Requested to take the oath from outside of Canada and 6 months later, still waiting to be rescheduled. What can I do to finalize the process?

[bwrxejlb]

Hello,

I created a post here but was suggested to post in the citizenship section, so I'm posting my questions based on the information that I've provided in that thread.

In short, I had to move back to my country of origin shortly after applying for a citizenship. On August 2023, I received an invite to take the oath with an in-person ceremony. Based on the information in this post, I got the impression that it was possible to take the oath from outside Canada and I requested from IRCC to take the oath from outside Canada. The initial reply that I received from IRCC stated that this was possible and I was approved to take the oath from outside Canada. However, the subsequent reply stated that since I was scheduled for an in-person ceremony, I would be rescheduled for a video ceremony.

Since then, I'm being told that my request to take the oath is under review. It has been almost 6 months since I requested to take the oath from outside of Canada and I'm still being told that my request is under review. This is very confusing since the initial reply that I received stated that I was approved to take the oath from outside of Canada.

Since it's been 6 months since I requested it, I started to get worried and have some questions about it. My questions are:

• What exactly is going on here? The initial reply that I received stated that I was approved to take the oath from outside of Canada. After this reply, I got the impression that I will just be rescheduled for a video ceremony and then take the oath from outside of Canada and become a citizen. However, the subsequent replies stating that my request to take the oath from outside of Canada is under review confused me quite a bit. Was the first reply about me being approved to take the oath from outside of Canada false? That is, was that an error, a mistake?
• In the event that my request to take the oath from outside of Canada is denied, what am I going to do? My understanding is that for a ceremony rescheduling, you have to notfify IRCC after you get back to Canada. However, I'm currently living with my family outside of Canada. Hence, I won't be back in Canada currently. It might be too late before I get back to Canada (in terms of keeping the PR status). So, it is possible for the IRCC to give me a new ceremony date while I'm outside of Canada in the event that my request to take the oath from outside of Canada is denied?
• When should I start to look into legal recourse here? That is, talking with a lawyer for the possibility of a writ of mandamus, etc.? What is the timeframe, likelihood of success and cost of such an action?

Thank you

 

[Tamiou]

Last IRCC update says :

You need to be in Canada to take the Oath of Citizenship. If you get your invitation while you’re outside Canada, reply to the invitation email to explain your situation in detail.

In your email

• put “Outside Canada – Oath of Citizenship” in the subject line
• In the body of your message, include
  • your full name
  • your application number
  • a detailed explanation of your situation

We’ll contact you with your next steps after we receive your email

I remember they allowed oath ceremony outside of Canada for a very short period of time but not anymore. You will have to come back to Canada.

 

[pulkitkumar190]

You need to come back to Canada, and call IRCC next day, and tell them you are back in Canada, and not planning to leave in near future. Then, request for dates on virtual citizenship ceremony. As virtual appointment availability are more than physical. Once, you get the certificate, apply for the passport in emergency, and then fly back to your country. Why are you overcomplicating it so much?

 

[bellaluna]

You need to come back to Canada, and call IRCC next day, and tell them you are back in Canada, and not planning to leave in near future. Then, request for dates on virtual citizenship ceremony. As virtual appointment availability are more than physical. Once, you get the certificate, apply for the passport in emergency, and then fly back to your country. Why are you overcomplicating it so much?

From OP’s original post in the General forum, they don’t have any near future intent to settle in Canada

 

[bwrxejlb]

From OP’s original post in the General forum, they don’t have any near future intent to settle in Canada

Yep, exactly, that's the problem. If they eventually tell me that they won't let me take it from outside of Canada, I will take it from within Canada but I need a date given before I can travel to Canada, since I'm not currently living in Canada (I don't currently have an address in Canada). I'm not sure if anyone else has been in this situation before and how did they resolve it.

 

[forw.jane]

Yep, exactly, that's the problem. If they eventually tell me that they won't let me take it from outside of Canada, I will take it from within Canada but I need a date given before I can travel to Canada, since I'm not currently living in Canada (I don't currently have an address in Canada). I'm not sure if anyone else has been in this situation before and how did they resolve it.

https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/citizenship-interview-coming-up-i-was-outside-canada-immediately-after-applying-for-citizenship.808037/post-10521260

@Dreamlad has faced it.

Sometimes you have to be in Canada for them to schedule your oath. Waiting time after you in Canada is not known beforehand. So it's a tricky situation if you can't come back and stay for long.

 

[bwrxejlb]

https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/citizenship-interview-coming-up-i-was-outside-canada-immediately-after-applying-for-citizenship.808037/post-10521260

@Dreamlad has faced it.

Sometimes you have to be in Canada for them to schedule your oath. Waiting time after you in Canada is not known beforehand. So it's a tricky situation if you can't come back and stay for long.

I see. So, it is possible for me to come back, send them the boarding passes, etc., telling them that I'm in Canada and ready to be rescheduled for the oath, stay for a week and go back to my country of origin to wait for being scheduled for the oath? Or is this misrepresentation and a bad idea?

 

[Tamiou]

I see. So, it is possible for me to come back, send them the boarding passes, etc., telling them that I'm in Canada and ready to be rescheduled for the oath, stay for a week and go back to my country of origin to wait for being scheduled for the oath? Or is this misrepresentation and a bad idea?

Stay for a week? Don't be funny! You are dealing with IRCC. Nobody can tell you they will reschedule you within a week. But you can come back ,do what you have to do,wait for the oath and go back to your country with your Canadian passport.

 

[abbas.pasha]

Hello,

I created a post here but was suggested to post in the citizenship section, so I'm posting my questions based on the information that I've provided in that thread.

In short, I had to move back to my country of origin shortly after applying for a citizenship. On August 2023, I received an invite to take the oath with an in-person ceremony. Based on the information in this post, I got the impression that it was possible to take the oath from outside Canada and I requested from IRCC to take the oath from outside Canada. The initial reply that I received from IRCC stated that this was possible and I was approved to take the oath from outside Canada. However, the subsequent reply stated that since I was scheduled for an in-person ceremony, I would be rescheduled for a video ceremony.

Since then, I'm being told that my request to take the oath is under review. It has been almost 6 months since I requested to take the oath from outside of Canada and I'm still being told that my request is under review. This is very confusing since the initial reply that I received stated that I was approved to take the oath from outside of Canada.

Since it's been 6 months since I requested it, I started to get worried and have some questions about it. My questions are:

• What exactly is going on here? The initial reply that I received stated that I was approved to take the oath from outside of Canada. After this reply, I got the impression that I will just be rescheduled for a video ceremony and then take the oath from outside of Canada and become a citizen. However, the subsequent replies stating that my request to take the oath from outside of Canada is under review confused me quite a bit. Was the first reply about me being approved to take the oath from outside of Canada false? That is, was that an error, a mistake?
• In the event that my request to take the oath from outside of Canada is denied, what am I going to do? My understanding is that for a ceremony rescheduling, you have to notfify IRCC after you get back to Canada. However, I'm currently living with my family outside of Canada. Hence, I won't be back in Canada currently. It might be too late before I get back to Canada (in terms of keeping the PR status). So, it is possible for the IRCC to give me a new ceremony date while I'm outside of Canada in the event that my request to take the oath from outside of Canada is denied?
• When should I start to look into legal recourse here? That is, talking with a lawyer for the possibility of a writ of mandamus, etc.? What is the timeframe, likelihood of success and cost of such an action?

Thank you

One of the forum I have seen was allowed and took the Oath from outside Canada. They particularly mentioned that they were caring for one their immediate family member (who is terminal and provided proof) because of which they cannot leave their country of origin.
You have not mentioned in your post clearly what is the reason you have mentioned to IRCC that you cannot be in Canada for the Oath ceremony

 

[foodie69]

What's the point of becoming a Canadian but not wanting to live here? I sincerely dislike people that do that..

 

[bwrxejlb]

Stay for a week? Don't be funny! You are dealing with IRCC. Nobody can tell you they will reschedule you within a week. But you can come back ,do what you have to do,wait for the oath and go back to your country with your Canadian passport.

No, I meant come to Canada, show proof to IRCC that I'm in Canada to trigger oath rescheduling, go back to my country of origin while waiting to be rescheduled and when I'm finally rescheduled, come back to Canada and take the oath. Is this an option?

 

[bwrxejlb]

One of the forum I have seen was allowed and took the Oath from outside Canada. They particularly mentioned that they were caring for one their immediate family member (who is terminal and provided proof) because of which they cannot leave their country of origin.
You have not mentioned in your post clearly what is the reason you have mentioned to IRCC that you cannot be in Canada for the Oath ceremony

The reason is that I had to come to my country of origin for a family emergency and afterwards, I lost my job in Canada. Then I found a job in my country of origin and stayed there. That is, job commitment.

 

[Seym]

It might be too late before I get back to Canada (in terms of keeping the PR status).

Whatever you do, make sure to maintain your PR status and make plans to come back if there's any risk you would spend less than 2 years out of the previous 5 in Canada. That's a firm requirement for the citizenship application, till the oath day.

 

[abbas.pasha]

The reason is that I had to come to my country of origin for a family emergency and afterwards, I lost my job in Canada. Then I found a job in my country of origin and stayed there. That is, job commitment.

This might be a hard sell to IRCC specially wrt loosing the job in Canada
But IRCC also works in their own bubble so don’t really know what they will do next

 

[bwrxejlb]

This might be a hard sell to IRCC specially wrt loosing the job in Canada
But IRCC also works in their own bubble so don’t really know what they will do next

I see. Honestly, I feel scammed because the IRCC's very first reply to me explicitly stated that there was no need for special permission to take the oath from outside Canada anymore and that I was approved to take the oath from outside of Canada. That is, they explicitly told me that they approved me taking the oath from outside of Canada. However, my oath was an in-person oath and I believe that this was a possibility only for video oaths. I guess that in the meanwhile, they changed their policy and now they require special permission for anybody that wants to take the oath from outside of Canada. So, I'm stuck in a non-routine application now.

Had they initially told me that taking the oath from outside of Canada was not possible, I would have came to Canada to take my oath. So I feel very misled here.