I’ve set up a collaborative spreadsheet where we can all track our application progress and share processing times. This helps everyone get a better idea of current wait times and stages.
How to get added to the tracker
If you need help getting your information added, just make a post and tag one of the moderators. They’ll help get you set up.
Information needed for initial entry:
Your username
Number of applications and which generation
Country of origin and shipping method used
Whether you requested expedited processing
Submission date and other important dates like when received or AOR
How to use the spreadsheet
Once your row is added, you can find it sorted by submission date. Please keep your row updated as your application progresses through different stages.
The spreadsheet now includes a statistics section to help analyze trends. Please don’t lock cells or remove other people’s data.
Key Terms Explained
AOR - Acknowledgement of Receipt. This is the email with PDF you get after initial review. Contains your UCI number for status checking.
Status Updates - After AOR, you won’t get emails unless they need more documents. Use the official status checker tool to monitor progress.
Expedited Cases - Applications marked urgent typically get reviewed faster.
5(4) Grant - Some first generation applicants may receive a citizenship grant offer instead. You have 30 days to respond with requested documents.
Many people are currently waiting for grant approval confirmation before moving to the oath ceremony stage.
Hope this tracker helps everyone stay informed about processing times and stages!
Went through this last year - community trackers are a lifesaver for managing expectations. The wait is brutal without knowing what’s normal. Add a column for medical exam dates if you can. Those create bottlenecks that aren’t obvious from just submission dates. Also track which processing center handles each case since timing varies massively between offices. The 5(4) grant pathway surprised me when it happened to my friend. Would be super helpful to see how common that route is vs standard processing, especially for first-gen applicants. Biggest tip: set clear rules about data accuracy upfront. When people see others getting processed faster, they tend to fudge dates or stop updating when things slow down. Maybe require screenshot proof for major milestones like AOR or final approval. Love the statistics section idea. Breaking down processing times by country and expedited vs standard should show patterns individual applicants would never notice.
Really appreciate this initiative. I’ve been watching processing times go crazy over the past few months, so having all this data in one place helps a ton. One thing I learned during my own process - document quality matters way more than people think. Unclear photos or missing pages? You’re getting pushed back for another review cycle. You should add a field for document resubmission requests since those delays don’t show up in the standard metrics. The expedited processing breakdown is solid, but medical emergencies and job-related urgent cases get different priority levels. Regional offices handle volumes totally differently too. Vancouver was consistently slower than Toronto when I went through it. Don’t panic if the status checker shows delays compared to similar cases - that tool lags behind actual progress by several days. They process stuff in batches, which is why some applications jump stages fast while others sit there for weeks.
Manual spreadsheet tracking becomes a nightmare fast. Trust me, I’ve seen this play out too many times.
People forget to update rows, data gets messy, and someone always deletes important stuff. You’re also stuck with basic spreadsheet features for any real analysis.
I built something similar for my team’s project tracking with automation. Instead of manual updates, I automated data collection that pulls status updates directly from official sources and sends notifications when things change.
Connect to the official status checker API (if there is one) or use web scraping to auto-update everyone’s progress. Then trigger notifications to Discord or email when someone’s status changes.
You can also automate stats calculations and generate trend reports without anyone manually crunching numbers. Way more reliable than hoping people remember to update their row.
This automation workflow is perfect for Latenode. Set it up to monitor multiple applications at once and keep everyone updated without the manual work.