As of September 3, a new application for proof of Canadian citizenship is expected to take 33 months to process. This is an eight-month increase from the estimate given in August.
More than 136,000 applications are currently in the queue, meaning people who need to prove their Canadian citizenship by descent could face a wait of almost three years before receiving their citizenship certificate.
However, some applicants may be able to have their applications considered ahead of others. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) allows urgent requests in specific situations where an applicant can show that they have an important and time-sensitive need for their citizenship certificate.
Applicants must meet the department’s requirements and provide documents that clearly support their reason for requesting urgent consideration.
What Can Urgent Processing Do For A Citizenship Application?
An urgent request is submitted together with a complete application for a citizenship certificate.
If IRCC accepts the request, the application can be moved ahead of other files waiting in the regular queue. However, urgent consideration does not change the evidence requirements for proving Canadian citizenship.
The application must still be complete and include the documents needed to establish the applicant’s citizenship claim. IRCC can return an incomplete application instead of moving forward with the review.
Applicants should also understand that an urgent request does not guarantee a faster decision. Even when a person has a reason that appears to qualify, the final decision is made by the immigration officer reviewing the case.
IRCC may also complete the application after the date on which the applicant needed the certificate. Therefore, applicants should not treat urgent consideration as a guaranteed solution to a deadline.
How Quickly Can An Urgent Request Be Decided?
IRCC does not publish a fixed timeline for urgent requests.
The time needed can depend on the circumstances of the application, the documents provided, and the officer reviewing the request.
Applicants should also know that IRCC does not normally send a separate confirmation saying that an urgent request has been approved. In many cases, the next communication may be the decision on the citizenship certificate itself.
If IRCC requires additional documents or confirmation, the department can contact the applicant and provide a short deadline for responding. Applicants should therefore regularly check the email address included in their application.
What Situations Can Qualify For Urgent Processing?
IRCC considers urgent requests in situations where an applicant has a significant need for proof of Canadian citizenship.
In many cases, the reason must involve an important deadline or a serious personal circumstance. Applicants also need documents that demonstrate why the certificate is urgently required.
The situations considered by IRCC can include:
- A job application that requires proof of Canadian citizenship;
- A current job that could be lost without the required citizenship document;
- Admission to a school, college, or university;
- A death or serious illness involving a family member;
- An inability to obtain a passport from another country;
- A requirement to give up another citizenship by a fixed deadline;
- Moving a minor child to Canada;
- A child born outside Canada to a Canadian parent;
- A need related to a pension, health care, or a social insurance number;
- Being stateless; or
- Facing harm or serious hardship because of identity, including race, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or membership in a particular group.
Not every applicant who faces a difficult situation will automatically qualify. The applicant must be able to show that the circumstances meet IRCC’s requirements.
How Can A New Applicant Request Urgent Processing?
A person applying for proof of Canadian citizenship should include a written request for urgent consideration with the application.
The letter should clearly explain what the applicant needs the citizenship certificate for, identify the relevant deadline, and point to the document that proves the deadline or urgent circumstance.
Supporting evidence is important. For example, an applicant relying on a school admission deadline should provide documentation from the school showing the relevant date. Someone facing a job-related deadline should provide appropriate evidence from the employer.
Applicants submitting a paper application should write ‘Urgent – Citizenship Certificate (Proof)’ clearly on the outside of the envelope, as instructed by IRCC.
Some applicants may be able to apply online, while others may need to submit a paper application. IRCC uses an eligibility check to determine whether an applicant can use the online system.
If the applicant qualifies for online submission, the application asks whether urgent consideration is required. The applicant can then explain the reason and upload supporting evidence through the IRCC client portal.
There is no separate fee for making an urgent request.
Completeness remains important. An urgent request cannot replace missing evidence needed to establish Canadian citizenship. Applicants should therefore make sure that documents proving their citizenship by descent are complete and consistent before submitting the application.
Can An Urgent Request Be Made After Applying?
People who have already submitted a complete application for proof of Canadian citizenship can also request urgent consideration.
The method depends on where the applicant is located.
Applicants in Canada or the United States can use the IRCC web form to make the request. IRCC asks applicants to begin the message with ‘Request for urgent processing’ and provide identifying and application information.
This includes the applicant’s full name, date of birth, email address, phone number, and details about the application.
Applicants outside Canada and the United States should contact the embassy, consulate, or high commission where they submitted their application.
The applicant should also provide the Unique Client Identifier (UCI) or application number. This information helps IRCC locate the existing file.
IRCC advises applicants not to submit another citizenship application simply because they want faster consideration. Sending a duplicate application does not provide a shortcut and can create additional complications.
What Happens If IRCC Refuses The Urgent Request?
If IRCC does not approve the urgent request, the citizenship application normally remains in the regular queue.
The applicant does not lose the underlying citizenship application simply because the urgent request was refused.
However, applicants should remember that the regular review still depends on the quality and completeness of the file.
Problems such as missing records, unclear evidence of citizenship by descent, or differences in names between documents from different generations can lead to requests for additional information.
Applicants can reduce avoidable delays by checking their documents carefully and making sure the information is consistent across the application.
What Are The Risks Of Giving False Information?
Applicants facing a long wait may feel pressure to make their situation appear more urgent than it really is.
They should not provide false information or submit documents that do not accurately reflect their circumstances.
For example, an applicant should not create or exaggerate an employment deadline simply to make an urgent request appear stronger. The same applies to travel plans, school requirements, family emergencies, or other reasons.
Providing false information to IRCC can amount to misrepresentation.
Misrepresentation can have serious immigration consequences, including refusal of an application and other penalties. Depending on the circumstances, a person may also face a five-year ban from applying for citizenship and other consequences related to immigration status.
IRCC has also reviewed some previously approved citizenship by descent certificates because of concerns about supporting documentation.
Applicants should therefore make sure that every statement and document submitted with an urgent request is accurate and genuine.
What Should Applicants Do Before Applying?
Anyone who needs proof of Canadian citizenship urgently should first identify the specific reason for the request and determine whether it matches one of IRCC’s accepted situations.
The applicant should then gather documents that show both the urgency and the relevant date or circumstance.
The citizenship application itself should also be complete. Evidence establishing the applicant’s Canadian citizenship by descent remains essential, even when an urgent request is submitted.
Applicants who already have an application in the queue can request urgent consideration through the appropriate IRCC channel rather than submitting a second application.
For people facing a genuine deadline related to work, education, family circumstances, travel documents, citizenship status, or another qualifying situation, an urgent request may provide a way to have the citizenship certificate considered sooner than the regular queue.
However, applicants should remember that urgent consideration is discretionary and does not guarantee that a certificate will be issued by a particular date.
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