You passed the Canadian citizenship test. What happens next?

You passed the Canadian citizenship test. The relief is real, but the test is a milestone, not the finish line. Between that passing score and the moment you are actually a citizen, there is an officer review, an invitation, and an oath ceremony. Here is what to expect, and roughly how long it takes.

Looking for what to get right before and during the test (webcam, ID photos, the results screen)? That is covered in Read this before your Canadian citizenship test.

First, your result becomes official

The score you saw on screen right after the online test is an unofficial result. An officer reviews your test, including your webcam photos, before it counts. There is no confirmation email, so the signal that you are through is simple: no follow-up letter asking you to retake the test or attend an interview, and your application status moving toward the next step.

If an officer needs anything else, such as more documents or an interview, they will contact you. Most people who pass cleanly simply move into the wait for a ceremony.

The wait: from test to ceremony

This is the part that tests your patience, and it is the question almost everyone asks: how long after the test until the oath ceremony? There is no single fixed answer. After the test, your file still has to be finalized and a ceremony scheduled, and that stretch depends on IRCC's current workload far more than on anything you do. Processing times shift with application volume, so treat any single number you read in a forum as a rough guide, not a promise.

• See how long the wait is right now, and roughly where your application sits in the queue, with our Canadian citizenship processing index. Watch your application status online too.
• Keep your contact details and address up to date with IRCC, because your ceremony invitation goes to the contact information on file.
• The ceremony invitation usually arrives by email or through your online account, with a date and instructions.

Your invitation to the oath ceremony

Once your application is approved, IRCC invites you to take the Oath of Citizenship at a ceremony. Ceremonies are held in two formats:

• By video, joining online at a scheduled time.
• In person, at an IRCC office or a community venue.

Your invitation tells you the format, the date and time, and what to bring. Read it carefully, because the instructions in your invitation always take precedence over general guidance.

The ceremony, and the moment it counts

At the ceremony you take the Oath of Citizenship, which is the legal moment you become a Canadian citizen. Typically you will:

• Present your permanent resident card and any documents named in your invitation, and hand in your PR card.
• Take the oath, led by a citizenship official.
• Sign the oath form.
• Receive your citizenship certificate, the proof you are a citizen.

Applicants under 14 generally do not have to take the oath. If you cannot attend on your assigned date, contact IRCC as early as possible to ask about rescheduling rather than simply missing it.

After you are a citizen

Your citizenship certificate is now your proof of citizenship, so keep it safe. With it you can:

• Apply for a Canadian passport.
• Register to vote in federal, provincial, and municipal elections.
• Update your records and ID as a citizen.

That is the whole arc: pass the test, clear the officer review, accept your invitation, and take the oath. If you have not sat the test yet, study every question in Discover Canada and run full practice tests until a pass feels routine.