Applying, waiting, and staying safe from scams

Wei is fifty-two. He came from China, and he drives a delivery van in Markham. He applied for citizenship last spring. Tonight his phone rings. The screen says Unknown caller. A man says he's from the immigration department. He says Wei owes a fee, and his application will be cancelled tonight unless he pays. Wei's heart is pounding. What should he do?

So here's the question. How do you apply, what happens while you wait, and how do you spot a scam? Remember, this is a free, independent course. It is not a government course. This is general information, not advice. Check canada.ca for your own case.

Most people apply online, on the immigration department's website. Paper is only for special cases. One is time spent working abroad for the Canadian government or armed forces. Another is when a representative fills in and sends the application for you. In twenty twenty-six, the fee for an adult is six hundred fifty-three dollars. Check the official fee page before you pay.

After you apply, you get an acknowledgement of receipt. It says your application is being processed. It gives you your application number. Then you wait for your test invitation. It comes by email. Most people get it one to three months after that notice. Check your spam folder. The email address will end in cic.gc.ca or canada.ca.

How long will it all take? Use the processing times tool on the department's website. The times change every month, so I won't give a number.

Now, scams. The immigration department says it will never ask you to pay by phone. It will never threaten you. It will never ask you to put money in a personal bank account. It will never use free email, like Gmail, Hotmail or Yahoo. And it will never start a conversation with you on social media.

No one can sell you the test answers. The department does not publish its test questions. You also don't need a representative. A representative is someone who helps with your application. If you pay one, they must be licensed. That means a member of the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants, a lawyer, a paralegal in Ontario, or a notary in Quebec.

For free help, the department's website has a tool called Find settlement services near you. These services are free. They include help preparing for the citizenship test, and language classes. Use them before your oath, because once you are a citizen, you may no longer qualify. And the department says to report phone and online scams to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

Let's make it stick. Count four things on four fingers. One, money by phone. Two, threats. Three, free email. Four, a first message on social media. The immigration department says it never does any of these. If you see one, stop.

Here's a common confusion. Wei's screen said Unknown caller. Does that prove it's a scam? No. A real call from the department about your ceremony can also show Unknown caller. What gives this call away is the money and the threat. A real call will never ask you to pay, and it will never threaten you.

The mistake people make is paying out of fear, or paying someone who promises test answers. No one can sell them. Before you pay any helper, check that they are licensed. You can check consultants on the college's public list, and lawyers with the law society.

Here's the one thing to remember. The immigration department will never ask you to pay by phone, and it will never threaten you. If a call asks for money, hang up and check canada.ca.

This week, look up settlement services near you on the department's website. And add the department's test email address to your safe senders list, so your invitation doesn't land in spam. Next time, a new module, where your rights come from.