OT- how long did it take you to get your Canadian Citizenship?

[Claud26]

along the lines of the passport question...
I've send of my applicating for Canadian Citizenship a months ago exactly and am hoping to be Canadian before our Trip in December. Not that it makes a big deal, It would make things a lot easier when crosing in Buffalo.
Last time was such a hassle with two little ones and in the Cold December having to wait to get finger printed.
ANYWAY ... just wondring how long it took other people

 

[mom_rules]

Put our immigration application in June 2006 and still have not heard from them.
Heard they are starting to process June 2006 now (Mar 2007).

Hope you have better luck with your citizenship!
Their website says processing for routine application is 12-15 months.

 

[Claud26]

yeah... some people get everything done in 6months .. i'm hoping since i've been here for 20 yrs they could speed it up a bit ... not to mention all my family is now and have been for some time Canadian.

 

[Northstar]

Just getting around to filing the paperwork now. I don't mind how long it might take, though... except I guess I won't be voting in the next election! I've already made out my guest list for my Canadian-at-last party which will go much better if it's summer and we can throw it outdoors so I hope it will take a year!

Another funny note on citizenship... DD (age 8 and a born-in-Canada Canadian citizen)'s school was doing a year focused on Citizenship and I thought it might be cool to organize an Affirmation of Citizenship ceremony. This is a ceremony where those who ARE Canadian citizens reaffirm their citizenship by taking the citizenship oath...supposed to be a celebration of Canadianness, right? Well, when I showed the oath to some parents around school, they about had a fit about the bits about the Queen! Said that wasn't what THEY thought citizenship was about and they would be embarrassed to take that oath! So we never organized the ceremony. A bit of irony in that I'll be taking that oath myself. (Sorry, Your Majesty... I really have nothing against you personally or in your role as queeen, it's just that the language in the oath seems a little out of touch with my Canada)

 

[RoyalCanadian]

Northstar -- could you please post a copy of or a link to the particular citizenship oath. I, for one, don't mind swearing allegiance to Her Majesty. She is, after all, the Queen of Canada. I did swear allegiance to the Queen when I was inducted into the Canadian Forces Reserves and don't recall being absolved of those responsibilities when I was released.

 

[DisFan2]

OATH OF CITIZENSHIP

I swear (or affirm) that I will be faithful
and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty
Queen Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Canada,
Her Heirs and Successors, and that I will faithfully
observe the laws of Canada
and fulfil my duties as a Canadian citizen.

Here's the link.

You've always gotta pledge allegiance to something - would you rather it be to the Queen, or the flag?

ie.

I pledge allegiance to the Flag
of the United States of America,
and to the Republic for which it stands:
one Nation under God, indivisible,
With Liberty and Justice for all.

 

[Northstar]

OATH OF CITIZENSHIP

You've always gotta pledge allegiance to something - would you rather it be to the Queen, or the flag?

That's exactly how I felt... I spent my whole youth pledging allegiance to a bit of fabric, so what's so wrong with the monarchy? A symbol is a symbol. The allegiance is to the country, the flag... or Queen... is the visible symbol of it. I think the Oath was just a bit shocking to some Canadians because they hadn't heard it before and weren't used to thinking of the Queen as a symbol of Canada.

 

[RoyalCanadian]

That's exactly how I felt... I spent my whole youth pledging allegiance to a bit of fabric, so what's so wrong with the monarchy? A symbol is a symbol. The allegiance is to the country, the flag... or Queen... is the visible symbol of it. I think the Oath was just a bit shocking to some Canadians because they hadn't heard it before and weren't used to thinking of the Queen as a symbol of Canada.

It is surprising to discover just how many people have no clue that HM QE2 is the Queen of Canada just as much as she is the Queen of England, Scotland, Northern Ireland & Wales and all the other "pink bits" on the map. It is the Queen who, through her representatives (i.e. The Governor-General or the Lieutenant-Governors) give final assent to all bills passed into law by our legislatures. It is not the prosecuting attorney who faces you in court, it is the crown attorney -- who represents the Queen. Long may she reign.

 

[PrincessNED]

Took me about 9 months to get my citizenship.

no paperwork either

 

[F4disneyfan]

Even as a Canadian I would still be happy to take the oath of Canada.

 

[mom_rules]

Just received word that they are beginning to process our application!

 

[Claud26]

Just received word that they are beginning to process our application!

Congratulations !!

I also just recieved notice that they are beginning to process my application!!

 

[mom_rules]

They sound like they went in about the same time-let's hope it's not long now

 

[Claud26]

I heard it's only taking them 6-8 months not to process an application!!
Keeping my fingers crossed that this is true.

 

[ontario2orlando]

I hope your applications don't take too long to process. My total time through the immigration process was from 4/2002-10/2006. I am now so excited to go back to the US! For the longest time we were told I might not get back in Canada because I was an applicant. It didn't make much sense, but was enough to scare us. Now that I'm a PR so much has opened up.

Things may be different for PRs going for Citizenship. I have two years to wait for that. I am considering citizenship. Anyone know if my US citizenship allows that.

 

[nelljay1973]

I was fortunate I would say..both my permanent residency and citizenship applications were done in six months.

 

[mom_rules]

I was fortunate I would say..both my permanent residency and citizenship applications were done in six months.

Wow! That's excellent-been 2-1/2 years in total so far.

What did they ask you when you went for your interview?

I think that's were I'm heading next.

 

[ontario2orlando]

Can I ask, did you ever have trouble traveling? I had always been told that traveling was a bad idea. That there was a chance I could be refused reentry even though I am American. Seeing that other immigrants travelled freely leaves me dishearted and a bit miffed...Thanks

 

[mom_rules]

Never had a problem leaving the country but always get the "third degree" coming back.
Once they see the copies of the completed immigration forms (before they were processed), they'd ask a few more questions but then let us in anyway.
Yes, you are always taking a chance that you'll get an officer on an "Off" day.

 

[hishamkinda]

Hi every body
does any body knows how long it takes from the test to oath, I applied for the canadian citizenship in may and did my test in september and about one month and one week passed and nothing happened ,does it take this long?
every thing should be done and this is just a formality.
does any body know
thanks