The processing time for your application for a renewal of permanent resident card or for a Canadian citizenship now takes longer than before. It happens not just because of a file load in the immigration department, but also because the Canadian immigration officials now thoroughly examine whether or not the applicant was actually physically present in Canada during the prescribed period of time (permanent residents must be physically present in Canada for the period of 2 years out of 5 or, in a case of a citizenship, 3 years out of 4) or qualify for days counted towards residency.
What happens when the immigration officer on your case decided to investigate whether or not you complied with the requirements under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act? The officer sends you a letter notifying you that they need more detailed information and additional supporting documentation. Sometimes, the officer directly writes to you that your case is now under filed investigation. It is imperative for you, as an applicant, to take such letter seriously. I have one case when a client, thinking that since she was a medical doctor and a surgeon in a hospital working full time during the entire period in question, ignored the letter from the officer and later, an invitation for an oral hearing before the citizenship judge. Her application was refused. The refusal happened just because of a simple error on the part of that client who subsequently was forced to hire us as legal representatives to correct her mistake.
The application process at the Citizenship and Immigration Canada became a complex road, so it is advisable to hire an experienced immigration counsel to handle your seemingly straightforward case.