CIMM – Citizenship and Passport – May 12, 2022

Key Messages

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has innovated significantly over the past two years and modernized citizenship and passport processes towards virtual and online services.
Modernization has included the implementation of video citizenship oath ceremonies, the online citizenship knowledge test, the electronic citizenship grant and proof applications and the self-serve citizenship application status tracker, as well as piloting an online passport intake solution for Canadians to securely access passport services online.
From April 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022, more than 250,000 clients have taken the online citizenship test, exceeding pre-COVID-19 levels and over 217,000 clients have become citizens surpassing the fiscal year target.
The Passport Program continues to deliver services throughout the pandemic and has adapted services to align with health and safety protocols. From April 2021 to March 31, 2022, passport services were delivered 81.5% within service standards.

On May 10, 2021, the Department launched a new online tool enabling citizenship clients to check the status of their grant application as it moves through the application process to the citizenship ceremony.
To date, over 612,000 citizenship grant applicants have been invited to create an account and more than 564,000 clients have activated Citizenship Tracker accounts, representing a 92% uptake.
IRCC continues to work on enhancements to the tool based on client feedback.

Due to interruptions in processing at the beginning of the pandemic, the grant inventory has grown from around 211,000 pre-pandemic to 429,000 as of March 31, 2022. Processing times have increased from 15 months pre-pandemic to 26 months.
To mitigate backlog growth, the Department has implemented and expanded several measures, including the online test in November 2020, video oath ceremonies in May 2020, and further initiatives to streamline processes. The grant e-application was also expanded on August 11, 2021, to all adult clients applying individually in order to minimize growth of the paper inventory, and facilitate remote processing and work-sharing. Development on the further expansion to minors and group applicants is currently underway.
We have made progress, processing more applications and moving people through the system faster. Over the 2021-2022 Fiscal Year, IRCC invited an average of over 5,700 clients per week to complete the online citizenship test, which exceeds pre-COVID-19 in-person testing rates.

Between April 1, 2021, and March 31, 2022, more than 221,000 applicants have attended video oath ceremonies. The Department invited an average of over 4,250 applicants weekly to do the Oath virtually which is comparable to in-person event volumes pre-COVID-19.
The online citizenship test has allowed aspiring Canadians to continue on their path to citizenship despite the challenges presented by the pandemic. From the launch of online testing in November 2020, more than 272,000 tests have been completed as of March 31, 2022.
In response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Call to Action 94, Bill C-8 was introduced and received Royal Assent on June 21, 2021. Canada’s Oath of Citizenship now recognizes the rights of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.

The Department formally launched online Proof of Citizenship and Search of Records e-applications on November 5, 2021 (after a soft launch before the pandemic) and as of March 31, 2022, more than 5,300 proof applications and over 960 search applications have been received via the electronic applications.
The Department is in the process of developing an electronic Citizenship Certificate solution.

The first stage of a small-scale controlled pilot has begun for online applications and is open to a select group of passport renewal applicants. The pilot tests the solution with a small known client group to perfect it before expanding to a wider audience.
Application processing will continue to be done in the departmental passport issuance system where all existing checks and verifications are conducted on a client’s eligibility, identity and entitlement to a Canadian passport. The privacy of Canadians and the security of their personal information is a top priority.

In July 2021, passport services resumed with mail-in services and urgent in-person services at all Service Canada Centre’s locations (34 Passport offices and 307 Service Canada Centres). As health and safety measures have continued to shift throughout the pandemic, the Program has responded accordingly and has continued to expand services to respond to the demand.
Currently, applicants can apply by mail or in-person via appointment at Passport offices, as well as by appointment or non-urgent walk-in at Service Canada Centres.
Global Affairs Canada’s (GAC) network abroad has continued to provide passport and citizenship services throughout the pandemic. However, the availability of in-person services are at times limited due to local public health restrictions. An online appointment booking system helps some offices abroad effectively manage capacity limits while continuing to deliver services.

The Department continues to work on updates to the citizenship study guide and knowledge test, in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action #93 to be more inclusive of the perspectives and history of the Indigenous peoples of Canada.
To better reflect Canada’s diversity in the guide and test, the Department consulted over 90 stakeholders from national Indigenous organizations, academia, settlement service providers, interest groups and communities.
A suite of learning materials will also be provided to better support Canadians and prospective Canadians to access required citizenship knowledge. Educational tools including workbooks, web-based practice tests, games, and learning resources have been designed with second-language learners, teachers, and settlement providers in mind, as well as several web-based practice tests, games, and learning resources.
At this time, a launch date for the revised guide and test has not yet been determined.

In response to Call to Action (CTA) 17, since May 30, 2021, IRCC allows clients to obtain a free replacement of an existing permanent resident card, citizenship certificate and passport in order to reclaim their Indigenous name. As of March 31, 2022, approximately 65 passports have been replaced through this initiative.
To date, there are no confirmed requests for replacement citizenship certificates in response to CTA 17.