What to anticipate throughout your Canadian citizenship ceremony…

In your final step in changing into naturalized as a Canadian citizen, you’ll attend a citizenship ceremony.

On the Canadian citizenship ceremony, you’ll sing the nationwide anthem and recite the oath of citizenship.

Upon finishing the ceremony, you will turn out to be a Canadian citizen, gaining all related rights and duties.

Schedule a Free Canadian Citizenship Session with the Cohen Immigration
Legislation Agency

What does the ceremony entail?

Whereas citizenship ceremonies can range barely person-to-person, you possibly can typically anticipate to

The ceremony may characteristic particular visitors or visitor audio system, similar to elected officers (in-person solely), Indigenous members, neighborhood members, and performers.

The place will the ceremony happen?

Citizenship ceremonies are performed both

The format of your citizenship ceremony is set by IRCC and laid out in your official invitation. Do you have to want to attend in an alternate format, chances are you’ll request to reschedule your ceremony.

The citizenship ceremony invitation

Along with the ceremony format, your invitation will embody the next particulars pertaining to your ceremony:

• The date it can happen;
• The time it is best to arrive and the anticipated general period time;
• The bodily location (in-person ceremonies) or a videoconference hyperlink (digital ceremonies);
• A permission launch and consent type for images and movies (in-person ceremonies);
• The language wherein it can happen (principally French, principally English, or bilingual); and
• Your seat quantity and OAC type (for digital ceremonies solely); and
• Methods to reschedule your ceremony if wanted.

You’ll obtain your invitation in one in every of 3 ways: by electronic mail (if offered in your utility), by cellphone (if no electronic mail is on file), or by mail (if they’ll’t attain you in any other case).

Whereas wait time for invites range person-to-person, IRCC notes that you’ll obtain your invitation no less than one week earlier than the date of your scheduled ceremony.

You possibly can verify the standing of your utility by IRCC’s Software Standing Tracker software—however solely when you’ve acquired your acknowledgement of receipt (AOR) letter or electronic mail.

What to carry to the citizenship ceremony

IRCC expects you to carry the next paperwork to your citizenship ceremony:

• Your ceremony invitation;
• Your PR card (even when expired) or your Affirmation of Everlasting Residence (COPR);
• Two items of identification that options your photograph and signature;
  • You could, amongst different issues, use your PR card, overseas passport or ID, and/or Canadian well being card or driver’s license to fulfil this requirement;
• Your file of touchdown, for those who turned a everlasting resident earlier than June 28, 2002, and nonetheless have it;
• A pair of scissors to chop up your PR card (digital ceremonies solely); and
• A signed copy of the permission launch and consent type (if relevant).

Optionally, you may additionally carry a water bottle, a cell phone or digicam, and a holy e-book of your alternative, for those who want to use one to swear the oath of citizenship.

Schedule a Free Canadian Citizenship Session with the Cohen Immigration
Legislation Agency

In-person citizenship ceremonies

At your designated time and site, you can be directed to the registration desk for id and Canadian citizenship eligibility verification, and to submit your PR card and signed consent type.

You might be entitled to have your id verified in a personal room in case you have a face overlaying or medical masks—however it’s essential to take away it briefly.

Following registration, you’ll wait within the citizenship room till all citizenship candidates are registered. The wait time will depend on the variety of candidates attending.

As soon as all citizenship candidates have registered, a presiding official (similar to a citizenship decide) and an IRCC official may have you are taking the oath of citizenship and sing the nationwide anthem.

Through the ceremony, you can be requested to signal the OAC type to verify you are taking the oath.

On the finish of the ceremony, you’ll obtain your citizenship certificates (if in paper type), be congratulated, and formally turn out to be a Canadian citizen.

A reception could also be held, and members of the media could also be current to seize the event.

In-person ceremony guidelines

If you’re attending an in-person ceremony, you can be required to abide by the next guidelines:

• Keep away from sporting scented merchandise similar to fragrance or cologne;
• Stand when taking the oath of citizenship and throughout the singing of “O Canada”; and
• Keep away from taking photos till the top of the ceremony upon being knowledgeable it’s okay to take action—for private use solely.

Digital citizenship ceremonies

On the date and time indicated in your invitation, use the hyperlink offered to attend the ceremony through the videoconference specified. Your invitation will embody your seat quantity—exchange your display identify with this quantity to guard your privateness.

Earlier than becoming a member of, you will need to make sure that your system has a dependable web connection and a working digicam and audio system.

You can be positioned in a “ready room” till you’re let into the ceremony. This could take as much as 30+ minutes, significantly in case you are half of a bigger ceremony the place 100+ citizenship candidates are current.

Throughout this part, you can be invited to a personal room to confirm your id (at which level it’s essential to briefly take away any face coverings or medical masks), your eligibility for citizenship will probably be reviewed, and you can be noticed as you narrow up your PR card.

As soon as all candidates are registered, you can be let in to the digital ceremony room, the place a presiding official and an IRCC official will oversee the video and administer the oath—in addition to the singing of “O Canada.”

As soon as the ceremony concludes, you’ll signal and submit the OAC included in your invitation and will probably be knowledgeable of when you possibly can anticipate to obtain your Canadian citizenship certificates.

Digital ceremony guidelines

IRCC expects you to abide by the next guidelines pertaining to digital ceremonies:

• Don’t share your videoconference hyperlink with anybody;
• Use an genuine background—that’s, take away any digital backgrounds;
• Guarantee your head and shoulders are seen within the body;
• Be in a quiet space freed from noises or disruptions;
• Stabilize your system and keep away from attending whereas doing any distracting or harmful actions (similar to working a car);
• Chorus from taking images or recordings;
  • You could take images/movies on the finish of the ceremony (for private use), however not throughout registration or whereas the ceremony is going down.
• Stay seated whereas the ceremony is in progress, together with throughout the oath taking and singing of the nationwide anthem.

You might be required to stay seen on display for the whole lot of the citizenship ceremony.

Your visitors may be current within the room with you permitted they don’t be part of on a separate system or disturb the proceedings in any means.

Each ceremony varieties: IRCC expects you to behave and gown in an applicable and respectful method, and recommends you put on enterprise apparel; conventional or spiritual gown and head coverings are permitted.

You might be permitted to carry associates, members of the family, and youngsters to the ceremony.

Schedule a Free Canadian Citizenship Session with the Cohen Immigration
Legislation Agency

The oath of citizenship

These aged 14 and older are required to take the oath of citizenship; if beneath the age of 14, taking the oath just isn’t required.

Minors aged 14 to 17 are inspired to be accompanied by the mother or father or guardian who submitted their utility, to assist them reply questions.

The oath will probably be administered in each English and French. You could recite it within the language you are most comfy with, although you are inspired to say it in each.

IRCC recommends training the oath in a single or each of Canada’s official languages previous to attending the ceremony.

As beforehand talked about, it’s essential to stay seated all through the taking of the oath if attending just about; if at an in-person ceremony, you’re required to face till completion.

Should you want lodging for the oath, you possibly can contact IRCC with an in depth rationalization of what you require.

If eligible, you possibly can request a waiver to exempt you from the taking of the oath.

Canadian citizenship certificates

The Canadian citizenship certificates serves as official proof of your Canadian citizenship and signifies the date it was granted.

The Canadian authorities stopped issuing citizenship playing cards in 2012. Anybody who obtains Canadian citizenship from 2012 onward will obtain one of many following:

• A paper citizenship certificates; or
• An digital certificates (e-certificate).

While you submit your citizenship utility, you select your desire —that is then confirmed on the ceremony.

When and the way you get your certificates relies on which sort of certificates you need and the kind of ceremony you attended:

* When you have not acquired your certificates inside six weeks, chances are you’ll contact IRCC to request a substitute.

When you get your certificates, verify that the non-public data on the back and front is correct.

If an error was made within the issuance of the certificates, chances are you’ll request a brand new one at no cost inside 90 days.

Should you go for a paper certificates, don’t laminate it or place a plastic coating on it. This may occasionally injury the certificates.

The citizenship certificates doesn’t function a journey doc. Should you intend to journey outdoors Canada, it is best to apply for a Canadian passport.

Schedule a Free Canadian Citizenship Session with the Cohen Immigration
Legislation Agency