I think you're right, I will opt for the normal process; however, seeing that IRCC is moving away from the Guarantor signature (which is not really a big hassle) is a good sign for future applicants. Simpler application forms.
Unfortunately my interview is cancelled which was scheduled for today due to bad weather. Received email confirmation on the same. They called us back and said that it will be rescheduled on the first week of March.
Really making us crazy as they could have scheduled it online instead of in-person.
Check the tracker. If I remember correctly, average is >60 days, so still within normal range (and without doing a statistics thing, my guess would be up to 90 days still not unusual, using a pulled-from-nowhere hunches about standdard deviation.)
Online Application
Location: Winnipeg
App Type: Single
Physical Presence Days: 1390
App Sent Date: September 12,2024
AOR Date: September 22,2024
Test Invite Date: December 15 , 2024
Test office: MBSK
Test Completed Date: December 19, 2024
Test updated: January 7,2025
Fingerprints Print Request: October 1,2024(Submitted on same day)
Background Complete Date: October 29,2024
Language Complete Date: January 15,2025
Prohibitions Complete Date: January 15,2025
Physical Presence Complete Date: January 15, 2025
Oath in progress: February 13,2025
(Oath is scheduled for March 3,2025)
Online application
Location: Surrey, BC
Application Type: Single
Physical Presence Days: 1151
Application Sent Date: September 11, 2024
AOR: September 24, 2024
Application Linked to Tracker: September 27, 2024
Citizenship Test In-Progress: November 07, 2024
Test Window: November 14, 2024 to December 14, 2024
Background verification completed: November 08
Citizenship Test Completed: November 29, 2024 (tracker updated December 03)
Finally received oath ceremony date in Tracker for Feb 13, 2025. It took almost two months after everything else completed. Looks like Montreal office is finally moving forward. Good luck to others Montreal applicants who have been waiting for so long. The wait will be over soon.