How you prepare for your citizenship interview
If you request a Canadian citizenship, you may need to do an interview with immigration, refugees and citizenship Canada (IRCC).
Performing an official interview with your citizenship application on the line can feel nerve -racking.
Insight into the role of the interview in the application process and taking the time to prepare you can help you get into the interview with more confidence.
When do citizenship interviews usually take place and why do they occur?
Citizenship Interviews are not a standard part of the Citizenship application process and are usually initiated in cases where IRCC Requires further information about a citizenship application.
When a citizenship interview is required, it is usually carried out after an applicant has passed his citizenship test, towards the end of the application process.
Citizenship interviews are usually taken personally.
How you prepare
View your application thoroughly
Revise your citizenship and (if applicable) permanent (PR) applications prior to your citizenship interview can be useful.
The official interview that you will probably ask for details about your application, and perhaps also want to inquire about certain details based on your personal information submitted. In particular, officials will be looking for possible discrepancies in the information you have provided, because a discrepancy could possibly comply with the bar incorrect displayA serious form of immigration fraud.
You may be asked to validate details about this application and to provide clarification and/or justification for any discrepancies.
You must always be fully truthful and displayed in your interactions with immigration officials.
Collect relevant supporting documents
Providing additional supporting documents and details with regard to information in your application can often help to tackle all the concerns that IRCC officers can have.
The following table divides some examples of supporting documents that you can take with you, with corresponding questions that immigration officials can have:
| Possible questions | Examples of supporting documentation |
|---|---|
| Questions about residential history | Lease documents or home ownership documents lease (translated if necessary) |
| Flight tickets / booking history | |
| Hotel bookings | |
| Questions about your permanent home application | The completed request |
| The invitation to apply (ITA) You have received in the first instance | |
| Any relevant communication with IRCC throughout the entire process | |
| All tax documents that are relevant for the period of your stay in Canada | |
| Questions about your current citizenship | Citizenship certificates (if relevant) |
| Proof of the citizenship of your parents (s) |
Consider hiring a representative
Citizenship applicants have the opportunity to authorized representative (such as an immigration lawyer or regulated immigration advisor) to help them during the citizenship process, including the preparation for the interview.
Although representatives cannot answer questions on behalf of the applicant, they can play a valuable role in helping applicants to feel confident and well prepared.
An experienced representative can, for example:
- Help you understand the interview process;
- Get familiar with your rights and responsibilities through the interview and application process; And
- Prepare for possible questions, based on an assessment of your citizenship application.
Because a citizenship application is high commitment, many candidates choose to hire representatives to help them navigate the process.
