During the Canadian citizenship application process, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) may request that an applicant complete fingerprinting. This request does not mean that something is wrong with the application. Instead, it is usually part of the standard background and security screening process. Applicants often wonder what happens after they complete the fingerprinting requirement.
Once the applicant has completed fingerprinting with a police agency or an accredited fingerprinting company, the results are sent directly to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). The RCMP then processes the fingerprints to confirm the applicant’s identity and to determine whether there is any criminal record that could impact the application. Applicants themselves do not send the results to IRCC; the RCMP forwards them electronically once processed.
The time it takes for the RCMP to process fingerprints can vary, but it is usually within a few weeks. IRCC will then receive the results and continue their assessment of the application. For the applicant, the next step is simply to wait for IRCC to confirm receipt and move forward with the application. It is common for applicants to later see progress such as being scheduled for the citizenship test or interview once the fingerprinting stage is complete.
Fingerprinting is typically requested when IRCC needs more information to complete a security or criminality check. This may be triggered if the applicant has a name that is similar to someone in the RCMP database, if there are prior interactions with law enforcement, or simply as a routine part of random quality assurance measures. Importantly, receiving a fingerprint request should not automatically be taken as a negative sign.
After fingerprinting is complete, the citizenship process continues with the remaining steps: background checks, citizenship test (if required), interview (if necessary), decision on the application, and finally, the oath of citizenship ceremony. For most applicants, fingerprinting is just one of several procedural steps, and once cleared, it does not usually cause significant delays in processing.
In summary, the next step after fingerprinting for citizenship in Canada is for IRCC to complete background and security checks based on the RCMP results. Applicants should monitor their online account and wait for further instructions, which may include scheduling of the citizenship test or interview. Fingerprinting is not unusual and generally signals that the application is moving forward as IRCC ensures the integrity of the process.