SOCI – CIMM 54.1: Current processing time for discretionary citizenship grants – December 5, 2024

IRCC’s response to a request for information made by the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration on March 20, 2023

Question

Mr. Larry Maguire: We've heard reports that some of the lost Canadians received their subsection 5(4) ministerial grants in their favour after many years of waiting. How long on average does that process take?

Ms. Nicole Girard: I don't have those statistics today, but we can follow up with the committee and determine what is feasible to provide and provide it in a timely fashion.

Response

Discretionary grants of citizenship under subsection 5(4) of the Citizenship Act are only used in very exceptional cases, specifically on grounds of special and unusual hardship, statelessness, or exceptional service to Canada, and each case is considered on its own merit.

Historically, the Citizenship Program does not record standard processing times for these exceptional and non-routine cases under subsection 5(4) of the Citizenship Act. Manually verifying processing times for files that fall under the category of individuals who identify as “lost Canadians” could lead to misleading information as the time to resolve files can vary greatly depending on complexity. Some of the factors that impact the processing time include the time it takes to ensure an application is complete (direct and frequent communication with the client or their authorized representative to obtain the required documentation), and awaiting security, criminality clearances or fingerprint results from partner agencies, etc. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada continues to prioritize subsection 5(4) discretionary citizenship grant cases, including Section 8 loss cases, minors, and lost Canadians. Furthermore, some 5(4) files may be initially identified as falling under the umbrella of “lost Canadians” but upon further examination are not.

For an urgent case, processing times depend on whether the client has provided sufficient documentation to meet the requirements under subsection 5(4) and is not prohibited from being granted citizenship. Timing also depends on whether security and criminality clearances need to be passed or if fingerprints are required.