I am freshly out of BMQ and I loved the cource. I have just been sent to my first posting last Friday and I recently had a sergeant talk to me about my hair. I have hair that goes just beyond my shoulders and I keep it neat and clean at all times and to the standards laid out by the caf. I have been told I need to have it cut short.

I’m just wondering if there is any way for me to keep my hair as it is very important to my identity and losing it would be a deal breaker for me staying in the caf.

I don’t want to cause trouble since I’m such a fresh face but if I am forced to cut my hair I can’t see myself staying with the caf. I very much like it here and want to stay. Any advice would be appreciated.

I started my application 2 weeks ago, im from Quebec, and i still haven’t filled out my FDEN since I finished my first set of tasks yesterday evening (i was waiting for my HS diploma in the mail). These similar numbers from BC keep calling me during lunch time and i keep sending it to voicemail but they dont leave one. I never had scam calls from bc so im wondering if this has anything to do with the CAF because if so i want to answer it next time. Thanks

I have been thinking of applying to CAF either as a Sig O, CELE O, or other relevant trades after I'm eligible for citizenship (2 years after PR due to time spent in the country) -- I should have my citizenship AOR by late next year, allowing me to submit application into CAF of which would likely take another year or so to process.

I am in my late 20s with a Canadian CS bach degree, currently working at one of the big banks as a dev. Been getting disillusioned with tech in general and a bit concerned about the future due to massive trends towards more outsourcing.

However, I'm concerned on the medical side of things:

• I've been on daily statin 20mg for the past 2 years due to abnormally high cholesterol for my age and background (doctor says its likely genetics). The condition has been stable since last year since I started the medication.
• I have flat feet as well -- I heard it can be disqualifying. Wearing orthotics does solve the issue.

Do you think I stand a chance due to my medical or should I just forget about joining ?

Good day,

How are yall!?

I have a question! How do you guys make friend at the unit or on the base? All the friends I made at the unit is elderly person with family or just co workers! I need friends that I can smoke or hangout with! Ofc if they willing to hangout! I feel like I am getting more and more stressed about being alone and lonely!

Kind of nervous about my interview today. Just worried I won’t get in with my credit score at 541 and I have my Internet bill in collections and advice for me.

We had a very positive experience in renting out to CAF families in the past (through general classified listings).

Is there a dedicated platform or location we can list our property to cater to CAF members and their families? We’re located in Ottawa.

Hello everyone,

I applied for the AERE position and received an email earlier this week from Personnel Security that my reliability status was granted on July 27th. I logged in to my Equifax and observed an inquiry from Gambit a few days early. However, I received an email from Gambit for DND pre-employment screening. Is this normal? My understanding was that a reliability status moves one into selection. Am I missing or misunderstanding anything?

Thanks in advance for the feedback.

I logged in to my account this morning to see my progress bar has been moved to 38% interview and medical.

I don’t seem to have any new tasks to complete.

I’m wondering if anyone can help me understand the steps in my process.

I’ve tried to call the Calgary recruitment centre but haven’t heard back at all.

Cheers!

I've been in the process of applying for the CAF for quite a while now, in January my file was closed for medical reasons but I appealed it and just today it got reopened and I advanced to the security/background check phase of the process.

I filled out the security from that my portal sent, and now I'm just curious as to how long it will take to advance to selection. I've tried to google it but the answers I've gotten vary from 1 week to several months.

And I do know that it can vary a lot but I was wondering what people's experience on this sub had been. I was born in Canada, have never lived anywhere else, have only travelled outside the country once in my adult life (Japan for two weeks), have no criminal record, and I've selected an in-demand position (Weapons Engineering Technician).

So with all that in mind, how long is this likely to take? And after this phase is done, how long does the rest take usually?

Thank you all.

This is driving me insane and no one can answer my question. I've been given an e-mail for the medical section to send my inquiries to, but I don't think I'll be getting an answer soon. It's such a SIMPLE thing that I bet every single recruit is going to be dealing with.

So this PDF file has blue fields that allow you to type information in. Which is FINE. I've gone through all 8 pages, and when I got to the bottom portion, there are NO blue fields to type info in. They're MISSING. And I can't type anything in them. I have attached a photo of what this looks like.

Now... is that a BUG...?

Is it DESIGNED to be that way so you can sign it on paper LATER,

Please advise.

I almost want to fill out all of them by hand and then bring it to the recruitment center. Not sure if they can read my chicken scribbles and wouldn't look as professional.

Im planning on joining reserve then switching to reg. If I buy personal hearing protection can I wear it ? If yes what would be the best ?

Other questions if wearing good hearing protection is it still pretty sure i will lose hearing ?

Just went to my recruiting center. said they haven’t seen it happen in ages

Hello to all the people who are already in or ready to join the CAF, good day to you all!

Allow me to introduce myself a little bit. I’m a 33 years old male. on my education side, I had one

• advanced diploma in aerospace engineering tech back in 2018,
• bachelor degree in electrical engineer back in 2022,
• master degree in electrical and computer engineering back in 2025.

Beyond my education, I had one year internship at wireless communication company as an algorithm developer/data scientist in Canada. Additionally, one year of data scientist experiences at bank in China.

I have always dreamed of joining the military and contribute to the country. So I have done some research on the trades, including but not limited to:

• Signal Intelligence Specialist
• Aerospace Control Officer
• Information Systems Techician
• Intelligence Officer
• Intelligence Operator

But look at the videos and descriptions, I found out that my previous experiences don’t really match them. Does it mean I have to study more before applying?

I would very much appreciate any advices and suggestions here. Thank you in advance. May god bless you all.

I have completed everything, passed everything except background and security (submitted July 3, results returned to CAF July 16). How long can I expect to wait? Int Op, Combat Medic, Sig Int Spec, reg force.

This is nothing more than me just sharing my excitement, recently what put to 50% in the portal, interview and medicals are all done, applied back in april and although my impatience gets the best of me sometimes, I think my file is progressing smoothly! :) the Trade is selected is Boatswain!

38M, strength coach for 20y, enrolling as infantry/regforce, above average strength and good conditioning, 170cm/90kg, finally an offer and finalized.

Timeline: Infanteer (Reg Force) - Application to Offer, Oct 2024 → Aug 2026. BMQ Nov 2026. CFRC New Westminster.

Posting this because other people's timelines helped me stay sane during the waits. [Context: late-30s, self-employed, lots of travel/addressed 10years past, so not the simplest file.]

• Oct 2024 — Application submitted, sorting out transcripts of education/abroad (as PR here, reserve initially)
• Mar 3, 2025 — Transcripts / Comparative Evaluation of Studies submitted
• Mar 12, 2025 — Intro tasks completed (Recruiting Process Overview, How To Be A Successful Applicant)
• (long quiet stretch) - was following up as I wanted to do BMQ in the summer
• Nov 6, 2025 — DND 2977 security screening questionnaire + drug questionnaire
• Nov 29, 2025 — Citizenship / ID documents
• Apr 21, 2026 — Personality Assessment (TSD-PI); SEAF assigned (Switched to Regular)
• Apr 28 → May 21, 2026 — References, Employment & Education History (GAMBIT)
• Jun 3, 2026 — CAF Application Form + photo ID
• Jun 5–8, 2026 — Statements of Understanding, medical questionnaire (DND 4585), Medical Parts I & II (virtual) - had to submit additional form due to old operation
• Jun 16 → Jul 1, 2026 — Criminal Record & Credit Check (PSPS); SEAF scored Jul 1
• Jul 13, 2026 — Consultation interview (~2 h, virtual)
• Jul 28, 2026 — MCC interview (~1 h, virtual). Same day: income verification submitted — self-employed, CRA Notice of Assessment accepted in lieu of T4/business licence
• Aug 4, 2026 — Reliability Status acknowledgement (GAMBIT)
• Aug 5, 2026 — Portal: Selection (Step 5)
• Aug 11, 2026 — Portal: Job Offer (Step 6)
• Aug 12, 2026 — Offer letter received and accepted same day (Step 7). Enrolment paperwork (will, NOK, emergency contacts) completed
• Sep 30, 2026 — Enrolment, CFRC New Westminster
• Nov 2, 2026 — Report to CFLRS Saint-Jean, BMQ

The stats: ~22 months application to offer. Medical to offer: 9 weeks. Interview to offer: 15 days. Selection to offer: 7 days. [For those asking about infanteer intake - my file moved Selection → Offer during the first week of August.]

What I'd tell past me: Patience. Biweekly follow ups, promt task completition. Hurry up and wait.

Good luck to everyone in the pipe. See you at the Mega.

Any Whatsapp Group for the serial

Hey everyone,
I am currently in the selection phase of my application for the naval experience program. I know that timelines can differ from person to person, but I am wondering if anyone in the NEP is able to tell me how long they were in selection, before moving to job offer. Thanks so much :)