Online Citizenship Testing in Canada Finally!

The coronavirus pandemic forced Canada to enter lockdown in the early months of 2020. Immigration and citizenship processing suffered in the process because of less manpower and the problems of remote working. Permanent residents who had been ready to sit for their citizenship tests and become official Canadian citizens had to put their plans on hold indefinitely because Canada stopped organizing the tests altogether. 

It has been a while since Canada started restoring its normal operations after the infection rates fell. Many candidates expressed their grievances over the fact that Canada had resumed many federal proceedings but not done anything about the citizenship test.

IRCC delivers 

Finally, IRCC has stepped up and lived up to its promise of organizing virtual citizenship tests. This is the first time in eight months that candidates will be able to register for the test. Canada will test this virtual method for a while to check if it’s sustainable. Candidates whose tests had to be canceled because of COVID-19 will be given priority along with the people on the waiting list. 

Even before the pandemic, IRCC had been trying to modernize the citizenship program. Online testing is an important element of the process. IRCC will upgrade the platform throughout the monitoring period and then invite more applicants once it is completely reliable.

Details of the test 

Candidates will have to answer 20 questions in half an hour virtually. All the test-takers have to prove their identity by providing personal information, their ID documents, and a photograph. The system is programmed to take pictures of the candidates when they are answering the test.

IRCC data states that more than 85,000 people are currently waiting to take the citizenship test. This measure was absolutely necessary.