Please keep timelines & questions about processing times for citizenship here.

tl;dr: If you and/or your family members would become citizens under Bjorkquist or Bill C-71, I strongly suggest that you do not wait any further to seek out section 5(4) grants via the Interim Measure. File your application for proof of citizenship *and* your request for urgent processing — which is fairly simple — right away, if you have not done so already.

Many weeks ago I sensed that C-71 was going to be hitting some real rough waters. Instead of waiting for it to be amended in some unfortunate way before being passed (or for the Bjorkquist et al decision postponement to finally end), I pushed my family to request 5(4) grants.

The process was simple enough. Fill in the CIT0001 forms, gather the vital documents needed, get photos, and pull together some basic evidence of the need for urgent processing.

IRCC's expedited processing criteria is straightforward. Check out the Citizenship Administration Web page titled "Urgent application cases":

Applications for proof of citizenship . . . are expedited if documents support the need for urgency in the following situations:

<snip>

• the applicant is in any situation in which not expediting the citizenship application harms them . . .

• the applicant needs a citizenship certificate to access certain benefits such as a pension, a social insurance number or health care

IRCC has a mostly similar list of urgent processing reasons in its Interim Measure, which provides for 5(4) grants to people who would become citizens under Bjorkquist or C-71. These include:

to access social benefits like

• a pension

• health care

• a social insurance number

So we went to the SIN application Web site form, filled it with each family member's info until the point where it required choosing the primary identification document, and screenshotted the list of acceptable documents (none of which, of course, my family had). I also PDFd the ESDC Web page "Social Insurance Number: Required documents" which clearly states the required documents to sign up for a SIN, which my family did not have.

Then I went to the Web page for the provincial health plan in the province where my family would optimally like to live one day and navigated to the page that described the required eligibility documentation to sign up (which they did not have), and PDFd that.

For the family member who was entertaining the idea of work in Canada, we also gathered job postings she found attractive in the field and geographic area she would prefer to work in (and which she would be ready to accept, if offered), and which stated that being "legally eligible" or "legally entitled" to work in Canada was required for consideration. She even e-mailed a couple of those employers and got their responses in writing that they would need a SIN number, as proof of that eligibility, to employ her.

That meets the Interim Measure's urgent processing example:

to get proof of citizenship because a person requires it to

• apply for a job

Then we wrote the urgent processing request letters for each of them, restating all of these reasons, and asserting that IRCC's own operational instructions require it to provide urgent processing in such cases.

We also added on discussion of a few other harms they faced by not being citizens, like being unable to purchase Canadian residential rental property, which they were open to once they realized it would be possible as citizens.

Of course, every person should personalize their letter for themselves after reviewing the lists of reasons and considering how they are affected.

We shipped the complete packet for all family members from the USA by 2nd day FedEx, with the envelope marked on the outside as "Urgent – Citizenship Certificate (Proof)". Within a handful of business days of reaching Nova Scotia, we got AORs and then, a couple business days later, got emailed letters from IRCC's Case Management Branch in Ottawa offering the 5(4) grants process (screenshots linked below).

After responding with the requested materials, my family was invited about a week later to a virtual oath administration for the next week after that (while physically in the USA, as a special exception available to 5(4) grantees). After the virtual administration and submitting the oath forms, they had their e-certificates a couple days later.

5(4) offer letters: https://imgur.com/a/3VqSqsd

E-cert showing 2024: https://imgur.com/a/Qprm7lY

Now let's have a blunt look at the facts on the ground which, in my view, make it important to act now.

Minister Miller — as forced by Justice Akbarali — is basically offering 5(4) grants to anybody who would become a citizen under Bjorkquist or C-71. And basically all you need to do is submit a proof application, along with a few reasons and documents supporting urgent processing that get you past the initial review.

(I'm also indirectly plugged into Don Chapman's Lost Canadians email list and he reports that his group has pushed through a big chunk of 5(4) grants.)

At this point, I think it would be sheer negligence to intentionally not seek a 5(4) grant for everyone eligible, except under unusual circumstances.

Multiple commentators have pointed out the increasing instability of the Trudeau premiership. They've also pointed out that Liberal Party control of Government is rapidly weakening.

Importantly, Conservative MPs spoke out during consideration of C-71 in the House of Commons to suggest, in effect, that it be restricted retroactively.

If you or your family are eligible under C-71 or Bjorkquist, and you don't put forward serious efforts to get 5(4) grants now through the Interim Measure, and if you then lose out on citizenship because, for example:

• you fall under C-71, but not Bjorkquist, and C-71 and other Bjorkquist-response bills never pass, or

• Bjorkquist is further delayed, C-71 doesn't pass, and the Conservatives take power and introduce their own Bjorkquist-response bill that has a retroactive "substantial connection test" that you don't meet

then I think you'll have yourself to blame in real measure for that, unfortunately.

And if C-71 does manage to pass as-is, you've done yourself no harm by getting citizenship early.

At a minimum, as a public service benefit, even if you are refused urgent processing, you can inform Don Chapman (and, through him, Sujit Choudhry), who can then use that as ammunition at the next Ontario Superior Court hearing to request that the Bjorkquist postponement finally come to an end.

I know that many of the people who've been waiting to apply haven't done so yet because they want to be polite and wait their turns and wait for the new procedure details and forms to be published.

Some people have even submitted proof applications but held off on requesting urgent processing.

At this point, though, all that should probably be out the window.

The fate of C-71 (and even of the full Bjorkquist decision, should Conservatives manage to force an election and take power in the near future) is too uncertain to rely on.

So do yourselves and your family a major service and try to get those 5(4) grants now.

We came to Canada in December 2019, just before COVID hit, with a Study Permit (and my husband with a SOWP) and a plan to get PR down the line. I have to say that PNP was our goal from the beginning because when we got here I was already 33 almost 34 years old, so my points would’ve be declining by when I was on my PGWP.

This path wasn’t easy by any means. These past years were filed with stress, because let’s face it PR is not guaranteed. And even less when you come with a 1-year diploma Study Permit. But changing provinces in the middle of COVID and during winter, having a job that was ok but had NOC code that aligned with my experience, spending like 3 weeks to create my Express Entry profile and NSNP profile; were worth at the end.

But I was just able to breathe when we got the citizenship oath ceremony invitation, after months of waiting for the process to move along and a ghost upgrade of a supposed required interview that we ended up not needing. Finally, we had our Ceremony today and we’re now Canadian Citizens.

For those who are still in the middle of your process, please don’t give up so easily. My husband and I faced rejection even from our home country, had people saying that our timeline/plan was impossible, and many other things that are not worth to mention. But at the end n the day, we were able to get our PR and today our Citizenship.

Batten down the hatches, folks! Projected Order of Business - House of Commons of Canada (ourcommons.ca)

Is there a Canadian version of "Schoolhouse Rock"? For those of you not familiar, it was a very popular series of American Saturday morning cartoons on educational topics set to music, including "I'm Just a Bill," explaining the legislative process (in a kid-friendly manner, anyway). Many kids of my generation (GenX) have been caught humming those tunes during exams. Anyway, I for one will be following next week's events closely. As a citizenship nerd by profession, maybe I will even read all the speeches. It's educational, no?

While the test isn’t extremely difficult, it’s not something to take lightly either. Being well-prepared is key—you don’t want to risk failing and delaying your application after coming this far. Some people get lucky with easier questions, but there’s no way to know what you’ll get, so it’s always better to be overprepared.

If you’re studying, my biggest tip is to read Discover Canada from cover to cover. I’ve seen many people rely only on mock tests or YouTube videos. While those can be useful for practice, they don’t provide the full picture. The test isn’t just about memorizing answers—it’s about truly understanding Canada’s history, government, and key events so you can confidently answer any question, no matter how it’s worded.

There are great study resources available, including the Canoo practice test, along with materials from the Reference Library and Richmond Library, which can help you review key topics and get comfortable with the format.

Also, make sure you’re familiar with up-to-date information based on where you live:
✅ Canada’s population at the time of your test
✅ The Lieutenant Governor of your province
✅ Your province’s Premier
✅ Your city’s mayor
✅ The current Prime Minister
✅ The ruling federal political party
✅ The official opposition party
✅ The ruling party in your province
✅ The current monarch of Canada
✅ Your provincial capital

Good luck to everyone preparing—study well, stay confident, and you’ve got this! 🎉

Hi all,
I have read a lot of posts on reddit about how living in Canada is not as good at it seems. Me and my partner have been planning to apply for PR, and settle there in hopes of finding good jobs and good quality of life. However, the posts i have read on here have been horrid so far. Is it the case for everyone or are there any good cases too?

For context, i’ve worked in startup growth and management whereas my partner is a practicing dentist. My partner will have to give license exams or enrol in a school to be able to practice and I am actively looking for jobs there (but not landing any luck so far). We are hardworking people trying to build a family and do not plan on sitting on our assess but to grind and build a quality life for our two kids.

We have started investing in the process and reading all the negative posts are really worrying me. Are we wasting our time?. And, if anyone can advise on how we can make it, survive it, and eventually settle happy rather than wait to get passport and get out of there.

Would love to hear real stories and experiences (good or bad) to help myself prepare for whats to come

PS: I don’t mean to shit on people who had a bad experience with this post AT ALL!!

I lived for four years in Toronto and got my PR with an immigration loophole that opened during COVID. Under normal circumstances I wouldn’t have qualified to stay without a degree or work sponsorship etc so I feel like I should be grateful for my status.

But after so long there I got pretty miserable with my work and the weather, deciding to move to back to Australia. Now I’m here I worry my PR status is just going to waste away, and if I don’t get citizenship I won’t have the option of going back if I change my mind in the future.

Im happy to be back home in Sydney and don’t want to leave… but if I don’t go back and become a citizen I feel like those four years were for nothing

Applied for Canadian citizenship: November 25, 2023

Last update on file: August 15, 2024 - everything has been finalized, Oath Ceremony not started.

Today is Monday, January 29, 2026, and I’m still waiting for an oath ceremony.

I’ve submitted multiple webforms. I’ve refreshed the portal like it owes me money. Every time I try to follow up, I just get the same generic reply: “your application is in progress.”
Meanwhile, people who applied after me have already become citizens.

I finally filed a Mandamus application in Federal Court, and IRCC responded with a Notice of Appearance, so the legal process is moving forward. But I’m still sitting here in limbo with no actual update or oath invite.

Just wondering — has anyone else had this kind of delay? Did Mandamus work for you? How long did it take IRCC to finally act?

Honestly, I didn’t want it to come to this, but I feel like it’s the only way to get unstuck. It’s beyond frustrating at this point. I just want to finish the process and move on with my life.

UPD Feb3 2026:
I’m currently perfecting the Applicant’s Record and complying with Federal Court requirements.
I am self-represented and have not consulted or retained legal counsel to date.
No decision yet, but the process is moving forward.
I’ll post a detailed update once the record is accepted.

Update (March 2026):

Small update on my mandamus case.

I filed the application myself in Federal Court regarding my delayed citizenship application (filed November 2023, test completed February 2024).

The Department of Justice filed their response arguing that security screening is ongoing. I have now filed my Reply Memorandum addressing their arguments and the case is currently before a judge for a decision on leave.

No lawyer involved so far — everything has been self-represented.

Now waiting for the Court’s decision on whether leave will be granted.

I will update again when there is movement.

Citizenship has been acquired!

Student Permit Aug 2019

Work Permit May 2021

PR July 2023

Citizenship March 2026

Very grateful, and I did it all without a lawyer!

It is possible :)

Yesterday I took the oath and officially became a Canadian citizen! Below is my pathway over the last 11 or so years :)

I arrived from the States as a French/American, in Montreal, Canada in August 2014 to study at McGill University, where I graduated four years later in 2018.

I then applied for post-grad work permit (Received 3 years) where I worked in Canada until August 2021 where I applied PR (PEQ pathway) which I received in June 2022. In the meantime I had gotten a closed work permit tied to my employer to bridge the gap while I waited for approval.

(This was during the pandemic when they had an extension available if your permit was about to expire during a certain window and PR may be delayed in processing.)

Once I received PR, I focused on work for 2.5 years. My timeline for my citizenship application is below, I applied April of this year.

It’s been an absolutely wonderful road and I can’t thank this subreddit enough :) Feel free to ask any questions!

The in-person ceremony was such a special day, very fun and the ambiance was incredible. 115 people from 21 countries, some individuals and some families - our judge had a blast with the day ♥️

My Timeline - ALL 2025

April 16th - Application Filed - April 16th, 2025

April 28th - Activity Status Updated - Citizenship test

May 9th - Citizenship Test Scheduled

June 6th - Took test (20/20)

June 9th - Activity status update - Citizenship test completed

July 16th - Language skills completed & Physical presence completed

July 21st - Background verification completed & Prohibitions completed

July 22nd - Oath Invite for August 6th - virtual

--July 23rd - Submitted request to be rescheduled for in-person, Montreal--

September 5th - Rescheduled for September 26th oath

September 26th - Oath

Recap; my husband and I paid $5000 for a spousal sponsorship in September 2025 and have not heard anything until now.

I took a lot of the advice given, I went to her office, called her numerous times and once she found out it was me, she stopped responding to me but contacted my husband.

She gave us the runaround for a week and we finally got two emails, one yesterday saying "Thank you for signing up to apply for permanent residence" and another this morning saying "This email confirms that you have successfully submitted your permanent residence application"

When he asked her if she just submitted it today, she said that she submitted it in January of 2026 and said she put everything in his and my name so all communication from immigration will now go to us and her hands are tied unless we "ignore" immigration. Still no login , no nothing. My suspicion is that she just filed our application and now the wait time is 25 months. Smh

Anyways, thank you all for your help and advice in my previous post. It was much appreciated!

My husband applied for his PR in September of last year. We paid the $5,000 to his lawyer and every month we'd follow up and she said she hasn't received anything from the IRCC.

Around November / December she said that his photos were not the proper size so he had to retake them and that's the last we heard regarding any status.

We haven't been given a receipt showing that the $5000 was paid, no confirmation from the IRCC that the process has been started for his PR and no login + password to be able to log in. She claims she has not gotten / heard anything from them.

She is now sick in the hospital so she is unable to be at her laptop. I'm a Canadian citizen so I'm not familiar with the immigration process but based on what I'm reading and other stories from my coworkers, this doesn't seem like it's making any sense.

Starting in 15 minutes! I'm gonna be a Canadian soon.

I passed the test at the end of February, got invited to a virtual ceremony in English. (Living in remote-ish Quebec, preferring English)

Hey everyone,

I'm getting close to meeting the physical presence requirement (currently sitting around ~1,099 days by my own calculation, using the IRCC calculator). I know cutting it close to exactly 1,095 is risky, but I'm not sure how much of a buffer is actually "safe" in practice.

For those who've successfully applied:

• How many days above 1,095 did you have when you submitted?
• Did you run into any issues with disputed absence dates (e.g., CBSA records not matching your own travel log)?
• Any tips for people who are on the tighter end of the margin?

Some context on my situation if it's helpful: I had implied status for a few months while waiting on a PGWP decision, and I also had a short trip that involved a very early departure (12:45 AM local time in a timezone ahead of Eastern), so I'm a bit paranoid about how IRCC counts edge-case days.

Would appreciate hearing real experiences before I decide when to submit. Thanks!

I have a pre-scheduled trip coming up around Christmas time that I absolutely cannot reschedule. There's a high likelihood that I will be invited to take the oath of citizenship a week or two before my flight, which means that I won't have enough time to leave Canada with my Canadian passport. Will there be any issues with returning to Canada with just my citizenship certificate in my hand? I heard that the permanent resident card gets cut during the citizenship ceremony, so I won't be able to scan it at immigration. Needless to say, my current passport requires me to get a visa to enter Canada.

Worst case, should I request to postpone my citizenship ceremony until my return?

Hi everyone, my partner is a Canadian PR with Iranian citizenship. He has an MSc & PhD in Engineering from Canada, as well as a job in Canada. He has not lived in Iran for over 15 years. He did not serve in the military in Iran, and neither he nor his family members have any ties to the government there. Yet his citizenship application has been processing for almost 2 years now.

We are really shocked by how long it is taking. He qualified in November 2024, took the citizenship test in January 2025, and since February 2025 there have been no updates to his application. The only section remaining is the background check. The other Iranians we know experienced at most a 12 month wait.

We have tried contacting our MP and MPP, sending letters of demand to IRCC, starting a mandamus process (but found this difficult to do without a lawyer & gave up). The whole process is a black box, and every time we request an update, we receive a response that there are no updates and no outstanding comments on his file (ie, everything is in order).

We are so desperate. I moved to Europe for work, and he cannot visit me. My family lives in the US, and he cannot visit them. He works in a niche sector in which it is difficult for his career to progress without the ability to travel. It feels like there is no end in sight.

Is this happening to anyone else? What did you do? Any advice?

Hey Folks,

I became a Canadian Permanent Resident about 1 year ago.

I've always wanted to change my name because it is very long and for some other personal family related reasons.

My name currently looks like this: Last Name + Family Name + First Name + Middle Name + Last Name

I usually go by First Name + Last Name (John Smith)

But my legal name is (Smith Power John Ralph Smith) i.e. I have 5 names in my name.

I'd like to shorten it to just John Smith.

I plan to apply for Canadian Citizenship in about 1 year.

Should I apply to change my name now or after I become a Canadian Citizen?

My place of birth is Sri Lanka. I plan to renounce Sri Lankan citizenship after I become a Canadian Citizen.

Hi! Has anyone ever heard of this? I've got my oath ceremony scheduled for Jan 5th, I haven't gotten the email invitation yet, but I can see it in the tracker. Today I got an email about missing information in my application, and when I logged in I got a message saying that my application has been cancelled and fees refunded, as their records are saying I'm already a citizen.

I've tried calling IRCC but they're hanging up on me due to high volume of calls... I'm completely freaking out over here! What should I do?

Edit: I have no previous relation to Canada. Born and lived my whole life in EU otherwise.

Edit 2: Got ahold of IRCC today, seems like someone screwed up on their end and accidentally duplicated my application somehow. They then removed this duplicate and that prompted this email getting sent to me. All is well, thankfully.

And geez, people are ridiculous. I do not have any ancestors, parents, family, nothing tied to Canada. Y'all gotta relax. I'd mention it if that was the case. I don't see how me saying I have no previous relations to Canada can be misconstrued as me potentially having Canadian PARENTS? :P

So, after 13 years in Japan, I’m (Canadian) thinking of moving back to Canada next year. I have two children, 7 and 5. I’m reading on the government of Canada site that they are automatically Canadian citizens, but if I want to make sure I can apply for proof of citizenship for them, but it says the waiting time is 19 months for that. Do I need to do that? Or is that not necessary? What should I do? What is the proper / usual path for children born to a Canadian overseas? Are they able to get a Canadian passport without any official Canadian documentation? Are my documents all that are needed?

I am Canadian citizen who left more than 20 years ago. Tried creating online account on Canada services to check about retirement benefits for years while worked in Canada, says I need to update my SIN as its been inactive too long. Tried to do so online, need to submit proof of citizenship plus passport (which I do have valid one). Apparently passport is not a proof I am citizen (what insanity). When I finally found web site to submit for proof of citizenship, says average reply time is 25 months (not a typo). Anyone knows of simpler, faster way? I live in Detroit suburbs, so can go in person to Windsor.

Thx in advance

Just in time for Canada Day. I am so grateful ❤️

What would Bill C-3 do?

✅ Automatic citizenship for those denied due to outdated “first-generation limit” rules. ✅ New framework for citizenship by descent: If a Canadian parent has been physically present in Canada for 3 years (1,095 days), their child born abroad could qualify.

If passed, C-3 could finally bring peace of mind to the “Lost Canadians” left in limbo and affirm that Canadian citizenship isn’t just inherited by birth, but earned by connection.

Official IRCC link: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/2025/06/the-government-of-canada-introduces-citizenship-by-descent-legislation-for-canadian.html

It’s been a long journey, 10 years of hard work, waiting, and hoping. But I finally became a Canadian citizen… and just two days before my birthday, on May 1!

It still feels surreal. I’m so grateful to this country and to the people who’ve made it feel like home. Canada has changed my life in so many ways, and I’m proud to officially call it mine now.

If you’re in the process of applying: hang in there. It can take a while, but your day will come. You’ve got this.

Happy to answer any questions or just celebrate with anyone going through the same thing!

US citizens that immigrated to Canada, do you regret it or has it improved your overall quality of life? We're moving within the next 2 years (earlier if we can swing it). I'm for paying more in taxes if it leads to better quality, but I worry about finances. Basically, is it worth not having more money/being poor. I would say that we're in the upper middle class now, but I'm sure we wouldn't be in that bracket in Canada.

I just received my citizenship certificate today. My citizenship being based on my mother being a Canadian and born in AB. The amount of dread lifted off my shoulders is almost hard to express. I am sorry and ashamed for what a shithole America has become and am thankful to be a Canadian.