How long does Canadian citizenship take? Real timelines from applicants
People going through the citizenship process log their milestones on OathReady and share them anonymously. This page shows what those timelines add up to, next to IRCC's official estimate. Rebuilt every night; last rebuilt September 17, 2026.
Applicants who shared their journey received their AOR a median 97 days after applying and their test invitation a median 115 days after applying. IRCC's official processing time is 12 months (as of July 2026).
Days from applying to each milestone
Median, with the middle half of applicants (25th to 75th percentile). A number is published only when at least 5 journeys back it.
| Milestone | Median | Middle half | Journeys |
|---|---|---|---|
| AOR received | 97 days | 93 – 103 | 5 |
| Biometrics done | Not enough shared journeys yet | ||
| Test invitation | 115 days | 108 – 115 | 5 |
| Took the test | Not enough shared journeys yet | ||
| Decision made | Not enough shared journeys yet | ||
| Oath ceremony | Not enough shared journeys yet | ||
By application month
The same numbers for people who applied in the same month, once 5 of them have shared.
No application-month cohort has reached 5 shared journeys yet. When yours does, this section shows how people who applied the same month as you are moving through the process.
Around the community
11 milestones shared in the last 30 days
- 8 test invitations
- 1 AOR received
- 1 citizenship test taken
- 1 oath ceremony
Add your journey
Every number on this page comes from someone who took a minute to log their dates. Yours moves the medians, unlocks your application-month cohort, and gives the next applicant a real answer instead of a guess. Dates are shared anonymously: no name, no handle, and you can switch sharing off any time.
Quick answers
- How long after applying do you get the AOR for Canadian citizenship?
- Among applicants who shared their journey on OathReady, the median time from applying to the Acknowledgement of Receipt (AOR) was 97 days after applying, with the middle half between 93 days and 103 days (5 journeys).
- How long after applying does the citizenship test invitation arrive?
- Among applicants who shared their journey on OathReady, the median time from applying to the test invitation was 115 days after applying, with the middle half between 108 days and 115 days (5 journeys).
- How long does Canadian citizenship take in 2026?
- IRCC's published processing time for a citizenship grant is 12 months as of July 2026, measured from a complete application to the oath ceremony. Individual timelines vary a lot, which is what the community medians on this page show.
- Where do these numbers come from?
- From OathReady users who log their citizenship milestones and choose to share them anonymously. Every night the milestones that have already happened are aggregated into medians; any stage or cohort with fewer than 5 journeys is left out. This is community data, not official IRCC data.
How this is counted
Days are counted from the date the person applied. Only milestones that have already happened are included; a test or ceremony booked for a future date is not. Medians use the nearest-rank method. Cohorts are keyed by application month. Any number with fewer than 5 journeys behind it is withheld, so no single person's timeline can be read from this page. The official figure is IRCC's published processing time, refreshed monthly.
Sources
Official processing time: IRCC, Check processing times (as of July 2026). Community timelines: anonymous milestones shared by OathReady users, aggregated nightly; last rebuilt September 17, 2026. Community numbers are not official statistics.