Hi!! I'm hoping someone with experience can ease my anxiety. I applied for Canadian citizenship on October 5th and today received the standard fingerprint request letter (referencing Sections 21 and 22 of the Citizenship Act). I know this is often just a name match issue, but I'm spiraling a bit because of a police interaction back in April.

Here's what happened:

* My friend and I had a verbal argument. He had a panic attack; called 911. (In our language, "argument" and "fight" can be interchangeable, so he may have used the word "fight" on the call.)

* Police came, checked our ID's, spoke to both of us separately. I clarified there was no physical fight, just an argument.

* They asked if there was any violence. We both said no.

* The officer told me directly: "No, nothing like that" when I asked if I'd get a record.

* They told him that he shouldn't be calling 911 over a verbal argument and left.

* No arrest, no charges, no ticket, no summons. I've received zero calls or letters since.

My question: Could this incident possibly show up on the RCMP fingerprint-based criminal record check that IRCC requested or during background check at all? I'm worried about the "non-conviction information" line on the RCMP form, even though no charges were laid. I've read conflicting things online. Some say local police logs stay local and never reach the RCMP national database, others say IRCC can see "police contact" records.

Has anyone been in a similar situation (no-charge police contact plus fingerprint request for citizenship)? Did your application proceed normally? Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much!! :)

Hello, I'm seeking guidance on how my dad can withdraw his sponsorship (Family Class Outland) for his spouse. For rough background, the application was submitted in July 2026, and she's already been asked to appear for biometrics. He also received an email saying he's eligible for sponsorship. She hired her own lawyer, who is the representative. But their relationship has broken down, and we are really worried for our safety if her PR is approved because she's been threatening and harassing our family. We have his UCI and file number and submitted an IRCC webform, but when we called IRCC a week later, the immigration agent said they can't see the form. I'm really worried about the timeline of processing and don't know what we did wrong. We selected "I'm writing on behalf of the principal applicant" and then filled out the info, but they can't see it. We also mailed a withdrawal letter to the CIO in Sydney, NS, as instructed, but then we were told it could be a while before anyone opens that mail. If anyone who has been in a similar situation could offer any guidance on next steps or who to contact, it would be much appreciated, as we are really worried.

I’ve been invited to an interview next week and would like to know how it looks like?

I’ve received an ‘intention to refuse’ earlier in July, and now they asked me to come for an interview. They mentioned that they are not convinced with:

1. My current status in Quebec and my intention to settle in Quebec

2. My previous work experience history

3. My current work experience

4. My French proficiency

I’m only worried about the idea of speaking to an immigration officer completely in French, trying to explain them everything in detail and also answer any follow up questions they might have. Not sure if my broken French would cut it.

Folks who’ve been to an interview before, what did they ask and how did it go?

Hi all! I received my PR this year and am planning to sponsor my boyfriend once we get married next year.

We’ve been together since 2017 and have maintained a long-distance relationship since I moved to Canada in 2022.
However, I haven’t been able to visit him from 2022 to 2026 due to several circumstances, including my studies, work commitments, financial constraints, and my ongoing PR application. Would the lack of in-person visits during those years raise any red flags or concerns with IRCC, even though we’ve maintained our relationship throughout?

Hi everyone,

I’m from Sweden and have a bachelor’s degree in Urban Planning. I have around 10 months of professional experience in the field since graduating, as well as some earlier summer work experience.

My long-term goal is to move to Canada, ideally British Columbia. I’ve been looking into different immigration pathways, but I’m finding it difficult to understand how realistic it is to get a job in urban planning as an international applicant who doesn’t already have Canadian work authorization.

I’m particularly interested in hearing from people who applied for jobs in urban planning, regional planning, GIS, transportation planning, or related fields while living outside Canada.

I’d love to hear about your experiences!
- Did you apply for jobs from abroad, or did you move to Canada first?
- Did you find an employer willing to support a work permit or immigration application?
- Did you need Canadian work experience or additional qualifications to get your first job?
- Are there particular provinces, cities, or types of employers that are more open to hiring international applicants?

I’d especially appreciate hearing from anyone who has gone through this process in British Columbia, but experiences from anywhere in Canada would be really helpful. I’m happy to hear both success stories and honest advice about the challenges. Thanks so much!

I’m an Indian citizen currently living in the United States, and I applied for Canadian permanent residence through the outland process.
My latest application update, dated October 23, 2026, says:
Final decision:
“Your application is in progress. We will send you a message once the final decision has been made.”
My background check still shows:
“We are processing your background check. We will send you a message if we need more information.”
I’m a little confused because the section is titled “Final decision,” but the message says that my application is still in progress.

I have received this email today saying.. the processing of your application for Pr is almost complete……

Please help.

Hi everyone, Please, I need some guidance with my PR journey. 🥹
I’m currently trying to explore the OINP pathway to permanent residency, and I’ve already spoken to my employer about it. They may be willing to support me, but the problem is that neither of us really knows how to navigate the process.
There’s so much information online, and honestly, I’m overwhelmed trying to figure out where to start, which information is accurate, and what steps my employer and I need to take.
If you’ve gone through this process, are currently applying, or know reliable resources that explain everything step by step, please point me in the right direction. I would really appreciate links to official guides, helpful videos, or any resources that could help me and my employer understand the process better.
I’m not necessarily looking for someone to do it for me, I just need some clarity on where to start and how to go about it correctly.
Any help, advice, or resources would mean so much to me. Thank you

I am helping my aunt apply for a visitor record, and when asked if she had done biometrics in the last 10 years, she had not done them so we paid the biometrics fee. After paying, on the Application Dashboard, we saw that there was a "Biometric Instruction Letter" in her messages, with details on how to have her fingerprints and photograph taken. However, it also shows under "Biometrics" that they were completed on the same day of the application.

Furthermore, under "Application information", there is a "Biometrics number", "Date of Biometrics Enrolment" which was in 2023, and an "Expiry Date" in 2033. When I asked her about it, she said she might've forgotten about that. so I have a couple of questions:

Does this mean she already did it?

Does she still have to get her biometrics done?

Can she get a refund for the fee or is it lost already?

Thank you in advance!

Hi, I recently submitted my PR application after receiving a provincial nomination under the Alberta Opportunity Stream. I am now going to apply for a BOWP as my PGWP expires in February. Under the IRCC bulletin 699, it looks like I can go ahead and apply without AOR, and submit the confirmation email and payment receipt instead.

I had a confusion while answering the questionnaire on the IRCC portal, I answered Yes to question 1 as I will be using the temporary public policy that allows applications without an AOR, but I answered No to question 2, as I am not an Express Entry applicant and I do not have stage 1 approval yet either. I just wanted to confirm if that is correct?

1. Does one of the following apply to you?

• I am subject of a removal order that is unenforceable
• I applied for a study or work permit before entering Canada which was approved, but not issued at a port of entry; or
• I am in primary or secondary school, or a visiting or exchange student, in Canada with visitor status.
• I am applying for an open work permit under an active public policy or pilot program announced by IRCC.
• I am a student who has completed a program of study that is a prerequisite to my enrolment at a designated learning institution with visitor status in Canada; or
• I applied for permanent residence and was found eligible (first stage approval) under one of the following classes:
  • Spouse or Common-law Partner in Canada
  • Humanitarian and Compassionate cases
  • Protected Persons in Canada
  • Live-in Caregiver in Canada

2. Are you

• a spouse, common-law partner or dependent child of a foreign worker who holds a valid work permit or is approved for a work permit. Not all family members of workers are eligible. Check if you are eligible to apply for an open work permit;
• a person who holds a temporary resident permit that is valid for 6 months or more;
• a person who applied for permanent residence to an office in-Canada and was determined to be eligible for permanent resident status (first stage approval); or
• a person who applied for permanent residence in a program under Express Entry and is applying for a bridging open work permit

I have also listed the application package that was generated for the open work permit after I hit Submit on the questionnaire. Is this the correct package for someone applying for a BOWP? I would really appreciate any guidance as I am finding conflicting answers online.

• Application to Change Conditions, Extend my Stay or Remain in Canada as a Worker (IMM5710) (required)
• Passport (required)
• Digital photo (required)
• Schedule 1 - Application for a Temporary Resident Visa Made Outside Canada (IMM 5257) (optional)
• Client Information (optional)

Apologies for the lengthy post. I would appreciate if someone could guide me so I submit the correct application.

Hi,

I have been working on an LMIA in Alberta for just over a year.

Recently I started a small side business. It's a long time ambition of mine to take a small hobby or interest and make a bit of extra money from it. I finally did this and look set to win some orders soon, only I've just discovered I may not be allowed to do this.

The role has nothing to do with my current full time job, and I am not working in the grand scheme of things, I essentially source a product and sell it to someone else, there's actually very little input from me once it's all up and running properly. It's mainly email communications between factory and end client. (I am being intentionally vague).

This is not intended to replace my job, it is just a bit of extra money to keep the household ticking along.

Am I breaking a rule? A lot of people have side gigs to help with the cost of living these days.

I am worried if it does well and then I need to declare it on my income tax or something and if that will trigger anything.

I would be gutted if I finally made something of myself and I'm not legally allowed to do it but I understand if I have to pull the plug now before it gets going properly.

It says that the server is down, on my end.

Just curious if it says the same for y'all too

Hi everyone, I need some advice from anyone who has experienced something similar.

What happened:

On July 26, 2026, my friend and I visited Niagara Falls, Ontario. We decided to stop at the duty-free shop without knowing that its exit leads directly to the US border.

After leaving the duty-free shop, we accidentally reached US immigration. I immediately told the officer that we had taken a wrong turn and wanted to return to Canada.

I had a valid US visa, but I wasn’t carrying my passport because I had no plans to visit the USA.

The officer checked my driver’s licence and directed us to secondary inspection. After processing, I was given a US immigration document and sent back to Canada.

We returned to Canada, where CBSA officers also checked my information.

This was genuinely an accidental wrong turn. I never intended to enter the USA.

My Canadian immigration situation:

March 2025: Submitted my Home Support Worker Pilot PR application.
April 2026: Submitted my OINP Employer Job Offer application.
July 2026: Accidental US border incident happened.
September 2026: My OINP nomination was approved.
October 2026: Applied for an LMIA-exempt work permit extension based on my OINP nomination.
I am currently on maintained status.

My concern:

In my work permit extension application (IMM 5710), the question about previously being refused entry to another country was answered “No.”

At the time, I did not properly understand whether this accidental border incident needed to be declared.

After discussing it with my immigration lawyer, he advised that we should:

Submit an IRCC webform explaining the incident and correcting the answer on my pending work permit extension.
Update my existing federal Home Support Worker Pilot PR application.
Disclose the incident in my upcoming federal PNP PR application.
Not reopen or attempt to change my already-approved OINP application, which was originally submitted before the incident.

My questions:

Has anyone experienced an accidental US border entry at Niagara Falls and received US immigration paperwork?
Does this type of incident count as a formal refusal of entry?
Could correcting my work permit application through an IRCC webform cause problems or be treated as misrepresentation?
Since my OINP nomination has already been approved, could this incident affect my nomination?
Is updating IRCC sufficient, or should I also notify OINP about the incident that happened while my nomination application was processing?

I’m trying to be completely transparent with immigration authorities and correct any mistakes.

Has anyone experienced something similar and successfully received their Canadian work permit or PR?

Thank you!

Hey everyone,

​Quick question for anyone who has applied through OINP with university post-grad certificates:

​I completed two consecutive 1-year postgraduate certificates at York University (School of Continuing Studies)

Do university-issued post-grad certificates from York qualify you as a "Recent Graduate" for the lower work experience threshold and low wage requirement? or do they strictly look for an Ontario College Graduate Certificate?

I work under noc 11100 and I make less than the median wage.

Thanks for your help!

Anybody here who recently entered canada without physical work permit? I do have the pdf though.

I received my P1 while outside Canada on Oct. 9, I replied to the email and declared that I am outside Canada and my return date. IRCC replied on Oct. 16th sayinv to reply on the same email when I return with the needed information, I did reply on 17th.

Until now, I havent received my P2. Anyone who has experienced the same? How long ahould I wait for P2?

My wife has a year long visitor's record that's expiring in November. Last month we just got the AOR for her PR application. We have applied for her Open Work Permit and I am wondering if we will need to redo her visitors record as well, or if the pending OWP will take its place to maintain her status.

She's never applied for an OPW before, this is the first one.

Has anyone applied for an open work permit without an AOR after submitting a spousal or common-law sponsorship application because their current status was set to expire within 2 weeks?

If so, did you include a letter of explanation stating that you were applying without an AOR because your current status was expiring within the 2-week window, in accordance with IRCC’s policy?

Or were you approved without including a separate explanation letter?

I’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences!

I am sponsoring my spouse for PR. She has successfully made it into Canada and I have the AOR for the process. I would like to inquire how difficult it'll be to apply for an open work permit without any outside help. The lawyers we use for immigration are offering to help for an additional 850CAD which we can't really afford and want to do it ourselves if possible.

How difficult is it to file it on our own and what are the main issues that people run into when trying to apply? Thank you all for your help

Hi everyone,
I have completed my MBA from Manipal University Jaipur (MUJ), India, and I’m planning to apply for Canadian Permanent Residency through Express Entry.
I would like to know if anyone who completed their MBA from MUJ has obtained an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) through WES, IQAS, CES, or ICAS.
I have a few questions:
Which ECA organization did you use?
What Canadian equivalency did you receive for your MBA? Was it assessed as a master’s degree or a postgraduate diploma?
Was your MBA regular, online, or distance learning?
How was the experience with the evaluation process, and how long did it take?
Would you recommend WES or another organization for an MBA from MUJ?
I would really appreciate it if anyone who has completed this process could share their actual ECA results and experience. It would help me decide which organization to choose before applying.
Thank you in advance for your help!

Hello guys , i have a Canadian Pr and my fiance is australian , we’re planing for her to move to canada after we get married , can we apply for the sponsorship while she stays in canada untill she get approved ?

Hi everyone i want some suggestions about it
As I am planning to Travel India from Toronto to Delhi in End of January 2027 and coming back first week of March.
And my Passport expiring on 6 July 2027 and Canadian TRV as well expiring same date and My open work permit as well expires on 6 July 2027. And My spousal sponsorship PR application is still processing.
I want to ask that will i get entry in Canada without issue.

Spouse open work permit is refused due to no AOR

- applied for common law sponsorship (outland) on September. I am in canada and living with my partner. Even it is outland, if you have the valid status and are living together with your partner in Canada, we can apply for open work permit.

- applied for spouse open work permit 13 days before my current work permit expire without AOR. We attached all documents are required and followed IRCC guide on their website including copy of current work permit and the email confirming that you’ve successfully submitted your permanent residence application.

- my application is refused due to no AOR. on refusal letter, they mentioned that they can see prospective file for my PR but have not received AOR yet so refused.

I have searched about it online and I think it was recommended to include a letter of explanation with direct screenshots of the government website proving we are legally allowed to submit under this 2 weeks window.

And one of my coworkers also had applied for the spouse open work permit and he included those in their application and he's application was approved.

I also asked another immigration consultant to have another my opinion about this situation, and they also asked me whether I attached the proper a letter of explanation together.

We used the immigration representative but she did not attached any of them.

Can It be the representative's fault?

Hello. About 7 days before my hearing was scheduled, I received a notice stating that the hearing had been postponed and that the intervention of the Minister of Immigration had been requested in relation to my participation in active military service. That service is mandatory in my country, but I have never harmed people or public places. It is true that during military service I carried weapons, but only within military units and solely as part of my training. However, they allege that my case must be reviewed under Article 1A(f) of the Refugee Convention.

If anyone has been through something similar, please explain what evidence you presented to defend yourselves, because the only thing I have is witness statements; I do not have any documents or personal evidence, other than general information available on the internet about military service in my country. I already tried to contact my legal representative, but for the moment they are not responding. That is why I am asking anyone in the group who has experience with a similar situation.

Thank you to the admins for accepting my post.