Canada to terminate citizenship process for applicants who miss appointments

The Canadian Citizenship and Immigration Minister, Chris Alexander has announced a change to the rules for citizenship applications. Anyone who fails to attend a citizenship test or interview without providing good cause will have their application terminated. Mr Alexander says that this will speed up citizenship decisions for those that do attend.

Mr Alexander issued a ministerial statement on Thursday 5th September 2013. He said 'The application process has, for too long, been bogged down by persons who unnecessarily delay the process for everyone else by not taking the process seriously'.

The Canadian immigration department Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) explained that, in cases where an applicant has failed to attend an appointment for a test or interview in support of a citizenship application, CIC will then write to the applicant requesting that they explain why they did not turn up.

CIC will only reschedule if appointment is missed with 'good reason'

Where the applicant is able to provide a sufficiently good reason, CIC will reschedule the test or interview. If there is no response to this first letter, CIC will wait and then write again. The applicant will have three months to respond. If he does not respond or does not provide a sufficiently good reason for non-attendance, the application will be terminated.

There is no exhaustive list of what is 'a good reason' but CIC gives several examples

• Being away while caring for a dying parent
• Inability to attend due to ill-health or an accident
• Where an applicant has been requested to attend an interview to provide documents requested from a third party, if those documents have not arrived, this will be a sufficient reason for non-attendance.

Documentary proof may be required

Sanwar Ali of workpermit.com said 'it is clear from this list that CIC is threatening to cancel applications of people do not turn up for interviews or tests. CIC will probably ask for documentary proof confirming that you have a good reason for non-attendance.

If you can attend, you should do so. If you cannot, it would be advisable to try to contact CIC to reschedule the appointment well before you are due to attend'.

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