Canada citizenship test resumes online, foreign grads on waitlist prioritised

Permanent resident hopefuls have been waiting eight months to take the Canada citizenship test, and now, there’s finally good news. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is testing a new platform to apply for citizenship online; it will soon be rolled out to applicants on the waiting list.

According to IRCC data, there are about 85,000 people waiting to take the citizenship test as of Sept. 7, 2020. Since their hopes of becoming Canadian citizens were postponed by the pandemic, they will be prioritised in the latest online test. This group consists of people from around the world aged 18 to 54. If you are one of the hopefuls on this list, here’s what you need to know about the new online Canada citizenship test.

How it works

IRCC told CBC that the department will notify those invited to take the online test via e-mail. While you may also wait for in-person testing to resume, there’s no telling how soon that will be. If you haven’t received that golden ticket, sit tight — your chance will come.

Before starting the online test, you will be asked to confirm your identity, as well as take a photo of yourself and your ID documents with your webcam. You will then have 20 minutes to answer 30 questions. All these steps must be completed within the 21-day period stipulated by IRCC.

What you will need

Candidates will require a device with a stable internet connection and a functioning webcam. Besides capturing images for the verification process, the webcam will also be taking photos of you throughout the test for the purpose of proctoring.

When will the Canada citizenship test be open to others?

According to an official release, IRCC had been working on modernising the citizenship programme before the pandemic. This suggests that significant research and development have been channelled towards the online testing platform. For now, only those invited by IRCC will be able to take the test online. IRCC confirms that more people will be invited to use the platform in early 2021, once it is thoroughly tested.

This move comes after the Trudeau government announced that it aims to welcome over 1.2 million new Canadian permanent residents in the next two years — an immigration target international students in Canada will likely play a major role in helping the government achieve. Get help with your Canadian citizenship application here.