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Should I hire a consultant or lawyer to apply Canadian Citizenship?

hungnguyen

Star Member
Feb 2, 2018
136
1
Hello Senior,

I did apply PR myself successfully, so should I hire a consultant or lawyer to apply Canadian Citizenship? Is the application complicated? I plan to travel outside Canada after submitting the application, so I may need a consultant or lawyer to communicate with IRCC.

Thanks,
 

Mike263

Hero Member
Jun 2, 2020
209
94
Hello Senior,

I did apply PR myself successfully, so should I hire a consultant or lawyer to apply Canadian Citizenship? Is the application complicated? I plan to travel outside Canada after submitting the application, so I may need a consultant or lawyer to communicate with IRCC.

Thanks,
You don't have to have a lawyer/consultant. It's a pretty simple and straightforward application. You just need to fill the application as completely as possible along with all the required documents.

You can travel outside Canada after submitting an application but you need to inform ircc via webform. Ircc mostly contacts the clients thru e-mails (if you provide it in ur application).
 
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masood8

Hero Member
Oct 3, 2013
722
161
Toronto
Category........
FSW
Visa Office......
LONDON
NOC Code......
3131
App. Filed.......
10-01-2011
Doc's Request.
20-03-2011
IELTS Request
Along File
Med's Request
05-11-2013
Med's Done....
10-12-2013
Interview........
Waived
Passport Req..
PPR1 05-10-2014 & PPR2 17-11-2014 (Submitted: 18-02-2015)
VISA ISSUED...
13-02-2015
LANDED..........
29-June-2015
It's all about mental satisfaction, if you believe you can't do it then get a help from a consultant, else it's pretty straight forward and everything elaborated on cic website.
 
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dolphus1988

Full Member
Aug 14, 2020
30
20
Hello Senior,

I did apply PR myself successfully, so should I hire a consultant or lawyer to apply Canadian Citizenship? Is the application complicated? I plan to travel outside Canada after submitting the application, so I may need a consultant or lawyer to communicate with IRCC.

Thanks,
I do find the PR process is more complicated than the citizenship.
It's a pretty straightforward application. You don't need to hire someone.
Good luck.
 

masood8

Hero Member
Oct 3, 2013
722
161
Toronto
Category........
FSW
Visa Office......
LONDON
NOC Code......
3131
App. Filed.......
10-01-2011
Doc's Request.
20-03-2011
IELTS Request
Along File
Med's Request
05-11-2013
Med's Done....
10-12-2013
Interview........
Waived
Passport Req..
PPR1 05-10-2014 & PPR2 17-11-2014 (Submitted: 18-02-2015)
VISA ISSUED...
13-02-2015
LANDED..........
29-June-2015
What you ended up deciding?
 

hungnguyen

Star Member
Feb 2, 2018
136
1
What you ended up deciding?
Hi Masood8, do you think a lawyer will help my application process better and avoid delay such as RQ? because my old passport was lost while I was applying the PR in the past, but I still keep copy the lost passport and the police report and had a new passport before I got PR. I am just afraid that the interviewer could not check the stamp in the original passport and give me RQ that will delay many months. Any of your advise is valuable for me. Thanks,
 
Last edited:

hungnguyen

Star Member
Feb 2, 2018
136
1
You don't have to have a lawyer/consultant. It's a pretty simple and straightforward application. You just need to fill the application as completely as possible along with all the required documents.

You can travel outside Canada after submitting an application but you need to inform ircc via webform. Ircc mostly contacts the clients thru e-mails (if you provide it in ur application).
I heard some advice that we do not need to inform ircc as it is not required and it may cause delay. Is that correct? I plan to travel to my home country after submitting the application until I am called back for the citizenship test. Is it ok? Any of your advice is valuable for me.
 

rafzy

Champion Member
Jan 31, 2015
2,676
495
I heard some advice that we do not need to inform ircc as it is not required and it may cause delay. Is that correct? I plan to travel to my home country after submitting the application until I am called back for the citizenship test. Is it ok? Any of your advice is valuable for me.
It's totally fine for you to travel after submitting the citizenship application. You only make sure that your PR status is a valid through-out the application process.
 
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hungnguyen

Star Member
Feb 2, 2018
136
1
It's totally fine for you to travel after submitting the citizenship application. You only make sure that your PR status is a valid through-out the application process.
Thanks Rafzy for your advice. Will we receive communication from IRCC such as test, oath invite, FP through email or mail? I will plan to apply in Toronto.
 

rafzy

Champion Member
Jan 31, 2015
2,676
495
Thanks Rafzy for your advice. Will we receive communication from IRCC such as test, oath invite, FP through email or mail? I will plan to apply in Toronto.
You usually get this through email if you give your email address on application.
 

Mike263

Hero Member
Jun 2, 2020
209
94
I heard some advice that we do not need to inform ircc as it is not required and it may cause delay. Is that correct? I plan to travel to my home country after submitting the application until I am called back for the citizenship test. Is it ok? Any of your advice is valuable for me.
Here is the official answer to your question. Check this out.

https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?qnum=911&top=5

Regarding your travel, should you inform ircc or not, I'll suggest you to call ircc client support centre (1-888-242-2100), you'll get a clear answer and peace of mind while spending your time back home.
 

dpenabill

VIP Member
Apr 2, 2010
6,436
3,183
Here is the official answer to your question. Check this out.

https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?qnum=911&top=5

Regarding your travel, should you inform ircc or not, I'll suggest you to call ircc client support centre (1-888-242-2100), you'll get a clear answer and peace of mind while spending your time back home.
Unfortunately it is NOT that simple for those who move abroad (even if they pretend to just be "traveling" abroad) while they have a citizenship application pending.

The IRCC webpage minimally addresses the logistical risks. And makes no mention of the increased risk of RQ-related processing.

The OP here has been part of other discussions here about the RISKS involved in doing this. There are many topics here discussing the risks. The risks are real. They vary depending on the particular circumstances.

Many do this without a problem. I do not mean to suggest that it is not feasible.

But many others stumble. Some fall. How it will go for a particular individual will depend on that individual's particular situation, with lots of potential variables.

In the meantime, the OP's main question is really whether or not to inform IRCC about a change in residential address. Or whether an applicant can give IRCC a residential address that is NOT where the applicant actually lives (such as the address of a close family member or a trusted friend).

This has been answered multiple times. The OP references what only some have said, and those responses largely ignore the applicant's promise (in the signature box on the application) to update IRCC if any information in the application changes.

Of course the help centre is not going to explain to applicants how to get away with not informing IRCC, truthfully, of a change in address, so as to avoid the risk of delays in processing the application. And applicants are not likely to ask the question that way.

In any event, trying to be clear, the help centre is good for simple, straight-forward questions regarding very specific things. It is NOT a good source for answering questions that are at all complicated, that require interpretation, or that involve applying rules to facts (except the obvious). The latter is especially problematic . . . since applicants tend to ask questions structured to avoid answers they do not want to hear. Like asking "do I need to inform IRCC if I travel abroad while the application is pending?" when the real situation will amount to the applicant moving and residing abroad.

So let's be honest: the OP could contact the help centre and ask the simple question: "do I need to inform IRCC if I change my home address?" No need to even mention whether that is moving across town, to another town, to another province, or abroad. But the answer to that question is obvious, and the OP probably knows what it is. Probably not what the OP wants to hear, because that answer likely elevates the risk of delays.