INAN - Citizenship Processing - Jan 28, 2021
Key messages
- The Department implemented a new approach to continue processing applications during COVID-19 restrictions, such as the use of virtual processing to respond to urgent cases.
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada began holding virtual citizenship ceremonies in April 2020, beginning with individuals and families who had contacted the Department noting an urgent need, due to employment requirements, for example.
- From April 1 to December 31, 2020, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada swore in or affirmed over 47,400 new Canadian citizens in over 9,000 ceremonies.
- On November 26, 2020, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada announced the launch of the online citizenship knowledge test. By the end of 2020, the Department had sent over 5,000 invitations to clients in the test-ready inventory to take the test online.
- The platform is being tested over the next few months. During the period of the initial launch, a limited number of clients are being invited to take the online test, and system performance will be monitored closely. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada will contact clients on a first-come, first-served basis.
Supplementary messages
Citizenship Grant Processing
- The Department recognizes the impact COVID-19 has had on operations. Before the pandemic, citizenship tests and ceremonies were held in-person in group events in offices throughout the country.
- Since the beginning of COVID-19, the Department has been working on innovative ways of processing citizenship grant applications to limit the number of in-person events and move towards virtual processing to the extent possible.
- Over 47,400 clients have become new citizens between April 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020. In 2020, high profile, multi-participant virtual ceremonies took place on World Refugee Day (June 20), Canada Day (July 1) and Human Rights Day (December 10), which commemorated the five-year anniversary of the start of Operation Syrian Refugees. Minister Mendicino administered the Oath of Citizenship at all of these ceremonies.
- On November 26, 2020, the Department sent invitations to clients who were test-ready to take the citizenship knowledge test online. The new online test platform was activated on December 1, 2020 and by the end of 2020, over 5,000 clients had been invited to take the test online.
- In 2021, the Department will continue to gradually invite clients on a first-come, first-serve basis, with priority given to urgent clients.
- On November 30, 2020, the Department launched the initial phase of the citizenship grant electronic application (e-application). In this initial phase, approximately 10% of randomly determined citizenship grant applicants visiting the Department’s website see the option to complete an e-application. Those who choose to continue with an e-application are required to answer and pass a set of screening questions before proceeding.
- Overall, the cancellation of citizenship events is having a considerable impact on processing times, which has increased to 16 months as of December 31, 2020, despite our ministerial commitment to process applications in 12 months.
Citizenship Certificates (Proof of Citizenship) Processing
- Urgent proofs (certificates) of citizenship continue to be processed for repatriation efforts within two business days.
- While the Department scaled down its operations due to COVID-19, between April 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020, over 19,000 proofs of citizenship were issued. This is possible, given there is no requirement to appear in-person for this process. Urgent proofs (certificates) of citizenship also continue to be processed for repatriation efforts within two business days.
Supporting facts and figures
- Over 108,900 applicants became new citizens between January 1 and December 30, 2020. In 2019, there were over 249,700 new citizens.
- As of December 31, 2020, there were 287,700 applications in the citizenship grant inventory and over 22,300 applications for proof of certificates.
January 1 – December 31, 2019 | January 1 – December 31, 2020 | |
---|---|---|
Grants | 250,502 | 82,170 |
Proofs | 38,314 | 29,788 |
New Citizens | 249,766 | 108,974 |
December 2019 | December 2020 | |
---|---|---|
Grant Inventory | 211,930 | 287,700 |
Proof Inventory | 23,951 | 22,382 |
Background
Business Resumption Plan
The Department has developed a Business Resumption Plan for the Citizenship Program. The plan includes a list of measures for the strategic resumption of service during and post physical distancing.
The Department has implemented new approaches to continue processing clients during COVID-19 restrictions, such as the use of videoconferencing technology to conduct virtual oath ceremonies, the implementation of the online citizenship knowledge test and the e-application pilot. These have enabled the Department to successfully deplete the ceremony ready inventory, and resume other citizenship services in order to continue processing activities.
Electronic Knowledge Test
- On November 26, 2020, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada put in place an online platform for taking citizenship tests and an initial group of about 1000 clients began receiving their invitations to take the online citizenship test on December 1, 2020. The current inventory of test-ready clients is around 88,700 as of December 1, 2020. By December 31, 2020, more than 5000 clients were invited to take the online test.
- Over the next few months, as the system is tested, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada will continue to gradually invite clients who are eligible to take the online citizenship test on a first-in, first-served basis with a priority being given to urgent clients.
- An important aspect of holding online tests is the verification of applicants’ identities, which is important to the integrity of the program, especially in an online environment. Measures are in place to confirm each applicant’s identity by capturing a photo of their ID, their face and by taking static photos (non-biometric) during the test.
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