Hello everyone! - and especially
@Hot2Cold for the step-by-step process of getting in touch with IRCC.
I just got off a call with an agent who confirmed that my application has been received on September 18 and an
acknowledgement letter was sent to me by mail (Canada Post) on December 15. He confirmed that the status is now
In Progress and also shared my
application number. I suppose this means I have the AOR, though technically I haven't received it yet. Just like everybody else, I've been watching both my inbox and mailbox for the past couple of months - I guess I'll have to wait some more, but at least now I know that the documents I have submitted are ok and hopefully someone is taking care of background checks and so on. I also checked the status on ECAS and it still only shows one line ("application received").
The agent offered to email me links to the
official study guide (
Discover Canada) and
how to prepare for the citizenship test - though he did mention significant delays in citizenship grant processing times due to the pandemic. On the flip side, they started doing online tests and online oath ceremonies to speed up the process. I know this has been going on for a while, just thought I'd add that piece of info here to cheer up fellow applicants!
I strongly encourage those who are still waiting to receive AOR to call IRCC. It looks like many applications are now in progress with letters on their way or pending to be mailed or emailed.
I'll keep you updated on that AOR letter. Good luck to you all!