Apply for a Canadian citizenship certificate: After you apply
Processing your application
Once we receive your application, we’ll review your application to make sure it’s complete.
If your case is complex, we may
- contact you to get more information or documents
- need more time to process your application
There may be a delay between when we receive your application and when we start processing it.
Answer the following questions to find out how we’ll process your application.
Processing time ?
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Applications outside Canada and the United States may take longer.
If you applied online
After you submit your online application, you’ll see a confirmation page. This page
- confirms you successfully submitted your application
- has a confirmation number
- Keep it for your records.
After we check that your application is complete, we’ll send you
- an acknowledgement of receipt (AOR) letter in your online account
- your unique client identifier (UCI) (opens in a new tab)
Incomplete online application
If your online application is incomplete, you’ll get a message in your online account.
Update your online application
Keep your application up to date to avoid delays.
- If we need more documents from you, we’ll send a message in your account asking you to submit them (opens in a new tab) through your online account.
- If you need to send documents we didn’t ask for, use the web form (opens in a new tab)
- Let us know if you change your address (opens in a new tab)
If you need urgent processing
We may be able to process your application faster in some cases.
Find out when and how to apply urgentlyCheck the status of your online application
Sign in to your online account (opens in a new tab) to check your application status.
Withdrawing your application
You may withdraw (cancel) your application (opens in a new tab) . If you do, you may be eligible for a refund (opens in a new tab) .
Final decision
If you are a Canadian citizen and we approve your application, you’ll get a citizenship certificate.
- If there’s a mistake on the certificate, find out how to fix it (opens in a new tab) .
- Find out when to contact us (opens in a new tab) if we informed you that we’ve mailed your certificate, but you still haven’t received it.
If you’re not a Canadian citizen, we’ll send you a refusal letter. Your fee will not be refunded.
Receiving your certificate or refusal letter
If you asked for an electronic certificate (e-certificate)
The link to your e-certificate or the refusal letter will be in your IRCC secure account (opens in a new tab) .
If you asked for a paper certificate
If you applied from Canada or the United States
If you’re a Canadian citizen, we’ll mail your certificate to your mailing address in Canada or the United States.
If you’re not a citizen, the refusal letter will be in your IRCC secure account (opens in a new tab) .
If you applied from outside Canada and the United States
If you’re a Canadian citizen, we’ll mail your certificate to the embassy, high commission or consulate you chose in your application.
If you’re not a citizen, your refusal letter will be sent to your IRCC secure account (opens in a new tab) .
If you applied on paper from Canada or the United States (email provided)
After we check that your application is complete, you’ll get
- an acknowledgement of receipt (AOR) letter or email and
- your unique client identifier (UCI) (opens in a new tab)
If you have a tracking number with a postal or courier service, you can check if they delivered your application to us.
Incomplete paper application
If your application is incomplete, we’ll
- return your application and
- send you a letter asking you to resubmit the application with the missing information
Update your paper application
If you need to update your application
- contact us through the web form (opens in a new tab)
- tell us if you change your address (opens in a new tab)
If you need urgent processing
We may be able to process your application faster in some cases.
Find out when and how to apply urgentlyCheck the status of your paper application
After you receive your acknowledgement of receipt (AOR), you can check the status of your paper application online (opens in a new tab) .
If you can’t see your status online and the normal processing time has passed, contact us using our web form (opens in a new tab) .
Withdrawing your application
You may withdraw (cancel) your application (opens in a new tab) . If you do, you may be eligible for a refund (opens in a new tab) .
Final decision
If you are a Canadian citizen and we approve your application, you’ll get a citizenship certificate.
- If there’s a mistake on the certificate, find out how to fix it (opens in a new tab)
- Find out when to contact us (opens in a new tab) if we informed you that we’ve mailed your certificate, but you still haven’t received it.
If you’re not a Canadian citizen, we’ll
- send you a refusal letter and
- still collect the processing fee
Receiving your certificate or refusal letter
If you asked for an electronic certificate (e-certificate)
We’ll send the link to the e-certificate or your refusal letter to the email address you provided in your application.
If you asked for a paper certificate
If you’re a Canadian citizen, we’ll mail your certificate to your mailing address in Canada or the United States.
If you’re not a citizen, we’ll send your refusal letter to the email address you provided in your application.
If you applied on paper from Canada or the United States (no email provided)
After we check that your application is complete, you’ll get
- an acknowledgement of receipt (AOR) letter or email and
- your unique client identifier (UCI) (opens in a new tab)
If you have a tracking number with a postal or courier service, you can check if they delivered your application to us.
Incomplete paper application
If your application is incomplete, we’ll
- return your application and
- send you a letter asking you to resubmit the application with the missing information
Update your paper application
If you need to update your application
- contact us through the web form (opens in a new tab)
- tell us if you change your address (opens in a new tab)
If you need urgent processing
We may be able to process your application faster in some cases.
Find out when and how to apply urgentlyCheck the status of your paper application
After you receive your acknowledgement of receipt (AOR), you can check the status of your paper application online (opens in a new tab) .
If you can’t see your status online and the normal processing time has passed, contact us using our web form (opens in a new tab) .
Withdrawing your application
You may withdraw (cancel) your application (opens in a new tab) . If you do, you may be eligible for a refund (opens in a new tab) .
Final decision
If you are a Canadian citizen and we approve your application, you’ll get a citizenship certificate.
- If there’s a mistake on the certificate, find out how to fix it (opens in a new tab)
- Find out when to contact us (opens in a new tab) if we informed you that we’ve mailed your certificate, but you still haven’t received it.
If you’re not a Canadian citizen, we’ll
- send you a refusal letter and
- still collect the processing fee
Receiving your certificate or refusal letter
We’ll send your paper certificate or refusal letter to your mailing address in Canada or the United States.
If you applied on paper from outside Canada and the United States (email provided)
After we check that your application is complete, you’ll get
- an acknowledgement of receipt (AOR) email and
- your unique client identifier (UCI) (opens in a new tab)
If you forgot to provide your email in your application
- we won’t automatically send you a confirmation
- contact the Canadian embassy, high commission or consulate where you submitted your application to
- confirm that we received your application
- get your unique client identifier (UCI) (opens in a new tab)
Incomplete paper application
If your application is incomplete, we’ll
- return your application and
- send you a letter asking you to resubmit the application with the missing information
Update your paper application
If you need to update your application
- contact the Canadian embassy, high commission or consulate (opens in a new tab) where you sent your application
- tell us if you change your address (opens in a new tab)
If you need urgent processing
We may be able to process your application faster in some cases.
Find out when and how to apply urgentlyCheck the status of your paper application
After you receive your acknowledgement of receipt (AOR), you can check the status of your paper application online (opens in a new tab) .
If you can’t see your status online and the normal processing time has passed, contact the Canadian embassy, high commission or consulate (opens in a new tab) where you sent your application.
Withdrawing your application
You may withdraw (cancel) your application (opens in a new tab) . If you do, you may be eligible for a refund (opens in a new tab) .
Final decision
If you are a Canadian citizen and we approve your application, you’ll get a citizenship certificate.
- If there’s a mistake on the certificate, find out how to fix it (opens in a new tab)
- Find out when to contact us (opens in a new tab) if we informed you that we’ve mailed your certificate, but you still haven’t received it.
If you’re not a Canadian citizen, we’ll
- send you a refusal letter and
- still collect the processing fee
Receiving your certificate or refusal letter
If you asked for an electronic certificate (e-certificate)
If you’re a Canadian citizen, we’ll send the link to the e-certificate to the email address provided in your application.
If you’re not a citizen, we’ll send your refusal letter to the email address provided in your application.
If you asked for a paper certificate
If you’re a Canadian citizen, we’ll mail your certificate to the embassy, high commission or consulate where you submitted your application.
If you’re not a citizen, we’ll send your refusal letter to the email address provided in your application.
If you applied on paper from outside Canada and the United States (no email provided)
We won’t automatically send you a confirmation.
Contact the Canadian embassy, high commission or consulate where you submitted your application to
- confirm that we received your application
- get your unique client identifier (UCI) (opens in a new tab)
Incomplete paper application
If your application is incomplete, we’ll
- return your application and
- send you a letter asking you to resubmit the application with the missing information
Update your paper application
If you need to update your application
- contact the Canadian embassy, high commission or consulate (opens in a new tab) where you sent your application
- tell us if you change your address (opens in a new tab)
If you need urgent processing
We may be able to process your application faster in some cases.
Find out when and how to apply urgentlyCheck the status of your paper application
After you get your unique client identifier (UCI), you can check the status of your paper application online (opens in a new tab)
If you can’t see your status online and the normal processing time has passed, contact the Canadian embassy, high commission or consulate (opens in a new tab) where you sent your application.
Withdrawing your application
You may withdraw (cancel) your application (opens in a new tab) . If you do, you may be eligible for a refund (opens in a new tab) .
Final decision
If you are a Canadian citizen and we approve your application, you’ll get a citizenship certificate.
- If there’s a mistake on the certificate, find out how to fix it (opens in a new tab)
- Find out when to contact us (opens in a new tab) if we informed you that we’ve mailed your certificate, but you still haven’t received it.
If you’re not a Canadian citizen, we’ll
- send you a refusal letter and
- still collect the processing fee
Receiving your certificate or refusal letter
We’ll mail your paper certificate or refusal letter to the embassy, high commission or consulate where you submitted your application.
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