods of unavailability in your file in GCMS, so they can schedule you accordingly.

 

[EU_2010]

Just coming back here to share my experience, hoping it can help someone else specifically in Toronto.

I received the invite to the oath ceremony, and it was in fact, in person. The default option for in person ceremonies is the printed citizenship certificate and you will be handed it during the ceremony. After that, you have to wait 2 days so Service Canada can update the new status in their systems. So you can apply for your passport 2 days after at the earliest. Most Service Canada locations were booking a month out. The specialized passport office in North York Centre had some earlier appointments, but I figured that by the time I travel there on the TTC, I might as well stand in line in the Victoria Street Office.

My recommendation would be to get the pictures done at the convenience store next to 74 Victoria Street. 24$ and the shop owner is extremely knowledgeable and helpful. The photos I had initially done at Shopper's had "glare" (from moisturizer on my face, I believe). He basically catered to all the people whose photos had been rejected and sent next door to have them retaken. He had sheets with pressed powder and instructed people to use that to ensure there was no glare on the photos.

Back to the passport office - it opens at 8.30am and does not take appointments, at least not at this time. A number of people actually arrive early, take a number to mark their position in line and are led into different waiting rooms. At 8.30 am, people are then called in groups according to their numbers and that's when you head up to the 3rd floor and wait in line before first counter. The gentleman checked my documents - completed forms, photos (they got rejected at that point since they would not have printed well due to the glare), IDs, and also checked my guarantor's ID and passport and asked a few questions. You don't have to bring your guarantor but if you can, it makes for a very efficient process. I was instructed to go next door to retake the photos, but had already been given a different number for a different counter. So once I was back, I could go straight to the waiting area and not wait in line again. The gentleman at the next counter also checked a few things and asked for any upcoming travel. My trip was a month out at that time and the regular processing period (at that particular office) was 14 days. This can be sped up with express fees, but no need for it in my case. The passport would then be mailed - or there was the option to pick up for an additional 20$. Certainly beats having to wait for it in the mail.
Within 1 hour I was done, despite the little detour to retake the photos.

Everyone including security staff to organize the crowd were super friendly and helpful. Two weeks later, I picked up my passport during my lunch break and was out in maybe 20 minutes.

Definitely more straightforward than I had expected for a walk-in situation, and I would recommend this location to anyone who needs a passport fast.