Reminder: timeline expectations have been unreasonable in this forum for a long while now. Not everyone, but many threads are rife with inordinate (sometimes obsessive) attention to incremental time line events. While sure, almost everyone is anxious to see AOR, to feel assured the application has arrived and is complete, in CONTRAST the timeline from AOR to IP is insignificant, not worth much if any attention. For all practical purposes, for example, the application really is "in process" once there is AOR; the formal IP status coming later, apparently when all Sydney screening is complete and the application is referred to a local office, is a bit of bureaucratic
mumbo-jumbo . . . perhaps intended to give applicants the IMPRESSION of progress, the impression that something is being done, or at least minimize anxious queries about whether the application has reached a local office for processing yet.
The timeline from IP to the notice to attend the PI Interview and, if applicable, the test, IS ALMOST ENTIRELY QUEUE TIME. No matter how complicated or unusual or different . . . or how utterly ROUTINE . . . the application will sit in the queue as long as that queue takes. Nothing an applicant can do to accelerate that timeline (unless urgent processing is requested and appropriate and granted). That timeline will take as long as it takes.
For the vast majority of applicants that is the bulk of their timeline: waiting in a queue for a local office processing agent to actually take action on the application.
And that timeline varies . . . and it varies relative to many, many factors the applicant has NO CONTROL over, most of which factors are NOT SPECIFIC to that individual.
In contrast, yes, timeline from AOR to IP is probably affected by individual applicant factors; and the timeline from PI Interview to Decision Made will often vary depending on individual applicant factors. BUT THE BULK of the timeline for most applicants is time the application is waiting in a queue for a local office processing agent to actually take action on the application, and while that timeline varies greatly it is largely due to non-individual factors, like the local office application load and allocation to individual processing agents, availability of Citizenship Officers to oversee PI Interview and testing events, among other factors.
What tends to be bothersome is that the timeline chatter almost certainly elevates anxiety among many applicants who browse this site. There is NO reason for such anxiety. It is unfair to address the process in a way which triggers anxiety in others. It is unfair to make others feel like they are not doing what needs to be done unless they make an ATIP request for a copy of their GCMS notes. It is unfair to stir applicants to make unnecessary telephone calls to the help centre, which bogs down the call centre agents and makes it much more difficult for those with real questions to get through . . . many of these are people with full time jobs in the day and it is particularly difficult for them to take the time to make these calls . . . only to NOT get through because there are scores of narcissistic applicants wondering why their application is not at a local office yet a mere 200 days into the process.
Please, CHILL. And chill some more.
Relax. IRCC is a bureaucracy. Bureaucracies tend to be slow and they tend to be particularly slow when adapting to changes. Remember, in the last three months of 2017 IRCC probably received nearly as many, and perhaps MORE applications, than it received in all of 2016. On top of implementing and adapting to some big changes.
And my application's what anyone would say should have been an open-&-shut 'straight-shot' case file. Nothing outside of the 'five eyes' countries in my background, plenty of buffer days of physical presence, clean record, employed, tax-payer, homeowner, good credit report, never any welfare or work injury claims, well educated, native English speaker, with basic schoolboy French. What else could Canada possibly want in a prospective new citizen; am I missing something? Are they sitting on my file until I give up and leave? Could the Minister spend a little less time solving sartorial problems with his tailor & his PR goons, and a little more time hands-on leading his Department? Is it time for a cabinet reshuffle yet? How long is the PM's patience?
As I noted, for the timeline between IP and being scheduled for the PI Interview, individual applicant factors probably have little or no impact on that timeline . . . the application is simply waiting in a queue for a processing agent to deal with it.
The following two posts adequately addressed things:
Yes. You are a missing something and that is to have some patience.
I'm in the club too but I don't get the point of the thread - it is a 12 month processing time and citizenship isn't an iron clad business transaction with any kind of guarantee on when and if. Things take time, you are a PR and you get to live here.
Clarification, it is not necessarily a 12 month processing time. That is what is WAS, in the PAST, and that timeline is probably based on how long it took for 80% of ROUTINELY processed applications to get through the process, probably rounded or adjusted relative to internal processing targets. Fastest timelines during that period could have been as fast as a bit more than four months, and most ROUTINELY applicants were probably processed in seven to ten months, IN THE PAST. This only offers a hint about how long it will be going forward.
Still the wait is OK as long as it's under 12 months as they claim . . .
To be clear: there is NO claim that the timeline will be a YEAR or less. The IRCC web site only indicates that in the
PAST the routine timeline was a year, BUT it further cautions "
Processing times vary depending on how many applications we receive." Since there was huge surge in applications in the latter part of last year, which may be ongoing (albeit, probably, at a lesser pace by now), those with applications still in process can anticipate LONGER TIMELINES than those reported in the last year or so. So the one year processing timeline could easily be an OPTIMISTIC one.
Part of the problem is the extent to which many have focused on the fastest timelines reported. As I have oft reminded, MOST applicants are likely to have a timeline which is
AT LEAST TWICE THAT LONG. And otherwise, MANY ROUTINE applications will take
THREE TIMES AS LONG AS THE FASTEST.
And, again, the impact of the surge in applications following the implementation of the 3/5 rule (including credit for Pre-PR time in Canada) is as yet UNKNOWN, other than we are already seeing significant signs of longer timelines.
A more meaningful milestone might be the 300+ days IP club. I am afraid many more of the recent applicants will be joining that club than most have anticipated.
Edit to Add Re Voting in Next Election:
I do not understand what is suggested about voting in next year's Federal election. There is NO DOUBT that the Liberals are the most immigrant friendly party. The Conservative Party approach was to impose draconian hurdles, engage in crackdowns on even minor technicalities, impose a huge increase in the presence-requirement for citizenship, and otherwise subject immigrants to heightened scrutiny at almost all stages of processing, from PR visas to Port-of-Entry examinations of returning PRs . . . and during Harper's majority government the ROUTINE processing time for citizenship applications increased to TWO YEARS PLUS, with scores of qualified applicants who should have been routinely processed subject to RQ and timelines that often exceeded THREE YEARS.
I tend to lean NDP except for strategic voting purposes, when applicable, but the NDP definitely leans in favour of protecting existing Canadian workers, which is good, except that this sometimes conflicts with otherwise pro-immigration policies. Overall, the Liberals tend to be more immigrant friendly but the NDP is immigrant friendly enough to warrant my support (usually) relative to other priorities.
BUT for sure, voting against the Liberals in the Federal election will almost certainly be COUNTER to support for progressive immigration and citizenship policies.