bats

Maybe it's the quality of your speech? Pisses me off when immigration bods can't be arsed to look at me and repeat what they have just mumbled into my passport. Have not met one yet who puts any effort into helping me understand what they are saying.

getoutofbritainquick

I concur. My wife and I have sat our test last week. Not a good experience, staff were very abrupt if not borderline rude. The test was not easy and we both think we are borderline even though we done lots of studying. We could get 100% most times for the on-line quizzes. We were told we now have to wait 4-6 months for the results and if we fail do not expect to see a judge for at least 2 years. If one fails the other has to wait including the family. We came out thinking totally despondent regarding wanting to be a Canadian citizen - its lost its appeal after our awful experience. Getting really fed up with the incompetence in Canada (one thing after another - never come across it before on this scale) and we are starting to have serious thoughts about moving on especially as I have just found out I have to hand over $92k from my UK pension lump sum to the CRA next year!

iaink

Failing the citizenship test isnt the end of the world surely, you just carry on as a PR and have to arse around at the US border from time to time.


Its not like they kick you out of the country.


Having said that I'd still be amazed if a native English speaker actually managed it, but feel free to report back and make me eat my words.

getoutofbritainquick

..couldnt really give a dam about being a citizen for us - its mainly for the kids. Our Canadian friends are shocked. Its more how we got treated - we felt like a criminals to be honest in a detention camp. BC seems to be going down hill fast, stupid politics, crime, 'hit and runs', gang shootings, poor service, bad manners, insane driving, shortage of qualified workers to do the job, sense of entitlement of older generation, laziness, usual issues with a rapidly growing city. People often label the Brits as complainers but I think the Canadians are ten times worse - always complaining or protesting something - i cant believe they ever get anything done! Sometimes we think we live in a third world country and could quote many examples but it gets to a point where you start to question why you are here. We shop across the border not just because its generally cheaper but get far better service than in BC. Oddly enough we find the Americans far more polite than where we live. I guess it may be different in other parts of Canada buts thats we experience where we are. Anyway we are lucky to have freedom of choice - we choose to come here, nobody forced us and we have the choice to go some where else if it doesn't work for us. Anyway its Friday and party time tonight!

Hinwinnipeg

Here is our timeline..

Our file was acknowledged November 2010.
Processing started October 2011.
File was transferred to the Winnipeg office December 2011.
Citizenship test October 2012 - 2 weeks notice given.

Test was harder than expected for me. Had been reading the study guide (2010 edition) a lot since we got notification of the test date, whereas OH did hardly any reading up and thinks he got 17 or 18. I was the last one to leave the room as I read the questions over and over before circling any answers. Did the ones I was sure about first, then the 50/50 ones and that left me with about 6 that I had no idea on. I reckon a lot of the questions were from newer editions of the study guide.

Paperwork says we have to wait 2-4 months for the outcome. My brother in law and his wife took their test a month before us and did their oath within 6 weeks of the test. Hoping our news is good and that the oath is soon as OH will be away working Feb-April.

JAJ

Except that this is wrong - under the law, spouse applications are not legally combined and they are assessed as individuals. There's also nothing in the CIC Citizenship Manual saying that if a person fails the test, the spouse must also come for an interview ...

MarkG

I wondered about that before I took my test, but at the time the web site said all questions would be based on the old study guide, not the new one. I guess they will soon switch to the new one as no-one will have the old guide any more.

Tangram

Not happy in Britain according to your user name and not happy in Canada.

I wish you luck.

getoutofbritainquick

Not at all happy with Canadian culture, we like the scenery but find the people very strange (cant judge all of Canada on one place we know) - they seem to be very immature and lack common sense in the West (that's if they are not shooting each other). See a near miss report at work this week - worker threatened to be shot with cross bow if they didnt stop cutting trees back from a powerline in Abbotsford - really!!!! I am not sure how to describe it, the people at work dont seem to get on with each other - constant petty squabbling over nothing, greed, selfishness etc. not seen anything like it on this scale before.
Also many people are not Canadians so it may not be a fair reflection. However recent surveys did point out that Vancouver was not a very friendly place to live.

We would definitely not go back to UK and thought long and hard. Think it might be the 5 year itch (this is our 5th year)!
Starting to think about a place in the sun to retire - it rains everyday in Vancouver - need the snow to come. My buddy has just flown down to Palm Springs to look for a place.

Your right the user name is a bit outdated and needs to be changed - any idea how to change it?

Friday again time for a wine and more partying this weekend.

getoutofbritainquick

Its true or so we were told unless you write to them and instruct them to consider your applications separately. Not sure what happens to the kids application if you do? All a bit silly when you consider in a few years time we dont have to wriite the test because we will be over 55!!!!! The odd thing was they said that if you fail you may have a second chance but dont count on it because in the 2 years it will take you to see the judge they are considering changing the rules. Not unlike CIC to change the rules is it?

JAJ

I am not aware of any provision of the Citizenship Act/Regulations that allows them to combine applications of two spouses, even if they or the applicants want that.

A child's application should normally be granted as long as one parent becomes a Canadian citizen. If one parent becomes Canadian, and the children's application is not granted, the issue would need to be raised with the CIC office processing the case. There is always a chance they would refuse the children's application if their application was attached to that of a parent who failed the test, but that would be unusual if the other parent was Canadian (or becoming Canadian).

CIC cannot change the Citizenship Act. Only Parliament can do that, however there is a chance they will raise the residence requirement from 3 years to something closer to 5 years in the not too distant future. Usually this should not affect undecided applications already in the system, however the Act may provide otherwise. New Zealand made a similar change a few years ago.

getoutofbritainquick

Thanks for the heads up. We had a very disappointing experience with our test. I spoke with one of my buddies who had a similar experience at the same location. They treated us like children and was not very polite - my Welsh buddy said he wanted to thump the guy because he was so rude. Our Asian friend took the test and passed then took off back to Taiwan where she lives! Figures.

Cookie

We had a great experience in Halifax. Staff polite and chatty and told everyone they had passed prior to us showing our paperwork. Last week (a few days short of 2 months) we had a lovely ceremony in Halifax. We were all told we can apply for our Cultural Access Pass which gives us free access to all things cultural across Canada for 12 months. We also get 50% off Via Rail. We are flying out to Vancouver next summer so it will get put to good use.

http://www.icc-icc.ca/en/cap/

Tangram

Doesn't everyone get those things ?

tallperson

I remember we had to write and ask specifically for our applications to be comisdered separately, otherwise they were lumped together.