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They don't know if anyone has left the country. It's impossible for them to track that... They only know when someone has left once they come back in.
Actually they can know if you left Canada to the US. The CBSA currently gets exit info from the US CBP. When I made a ATIP request of the CBSA for my travel records to prepare my physical presence calculation it reflected each time I entered the US under under a page designated exit travel it only went back to July 2019 I don’t think they were getting that info prior to that.
 
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While I was going through my ATIP notes today, noticed a due date next to activity: Eligibility - knowledge (January 06, 2023).

Is this when I should expect a test invite?
My background check is still in progress.
Thanks
Apparently they don't always abide by the due date they set for themselves....but I hope they do in your case. Please keep us updated.

Background check doesn't necessarily need to be complete before test invite.
 
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We received our test invite more than a year after applying - family of 3, paper application.

After the test, we waited for 6 more months to be invited for the oath on Dec 6.

It took us a year and half since we applied until the oath ceremony which was last week.

Hopefully, your wait will be over soon too.

Good luck!
 
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I am starting this thread in an attempt to bring together the minority of candidates who are clearly grossly delayed in their citizenship grant process, as evidenced by the fact that over 12 months have passed since application date, and our test invite is yet to come.

I have noticed when we post on the regular forums here, we are ignored. Unfortunately, it appears people who are waiting for oath or passport, don't really pay attention to our posts or offer any support or advice. Since people in our situation are very few and spread about this site, I am hoping to unify us here on the thread, so we can share our experience, find commonalities, identify strategies that may help move our cases along and simply support each other as we go through a frustrating wait.

Calling @manmoi31 @sambibi @Atextel to join this thread. Please also share with anyone else you know in our situation.

I'll start by sharing my story. I applied on October 31 2021. I received my AOR on Jan 27 2022. I left Canada on Feb 12 2022 and live with my husband in the US (we got married in Oct 2020, and my greencard got approved in Dec 2021), and kept IRCC informed of this. I have seen no progress whatsoever with my file. When I do get through to IRCC, they tell me my file is in Sydney, and processing is yet to begin. One officer in September told me background check is halfway done. But yeah, nothing is happening at all. One office told me I am delayed because I left Canada, but i know at least 5 other people in my exact same situation who got processed with 11 to 15 months. So I don't really believe that is the reason.

To add to the frustrations, Canada is not even processing my GCMS notes. I applied on Aug 31, and that too hasn't been sent to me, despite the 30 day deadline having long past, and IRCC being required to advise me of the reason and timeframe of any extension of said deadline. I have not heard from them at all...

I am racking my brain, about what can possibly be done in our situation. Any ideas??


Really sorry for this inordinate delay. Must be really frustrating. The only thing I would suggest is to please reach out to your local MP and ask them about this, especially in the light of the recent news that came out that many applications were assigned to inactive officers. I hope yours and others who are in the same situation as yours get some clarity on their application and it actually starts to move forward.
 
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Hi, just wondering when you ended up getting your citizenship? I’m in a similar situation, currently working abroad and IRCC seems to have put my file on hold since I don’t have a test invite and no answers when I call them up. What actions did you take to move your file?
Hi, I did get my citizenship on August 15 2023. You can see the steps taken in my signature.

Have you informed IRCC that you have moved abroad and do not have plans of returning to Canada?
 
Hi, I did get my citizenship on August 15 2023. You can see the steps taken in my signature.

Have you informed IRCC that you have moved abroad and do not have plans of returning to Canada?
Thanks so much for replying. I see in your signature that you filed an urgent processing request, on what grounds did you do that?

No I haven’t informed IRCC about working abroad. It’s a temporary contract and I will return at some point in the next few years. I have given them a Canadian address on file. I’m not sure if informing them is necessary as I remain fully available to travel to Canada if they call me for an interview/fingerprints or anything else.

What would you suggest I do in my case?
 
Thanks so much for replying. I see in your signature that you filed an urgent processing request, on what grounds did you do that?

No I haven’t informed IRCC about working abroad. It’s a temporary contract and I will return at some point in the next few years. I have given them a Canadian address on file. I’m not sure if informing them is necessary as I remain fully available to travel to Canada if they call me for an interview/fingerprints or anything else.

What would you suggest I do in my case?
Hi, my urgent processing request was based on mistakes IRCC made in my case that I found while reviewing my GCMS notes. I don't think it had any effect.

IRCC generally holds cases when people leave the country temporarily. They ask you inform them when you are back in the country, sometimes with proof, and then resume processing. However, if one leaves permanently, they do not hold the processing.

Refer to this: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigratio...-canadian-citizen/after-apply-next-steps.html

After you submit the Citizenship Application, you are required to inform IRCC if you leave Canada for more than 2 weeks.

You are also required to keep IRCC informed of your address change. So you SHOULD inform them you are living abroad and provide that address. Also provide a Canadian mailing address where they can send you communication, which can be a trusted family member's or friend's. They do not usually send physical mail, but they use this address to know which office will process your case, send you test and oath invite etc.

So correct these actions that you haven't taken.

You can tell them you no longer reside in Canada. Give your address in the country you live, and tell them you are available to travel to Canada for appointments. Tell them the date you intend to return (when contract is over), but they will likely not hold the application for years and just process it. When people are living abroad they usually also allow you take test, oath all remotely. They did for me.