Received my citizenship on November 27th, 2015.
I first want to thank everyone on this site who contributes. It is extremely helpful. It's always comforting to know that someone else is in the same boat, and given all the questions and answers on this site there is generally always someone that helps in some capacity or another.
So, what I've learnt. I have not contributed a significant amount, since I didn't have the experience or knowledge others do, but I certainly learnt a lot!
1) First and foremost. When applying for citizenship, it seems that by FAR the most important is the length of time in Canada. Make 100% sure you meet ALL the residency requirements. My advice would be to even wait a few months to get that extra time in. It certainly will reduce the amount of time it takes. For example, if you apply with the exact amount of days, they will likely scrutinize EVERY stamp in your passport. And anything that looks suspicious in any capacity will just lengthen the time it takes. If you wait an extra few months to apply it's likely that you could reduce your wait time by a few months...potentially years.
2) Make sure you review your application well.. DON'T send in something that is even remotely incomplete. Send in a well prepared, easy to review application... don't send in more than you need to either (In my opinion)
3) Make sure you meet the language requirements, and ensure you're able to talk well to the person doing your interview. They do check that you're able to speak English or French.
Thanks for all the help!
I first want to thank everyone on this site who contributes. It is extremely helpful. It's always comforting to know that someone else is in the same boat, and given all the questions and answers on this site there is generally always someone that helps in some capacity or another.
So, what I've learnt. I have not contributed a significant amount, since I didn't have the experience or knowledge others do, but I certainly learnt a lot!
1) First and foremost. When applying for citizenship, it seems that by FAR the most important is the length of time in Canada. Make 100% sure you meet ALL the residency requirements. My advice would be to even wait a few months to get that extra time in. It certainly will reduce the amount of time it takes. For example, if you apply with the exact amount of days, they will likely scrutinize EVERY stamp in your passport. And anything that looks suspicious in any capacity will just lengthen the time it takes. If you wait an extra few months to apply it's likely that you could reduce your wait time by a few months...potentially years.
2) Make sure you review your application well.. DON'T send in something that is even remotely incomplete. Send in a well prepared, easy to review application... don't send in more than you need to either (In my opinion)
3) Make sure you meet the language requirements, and ensure you're able to talk well to the person doing your interview. They do check that you're able to speak English or French.
Thanks for all the help!
