How to Request Urgent Processing of Your Citizenship Application: Step by Step Guide

I never thought I would see the day that Right of Citizenship would get urgent processing; this is great news.

How to Request Urgent Processing of Your Citizenship Application

A step by step guide

I never thought I would see the day that Right of Citizenship would get urgent processing; this is great news. Here at Immigroup we have created a simplified guide. Just follow the steps carefully and remember regular processing takes a year to a year and a half!

Also, remember we here at Immigroup have a full paid option for people that have a lot to lose if they don’t get citizenship quickly. Our process is even simpler than what you see below. Just download our Simplified Guide and let us worry about the details.

Download Citizenship Application Here

Step by Step Guide to Applying for Urgent Processing of Your Citizenship Application

Do any of these questions apply to you?

• Do you have an application for Canadian citizenship in progress?
• Are you about to apply for citizenship?
• In either case, do you need Canadian citizenship urgently due to some sort of emergency or urgent situation?

Then you may be able to apply for urgent processing of your application. Let’s see how.

What does IRCC define as an urgent situation or as an emergency for a citizenship application?

Each individual request is considered separately and on its own merits, but the main reasons for allowing urgent processing of a citizenship application are:

• You must be eligible to apply for Canadian citizenship.
• You must be facing some kind of emergency such as:
  • Needing Canadian citizenship to apply for a job
  • Needing Canadian citizenship to avoid losing your job
  • Needing Canadian citizenship to go to a Canadian school, college, or university
  • Needing to travel due to a death or serious illness in your family and not being able to travel on your current passport
  • Receiving a successful Federal Court decision on an appeal on a previous application for Canadian citizenship.

 

What to do if you’ve already applied for Canadian citizenship and a sudden emergency or urgent situation has arisen

Step 1: Go here to see the progress of your application and get an estimate of when your application will be processed.

• Depending on the nature of your urgent situation or emergency (for example any deadlines or specific dates involved), you may have to request urgent processing for your application.

Step 2: Go here to fill out a webform requesting urgent processing. Scroll down to the drop-down menu and choose Citizenship. You will need to provide the following:

• Proof of travel like an official itinerary or airline ticket with your name, dates, and destination.
• Proof of payment for the travel with name, dates, and amount paid.
• A letter explaining the urgency of your travel.
• A proof of the urgency you have outlined such as:
  • A doctor’s note
  • A death certificate
  • A letter from your employer.

The documents you include must be in the following formats:

• PDF, JPEG, TIFF, DOC, or DOCX
• Each individual file must be 2 MB or smaller
• Your total application size including all supporting docs, must be 3.5 MB or smaller.
• Go here to see how to reduce file sizes to meet the above maximum sizes permitted.

Include your full name, date of birth, email address, telephone numbers.

Include your application number or your UCI (Unique Client Identifier) from your citizenship application.

Did you already send in your application and would like to know what is the status of your application? Read our tips and tricks article about how to check your status here.

Tip: It is important you don’t rush and you send in a completed application. Missing just one thing can slow everything down dramatically.

Remember to keep copies of what you are sending the government; it’s a good idea to pay for tracking when sending in your application.

If you have a date of birth or name that contradicts your Landing Paper (Record of Landing/COPR), seek professional help before sending in your application. This is the time to fix the problem, it will be a lot more difficult later on. We at Immigroup can help you with this.

Tip: We have a FREE Citizenship Practice Test tool here!

What to do if you haven’t yet sent in application for Canadian citizenship:

Step 1: Go here to download an application form for citizenship. Choose your category from the list.

Make sure your form’s version is dated October 2017 or later. To see what version your application form is look at the bottom left corner of the form. If your application form is a version earlier than October 2017, it will be sent back to you and you will be asked to use an updated version.

Step 2: Print out the application form and complete all the questions

Step 3: Write and include a letter explaining why you need urgent processing.

Include any documents that support your urgent situation, including:

• Travel itineraries or tickets with names, dates, destinations, and amounts paid
• Copies of death certificates
• Letters from employers.

Step 4: Include the following in your envelope:

• Your printed, completed, dated, and signed application form
• Your letter of explanation outlining your urgency
• Your citizenship photographs
• Your receipt for your fee payment
• Any supporting documents required.

Step 5: Write Request Urgent Processing – Grant of Citizenship on the front of your envelope in large dark letters clearly visible.

Step 6: Mail the application to one of the following addresses depending on whether you are sending your application by mail or by courier:

By Mail	by Courier
Case Processing Centre Sydney P.O. Box 7000 SYDNEY, NS B1P 6V6	Case Processing Centre Sydney 49 Dorchester Street Sydney, Nova Scotia B1P 5Z2