What are the instructions for virtual citizenship ceremonies?

The coronavirus pandemic has forced Canada to organize virtual citizenship ceremonies instead of continuing with traditional ceremonies. As a result, the country has introduced some new rules in order to support the development.

Canada does not want to allow the coronavirus pandemic to steal this special day from the immigrants, and so they are going out of their way to accommodate the citizenship ceremonies. Zoom is proving to be a useful platform for setting up these ceremonies.

Participating in the ceremony:

Canadian citizenship ceremonies are usually meaningful, and people often view theirs as an important event in their life. Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has tried to ensure that nothing goes wrong by providing a set of instructions for soon-to-be citizens who are planning to take the oath online.

New citizens will receive an invitation letter from IRCC that will mention all the details of the citizenship ceremony. This means that you will learn the date and time of the event beforehand. The Zoom link and other log-in instructions will also be included in the letter.

Requirements:

One important thing to remember is that people will have to be present in Canada physically in order to take the Oath of Citizenship. All the steps will happen virtually, but IRCC will ask you to confirm your physical location prior to your participation in the ceremony. If you are not in Canada at the moment, you will have to wait until you are back in the country to have your citizenship ceremony.

While IRCC does not impose a strict dress code, participants are required to dress “respectfully.” Everyone can sit through the entirety of the ceremony, but IRCC recommends that you stay in a quiet room during the Zoom call. Having a plain background and eliminating distractions will help you be a considerate oath-taker.