What if I need to leave Canada while waiting for the decision and oath ceremony?

[Sisimaru1016]

On the IRCC website, it says "You must attend appointments and other events at our offices, like your:

• citizenship test (for applicants 18 to 54 years of age)
• interview or hearing
• ceremony

These events only take place in Canada. If you can’t attend the appointment or event, you must either e-mail or write to the local office that sent you the event notice. You can also use the online web form to contact us.



Currently, my background and test confirmed completed. Others pending.
I need to leave Canada for an extended period of time. 6-8 months, and will not keep the apartment that I applied from. What will happen if I contact them? What kind of arrangements will they make?

Thank you in advance!

 

[bellaluna]

They tend to allow applicants to take the test and interview abroad, and in very rare cases the oath. If not they will reschedule the oath for when you return to Canada and inform them.

 

[akbardxb]

They tend to allow applicants to take the test and interview abroad, and in very rare cases the oath. If not they will reschedule the oath for when you return to Canada and inform them.

Overseas oath are not 'very rare', they are practically non existent. In all my time on this forum, I've read only two cases of oath outside Canada and since those cases cannot be verified, so you have to take their info with a pinch of salt. A third case, claimed success, but disappeared when other members asked for more information.

 

[trumprefugee]

Beware that although they normally allow people to take test and interview outside Canada (after the applicant notifies them that they are abroad), once you inform IRCC that you are outside, they often put your application on hold until you notify them that you have returned. If you are lucky, you won't get interview and will just get everything else completed and then the oath invite, in which case you would not need to inform them that you are abroad. You will definitely need to come back for the oath and should preferably stay long enough at least to receive your certificate.

 

[Sisimaru1016]

Beware that although they normally allow people to take test and interview outside Canada (after the applicant notifies them that they are abroad), once you inform IRCC that you are outside, they often put your application on hold until you notify them that you have returned. If you are lucky, you won't get interview and will just get everything else completed and then the oath invite, in which case you would not need to inform them that you are abroad. You will definitely need to come back for the oath and should preferably stay long enough at least to receive your certificate.

Thank you!
Does the oath invite just inform me the date/time of the ceremony I need to attend, or ask me to choose the date and make an appointment?
i mean, what if I am still outside of Canada when I receive the oath invite?

 

[akbardxb]

Thank you!
Does the oath invite just inform me the date/time of the ceremony I need to attend, or ask me to choose the date and make an appointment?
i mean, what if I am still outside of Canada when I receive the oath invite?

Oath invites don't have an option to choose. You have a fixed date and time; either you make it or you don't.

If you take your test / interview outside Canada, the probability of a 'go slow' on your application is very high. There is no documentary evidence of this, but plenty of anecdotal evidence and a number of members here will vouch for this. If you get an online oath invite, while you are outside Canada, and you choose to go ahead, the first question asked will be 'are you physically in Canada'. If you say no, your oath will be postponed till you return and submit evidence of return to Canada. If you choose to say yes, while still outside, your risk misrepresentation - the consequences of which I don't have to describe.

 

[Sisimaru1016]

Thank you for the information.
Yeah, I can totally imagine my application bing tossed to the on hold bin indefinitely if I didn’t make it to the oath ceremony or inform them I am abroad. Better stay in Canada until the whole process is complete…

 

[CANADA-1]

Thank you!
Does the oath invite just inform me the date/time of the ceremony I need to attend, or ask me to choose the date and make an appointment?
i mean, what if I am still outside of Canada when I receive the oath invite?

JUST DATE AND TIME ONLY NOW BIG CHANCE IN PERSON TO ATTEND CEREMONY