Canadian Citizenship Oath Ceremony is the legal and logical step before officially becoming Canadian. 

You have passed your Citizenship Test and gone through Interview. Now you are waiting for your official  invitation from CIC to attend your Oath Ceremony? You should receive it in postal mail about a week prior to the actual event. The paper will tell you about when and where to attend the Oath. It will also give you information on what documents you need to bring with you.

Or may be you have already recieved it and you have some questions in your mind. Can you take your kids with you ?

What do I need to bring to Ceremony ? 

The Oath Invitation that you recieve in mail will tell you about when and where to attend the Oath. It will also give you information on what documents you need to bring with you. However, you must bring all of your original immigration documents.

• If you have a permanent resident card, you must also bring it even if it has expired.
• If you became a permanent resident before June 28, 2002, you must bring your Record of Landing (IMM 1000).

If you have both of those documents, bring both of them to the ceremony.

Who should attend the Canadian Citizenship Oath Ceremony from family ? 

Under the Citizenship Act the applicant under the age of 14 are  not required to take the oath but they are welcome to participate in the Canadian Citizenship Oath Ceremony. Parents will get certificates of citizenship for their children under age 14.

Can you take your small kids with you ? Is there Child Care available at the center?

Under the Citizenship Act the applicant under the age of 14 are  not required to take the oath but they are welcome to participate in the Canadian Citizenship Oath Ceremony. So you are welcome to take your kids along with you but make note that they can sit with you if they are also becoming citizens. Otherwise an adult family memeber have to accompany them in the guest area. They can’t be left alone and there is no child care available. In case you have a really small child and you are concerned about their comfortability during the Oath Ceremony. you can always leave them with friends or family as I mentioned above they are not required to attend.

Can you invite your friends or family ?

You can also invite your friends or family to join you for the ceremony. So if you have really small kids, they can also look after them during the oath but keep in mind  space in the room where the oath is taking place will be limited. There might be a possibility that not all the guests can be accommodated. In that case, they will have to stay outside the room.

Can I take pictures or make a video of my Canadian Citizenship Oath Ceremony?

Be sure to reach there well in advance. It is a special day for you and your family so dress up. You can take pictures after your oath with judges as well as the Officers of court after the ceremony and those pictures will likely be a memorable milestone in your life. Your guest can take video or pictures from the back of the room of you taking oath as well.

Can I take my religious book to the oath Ceremony ? 

Yes you can. New immigrants are encouraged to take their religious books with you for the oath.

How long it takes for the Canadian Citizenship Oath ceremony ? 

It depends on how many speakers are there for the ceremony. If it is not a special oath Ceremony (Some of the Ceremony are and you will be notified) and there is no media coverage, you should be done within 2 hours.

Will I  get my Certificate right away ?

After the Oath, you will be handed the certificate one by one when your name is called. Finally, you will sing O Canada together as a new Canadian. Make sure you ensure that information on the certificate is correct before you leave the Ceremony.

Can I travel on my Canadian Citizenship Oath Certificate ?

No. Please note this certificate is not a travelling document. In order to travel as Canadian, you will need to apply for Canadian Passport.  You must use it to prove that you are a Canadian citizen and to show the date that you became one. Keep it in a safe place.

How soon after Oath can I apply for the Canadian Passport?

You can apply for Canadian Passport after the ceremony but CIC advice you to wait at least 2 days before applying for it so there is enough time for the information to be updated in Canadian Information system. Don’t forget to update your citizenship status with your work, financial isntitutes etc.

Can I take oath in my own language ? 

No. You can take Oath in English or French only.

Finally here is a video by CIC that provides you with guidelines on what to expect during and after the Ceremony. What is required etc. Please note your ceremony can be different from the one shown here but the basic requirement will be same.

<iframe width=”560″ height=”315″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/_BolmzWM9PE?list=PLC681DCD456F3AE91″ frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen></iframe>

Related Links:

 Find a Citizenship Ceremony in your area

Application for Citizenship Certificate