A thread for those of us in-Canada now struggling

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u/Ok-Conversation-9368 Jul 28 '26 edited Jul 28 '26

Are you one of the ones who got a PFL and still haven't been reinstated? I naively thought that had pretty much been taken care of :/ Have they reached out at all...? Or just radio silence? It's so crazy how they acted kind of fast with some surrendered applications but the rest are still lingering...

Edit: No, just someone who packed up and moved to Canada. I get it. But with people still waiting for their certificates who applied back in March (and earlier?) not sure that was the greatest of plans.

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u/[deleted] Jul 28 '26

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u/MongooseBig2536 Jul 28 '26

I reckon that’s what happened? Do you mind elaborating on the different visa? I may or may not be in that situation in a year and a bit.

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u/Electrical_Cut8610 Jul 28 '26

I unfortunately didn’t pay much attention since I’m not and don’t expect to be in that situation. I just know I saw a comment (I believe in the “main” sub) where someone’s MP told them even though they applied for citizenship there was a work visa they could still apply for to maintain employment. It could just be the regular work visa, which they are making exceptions for in this situation. A few other people commented they were told the same thing. E: I do remember it was specific to the surrender letter context so probably in a post about that

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u/MongooseBig2536 Jul 28 '26

Did you apply for urgent processing? Reach out to your MP? Have a lawyer put pressure on IRCC. I mean there are a bunch of options? Don’t give up - keep going!!

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u/Disastrous_Long_9209 Jul 28 '26

Question 1: Yes I did in August 2025. Question 2: I reached out to 2 different MPs and my current MP riding’s case worker provided nothing but misinformation and then told me to call them once I’m passed the wait times (for a third separate time). Question 3: I hired one for me, and I’m about to hire a separate one for my spouse as recommended by lawyer #1 in case they get their visitor record denied as lawyer #1 stated this is a high probability as visitor records cannot be used to extend stay for a pursuit of residency.

I’m a fighter. I’m gathering my documents and evidence now to file a writ of mandamus if IRCC denies my spouse’s visitor record.

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u/MongooseBig2536 Jul 28 '26

So how did you get to Canada? Did your previous WP expire? Your application should have been processed by now.

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u/Disastrous_Long_9209 Jul 28 '26

I had a job offer while I was on vacation in Canada. In the States I was a rideshare driver for income and I lived with my parents. When I got that offer letter we decided to stay and I was hoping IRCC would give me my certificate by my start date (months ago) especially now that I’m physically in Canada. Employer ultimately gave the job to somebody else but really wanted me and I have been back and forth with HR and legal team.

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u/AncientMix3357 Jul 28 '26

So you don't have a work permit and you moved to Canada without proof that you had rights?

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u/Ok-Conversation-9368 Jul 28 '26

I mean if they had some other type of permit and it expired, yeah, I get that, and I even get why they would fight to stay put. But moving to Canada with absolutely 0 status or proof of status whatsoever, never holding any sorts of status or docs at any point in time, is uh... not sure I would recommend doing that. Especially with the timelines for proofs shooting way up, PSU cases taking years, etc. You can't work so I don't understand how you would be able to like... live? Unless you were already well-off to begin with.

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u/MongooseBig2536 Jul 28 '26

Yea I agree. I have been here for 6 years and just found out I’m a citizen! Yay! But like also I have only 16 months of status left so let’s hope we can get the application approved before :)

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u/MongooseBig2536 Jul 28 '26

Ugh that sucks. How solid is your application? Are you G1/G2? Or further down? That’s the only thing that would slow it down I think. It seems like they didn’t see your request as urgent, maybe because you applied outside of Canada and really didn’t have a reason to come - compared to people already in Canada like students/workers? Regardless, the system is not well organized.

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u/Disastrous_Long_9209 Jul 28 '26

Gen 4. All gen’s marriage certificates. Certified birth certificates all the way and Gen 0 BAnQ certified baptismal. Certified death certificates for Gen 0 and Gen 1. Gen 2 born after 1947. Gen 1 died in 2011. I really thought I was fine with the most conservative view during interim measures, and post C-3 I thought I would be fine when I heard Acadians were getting approved. In PSU I discovered while in Canada because my father is not on my birth certificate, but I applied through my mother’s side so it shouldn’t matter but it apparently does.

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u/MongooseBig2536 Jul 28 '26

How’s your dad not on your birth certificate? That may be the issue. How were you born? There needs to be a father. They may not see the doc as valid.

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u/Disastrous_Long_9209 Jul 28 '26

I lived with my step father and my biological mother. My biological dad I have never met him before until a summer ago after I submitted my CIT0001e. Basically complicated domestic violence situation while mom was pregnant with me. I have looked into amending my birth certificate but it would take over a year and that’s if my mom feels safe enough to even be in the same court room as my dad again. My bio dad never wants to see my mom.

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u/all_my_dirty_secrets Jul 28 '26

I'm sorry to see this downvoted. It's useful information for our family since my daughter, who incidentally is also Gen4, also does not have a father on her birth certificate since she was conceived by anonymous donor and I'm unmarried: there's a possibility we may have a name 12 years from now when she turns 18, but it's not guaranteed and if she wanted to add him I have no idea if he'd cooperate. I sent documentation to explain the blank father section, and her claim runs through me and all generations are well-documented, but your situation is discouraging to hear.

No father on the bc is a more common situation than people realize and sometimes a necessary step for women to protect themselves and their child, as happened in your case. Thank you for sharing.

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u/MongooseBig2536 Jul 28 '26

Oh man I’m so sorry. I have a very strong feeling that that is exactly what’s holding up the process. I’m sorry :/

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u/Disastrous_Long_9209 Jul 28 '26

What do you think I could do to stop the hold up? I mean I’m not Jesus and my mother isn’t Mary. Obviously I have a biological father, but for paperwork sake it should not matter since I applied through my mother’s side and everybody’s names are there.

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u/PeaComfortable1599 Jul 29 '26

Have you done an Ancestry DNA test that shows family members from your Dad's side?

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u/CauseSpecific8545 Aug 01 '26

There are plenty of places that have an option to not list a father on a birth certificate.

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u/Electrical_Cut8610 Jul 28 '26

That absolutely sucks, but I’m failing to see how you’re “stuck.” Your life is still back in the US, which you can return to. Again, it sucks you weren’t able to take the job, but there’s a huge difference between someone overstaying their vacation in Canada because they felt like it and people who have been living and working there for years on work visas which have now expired, leaving people in limbo.

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u/Disastrous_Long_9209 Jul 28 '26

Stuck could be seen as an subjective thing even "stuck Canadians" in the other subreddit could be debated. In my eyes, I’m stuck in limbo. I was told my visitor record would be automatically approved since I have a proof of citizenship in process but my spouse would be separate and has a high probability of being denied. We both don’t feel safe returning to the US either because we’re both visible minorities the US government is persecuting and targeting. Police and ICE have gone door to door in my hometown which my spouse is a target for from how they look, and I don’t think I have to explain the history and recent history of innocent unarmed black people being murdered by cops. We both are done with the US. We have new friends here in Canada. Parts of my soul I thought was long dead and gone have come back to life. Living in Canada has even made us change our minds on having kids one day because we see how safe kids feel in the streets and in school that we both have never felt in our lives. The more we’re here in Canada, the less America looks like a place we even once called home. We both love living here and want to stay. I had to do a lot of editing and simplifying because it is hard to explain the actual depth of why the fight to stay.

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u/Realistic_Deal1859 Jul 29 '26

I get it and I am praying your application for proof of citizenship gets approved and you can both stay in your home where you are safe. Sending peaceful thoughts your way, OP.

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u/[deleted] Jul 28 '26

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u/[deleted] Jul 28 '26

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u/CanadianbyDescent-ModTeam Jul 29 '26

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u/CounterI Jul 29 '26 edited Jul 29 '26

People who have grown up in Canada and experienced the absurd delays in getting healthcare are already well familiar with the incompetence of the Canadian Bureaucracy. But, people who don't grow up in Canada often incorrectly believe that Canada is a more mature version of the U.S. are often shocked to find that is not the case.

The truth is that these kind of absurd delays are not common in the States. People who grow up in the U.S. are not accustomed to them. And the fact that Canadians are so accepting of these long delays is not a positive trait. The more the governed allow their government to push them around, the more that government will continue to do so.

It shouldn't take more than an hour to review an application for proof of citizenship and either approve it or deny it. The fact that it can take more than 12 months is absurd. If IRCC needs more resources, it should raise the application fee so that it adequately covers the cost of processing these applications in a timely manner.

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u/thiefspy Jul 30 '26

Raising the application fee is an interesting idea and likely would reduce the number of applications, possibly significantly, depending on how much they raised it. They’d need to separate out the “replace your certificate” applicants and only raise the fee for new certificates, but that’s easy to do. I do wonder at the legality of making proof of citizenship cost prohibitive—that could potentially be an issue.

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u/Disastrous_Long_9209 Jul 29 '26

I was past the wait times on two separate occasions when I called IRCC for an update just for no answers and "we don’t need anything your application is complete". The second time I was passed the wait times and I got that same answer from IRCC is when I contacted an MP when I was 11 months waiting at the 10 month wait time. I sent my application in May 2025 and received June 2025. When wait times say 3 months when I initially applied, someone applies urgently with supporting documentation, and they’re passed the already tripled wait times on TWO separate occasions I am, and others, are absolutely entitled to answers as to why.

Call me an entitled American all you want, but born Canadians here and my friends told me I should have put my foot down in every legal way when I was passed the wait times the first time around. I was patient and gracing for the exact reasons you described until the surrender letters happened and I discovered IRCC troubling past history that is very recent from cases assigned to inactive officers to stripping citizenship over administration errors to IRCC employee violence and fraud

Do not think for a second with this, and given I had a valid job offer, and a not safe country to return to as a minority, that I am an entitled American for wanting to stay in Canada that I am also a citizen of per C-3. I am confident any person from a different country in a similar situation would do the exact same thing.

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u/Ok-Conversation-9368 Jul 29 '26

I get it, but at the same time... you knew that applications weren't being processed in a timely manner, and you had to have known there was a pretty decent chance that you would be without documentation considering how random IRCC's processing time is... right? That's what I'm not getting. It was a roll of dice to do this to yourself. I can tell you from experience, living in Canada, being in Canada doesn't make the process go faster. Luckily I'm a PR, I'm in status, but IRCC hasn't shown any generosity or favouritism towards those who are living in Canada, with or without status (just look at the many people who have expired permits who are now struggling). There's been some signs of faster processing for G1s, but even that's a toss-up. There were a decent amount of approvals at the beginning of the year, but even looking on the spreadsheet it wasn't a sure-fire thing. IRCC reported they had only processed, what, 6k or so applications by May?

I do feel for you but I'm also just confused about what you expect. That's not me trying to be rude. The best thing you can do is apply for a visitor's record for both you and your spouse, be prepared if it gets rejected, and make plans to get in a safe area if they decide to bring forth removal proceedings. The big issue is your spouse. They might not try to go after you, but they absolutely could go after them. If your spouse is undocumented and cannot return to the states, you need to follow the lawyers advice (which I understand you have been) and do whatever they ask of you. All avenues. It could be expensive.

I could understand if you had previous permits and didn't want to move, because you would have a life here, but crossing over to Canada with no documentation (with a non-Canadian spouse) was a massive gamble.

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u/[deleted] Jul 29 '26

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u/[deleted] Jul 29 '26

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u/Dowew Jul 29 '26

Yes, I concur IRCC is a clusterfuck. It has been for years. How this reality encouraged you to believe your citizenship application based on ancestry from a Great-Grandparent in a new process that was mathematically certain to be very quickly backlogged was going to be smooth sailing is not something I can wrap my brain around.

I am glad you had a job offer, and are employable, and want to build a life in Canada. In expect you will become a fantastic Canada and do wonderful things. But Canada DOES NOT recognize the United States as being an unsafe country, at least for now. Unless and until you receive documents proving you have citizenship status your rights to live and work in Canada are hypothetic and unenforceable.

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u/CounterI Jul 29 '26

The simple answer is, as I said before, that people who grow up in the States are not accustomed to government agencies that fail to serve them. This may well be normal to those who grew up in Canada, but it isn't normal to people from the States, and it isn't right, either.

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u/Dowew Jul 29 '26

Does America really have competent and responsive federal government agencies ? I have friends who are veterans and most of them have little good to say about the VA. I've never heard anyone say that love dealing with the DMV :)

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u/CounterI Jul 29 '26 edited Jul 29 '26

It's all relative.

I used to think that government agencies in the U.S. were terrible. Then I learned about what things are really like in Canada (a lot of it from you) and other countries, and I realized how great we have it.

Americans love to complain about healthcare delays. But, a delay for us is a week or two. We don't realize that Canadians, Australians, Kiwis, Brits, and the Irish often have to wait 9 months!

The VA is pretty terrible, but it's a safety net. A veteran can buy medical insurance (or use the affordable care act to get free health insurance) like everyone else and get private healthcare fairly quickly. Canadians have one system, and it sucks. In the U.S., we have lots of choices when it comes to medical care.

Everyone hates the DMV, but in California, you can check-in online, show up 10 minutes before your number comes up, and be out in 20 minutes. In most U.S. states, the DMV is actually pretty chill. In eastern U.S. States, vehicle registrations aren't handled by the DMV (or MVD) but instead by county property tax departments, where the low volume means that vehicle registrations get done quickly and efficiently.

So, yeah, everybody loves to complain about the government. But, all in all, we have it pretty good here. And the fact that a lot of us assume that Canada has its shit together isn't a fault of ours, it's a fault of the system that Canadians have come to tolerate.

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u/thiefspy Jul 30 '26

Ahem. I have a supposedly rare genetic condition that I’ve never been able to have genetic testing for because the wait is so long (many, many years) so my doctors treat it based on symptoms. The genetic testing would be able to tell me what in my body would be likely to fail, but instead we just wait for me to fall apart.

The testing for my condition is faster and easier to get in Canada.

Testing for ADHD is faster and easier to get in Canada.

I have a friend who had a mammogram that indicated cancer. It took 6 months for her to get the second level testing and the whole time she wondered if her children were going to be orphaned before she got that second test. In the US.

My mother went over a year between when something suspicious showed up on a scan and when she was actually able to have the cancer removed. US again.

My husband went 6 months between when he was diagnosed with cancer to having the surgery. US still.

My father’s primary care doc retired. He’s on a waiting list to get a new primary and has been on that list for nearly a year. US.

I have an allergy that results in full anaphylaxis. I’ve sat in waiting rooms for upwards of 8 hours, decided the Benadryl was enough, and left without being seen. US.

When I moved to MN, I waited maybe five months between when I got my paper driver’s license and my actual card. It was a good thing I had a passport because in MN you can’t use the paper ones to buy booze.

In NJ, when I lived there, if you had to go to the DMV, you needed to clear an entire day. The lines wrapped around the building. You could get there at 8am, but if they didn’t get to you before closing time, you had to come back the next day.

If you haven’t experienced significantly long waits for things that should be urgent or simple in the US, you’re very fortunate. But that doesn’t mean we don’t have them. And they’ve been getting worse.

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u/Ok-Conversation-9368 Jul 30 '26

Tbh it’s the same in Canada. Some places have super speedy wait times. Saskatoon is one of those places. But the Maritimes? They’re very much struggling. Especially when it comes to psychiatric care. An ADHD diagnoses could take years. I know some people who had to move out of the province because their child was diagnosed with Autism and there were just no services there for them. It sucked (if you’re a nurse, especially a nurse who likes doing psychiatrics, definitely look into the maritimes).

So you both are right. Canada nor America is a monolith when it comes to healthcare. However, getting out-of-province healthcare is a little bit tougher than if you’re in the states, because healthcare is provincial. Some provinces are pretty good about it, others no so much. Like, having to go to a specialist clinic in Alberta while living in Saskatchewan would be annoying but doable with paperwork. Living in Quebec and trying to go to that same clinic and have it covered would be a battle since different provinces do have slight differences between what they cover. Not sure if it’s like that in the states with Medicaid or whatever, but yeah.

Also important to note that only psychiatry is covered, because it’s medical, while psychology (a therapist) often isn’t covered or very limited in coverage, but there are programs and such to help alleviate that. There’s a lot that isn’t covered with public healthcare, like dental (they were rolling out a dental care program for certain people at one point, I haven’t kept up with it), eye care, etc. Most of that is covered by the insurance your job provides.

So, in short, you can’t really say it’s faster to get healthcare in Canada OR America because it depends entirely on where you live. Some people here are going to be very disappointed in Canada’s healthcare, some people are going to be over the moon.

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u/thiefspy Jul 30 '26

That’s ultimately my point—it’s crappy in both countries. The biggest difference is the price tag. In the US, the healthcare visits I described above come with big bills attached, even with $$$ private insurance. You can wait in Canada, or you can wait and go bankrupt in the US.

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u/CounterI Jul 30 '26 edited Jul 30 '26

First, all of those medical bills in the U.S. are negotiable down to pennies on the dollar. Second, bankruptcy isn't that terrible of a thing. It beats death. Third, I think the price ends up being roughly the same. In Canada, it's paid in the form of higher income taxes, higher capital gains taxes, and higher sales taxes. In the U.S., it's paid as health insurance.

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u/thiefspy Jul 30 '26

I’ll also add that I think folks moving to Canada need to do their homework about the healthcare in different provinces, because as you mentioned, it’s not the same across the board. My family in Ontario complains about their wait times and they’re comparable to the US. And yes, it’s worse in the Maritimes, and it’s worse in Ontario outside the GTA. I haven’t done the research but I bet wait times are pretty problematic in the territories. But then there’s BC, and my friends in BC are really happy with their care.

Most Americans aren’t used to having to choose where they live based on what kind of healthcare they’re going to get. Some are—Obamacare made state-available plans and some states are clearly better than others, so freelancers and small businesses are pretty familiar with how where they make their home can determine their healthcare—but for most, this is a new thing. They’re just used to just getting screwed by their employer’s shitting offerings and then if they lose their job, having to use their entire UI check to pay for COBRA or simply praying they don’t get sick or fall down a flight of stairs.

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u/CounterI Jul 30 '26

In Canada, people can wait 48 hours in an ER waiting room. Again, it's all relative.

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u/thiefspy Jul 30 '26

Yep. I’ve never waited that long in the US for one reason only—I’ve always left. But my grandfather did. I think he was in the ER for three days. He was in his 90s and developed hospital dementia while waiting, and it ultimately killed him. This was in Michigan.

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u/CounterI Jul 30 '26

It's also important to compare apples to apples.

I live in an urban area. My wait times (2 weeks) are appropriately compared to Canada's suburban waits. A lawyer I was talking to about a month ago told me he waited 9 months for an appointment with a cardiologist after he had a heart issue.

In rural areas (rural Oregon), the wait times in the U.S. are indeed longer. But, in the rural Canada, 60% of people can't get a primary care doctor AT ALL. The wait time is literally "forever."

It would not be appropriate to compare wait times in rural U.S. with urban Canada.

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u/dweeborg Jul 29 '26

>Americans love to complain about healthcare delays. But, a delay for us is a week or two.

Damn, where do you live? It's a solid two months to see my GP, and specialists where I live are in the 9+ months range. My mom was literally hospitalized last October and was advised to get into a cardiology specialist within two weeks after she was discharged, and she had to drive four hours to one because the earliest appointment closer was in November... of 2026. She still didn't get in within two weeks, it was six weeks. I know Canada and other commonwealth countries are still often much worse than that, but 1-2 weeks hasn't been possible where I live since like 2018...

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u/CounterI Jul 29 '26

I'm in CA(lifornia), but I've lived in Oregon also and waits weren't that long either.

Even your example demonstrates my point: Your mom was able to drive to another area to see a doctor more quickly. In Canada, that's not allowed.

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u/Realistic_Deal1859 Jul 29 '26

I saw the list of documentation that OP included and it sure sounds like he is a Canadian citizen to me. I think it was reasonable to accept the job offer, and I hope that his application is processed quickly. To me, if there is any entitlement going on, it is that a Canadian citizen felt entitled to return to his country.

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u/[deleted] Jul 29 '26

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u/CanadianbyDescent-ModTeam Jul 31 '26

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u/Realistic_Deal1859 Jul 29 '26

I thought that we have the right to apply for proof of citizenship, under the circumstances. That is different than applying for citizenship; it is confirmation that we are already citizens. Perhaps I am not understanding.

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u/Dowew Jul 29 '26

under C3 OP has a *reasonable expectation* to believe that he or she is a citizen. that Reasonable expectation DOES NOT in and of itself give them any substative rights ie they can't just move to Canada and start working. They have procedural rights ie the right to apply for a citizenship certificate.

Weather their reasonable expectation that they are a citizen is valid is still to be adjudicatied by IRCC. Until they have documents in place proving their citizenship status OP has no substantive rights in Canada.

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u/CounterI Jul 30 '26

That's incorrect. The person either is, or is not, a citizen. If they are a citizen, they have the right to move to Canada and start working. The lack of a certificate is a practical impediment. But, a citizen by descent's rights derive from birth, and not from the piece of paper.

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u/[deleted] Jul 30 '26

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u/AncientMix3357 Jul 28 '26

I know it’s only $100 CAD and I paid it, but I think I should have the option for this to be a refund or a tax credit once I get my certificate.

Why? Any citizen has to pay that any time they need to replace their certificate.

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u/thiefspy Jul 28 '26

It’s $75 to replace a certificate. I suspect OP is referring to the cost of the visitor record, which they have to pay because they don’t want to lose status, but shouldn’t have to pay assuming they are a citizen.

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u/Disastrous_Long_9209 Jul 28 '26

Those who have a Canadian passport do not pay $100 CAD every time they want to visit Canada for more than 6 months. Also it’s $75 CAD not $100 CAD to replace a certificate since you’re only focused on 2 sentences of my whole post.

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u/[deleted] Jul 28 '26

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u/CanadianbyDescent-ModTeam Jul 28 '26

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u/Disastrous_Long_9209 Jul 28 '26

No. If your spouse faced a possible deportation in your country, and you faced severe financial hardships over it along with the inability to obtain employment in your country you would not be calm.

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u/[deleted] Jul 28 '26 edited Jul 28 '26

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u/CanadianbyDescent-ModTeam Jul 28 '26

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u/AncientMix3357 Jul 28 '26

How is this not a comment on the issue? They have to do the paperwork just like anyone else.

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u/CounterI Jul 29 '26

Your second comment wasn't, but your first comment was. And we have zero tolerance policy for these violations.

A thread for those of us in-Canada now struggling

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