'Child with no country': Three year citizenship wait has Calgary teen stuck in limbo

He's been in Calgary for a decade and has had a citizenship application in for three years, but one local teen is still waiting to officially become a Canadian. 

17-year-old Will Baker is one of more than two million people caught up in a lengthy citizenship backlog. 

His mom, Miffy, sent in Baker's paperwork and application in spring 2019. Today, just months before he turns 18, Baker is still waiting for answers about when -- or if -- it'll be accepted. 

"It just shows that it's in progress," Miffy told CTV News. "And it's been in progress since May 2019. I keep thinking I'm going to be patient and I'm not going to be the person who is complaining because the government isn't doing their job, but it's been three years."

Baker was adopted from Portland in 2012 after his birth mother died. 

He was previously utilizing Canada's visitor pass program, but he's now without a pass or official citizenship. 

His family is also short on solutions. 

"He's kind of a child with no country and it's really hard," Miffy said. "I consider myself to be a fairy intelligent person, and it's taken me all of my brainpower to get through (the application steps thus far). I can't imagine somebody who has English as a second language trying to get through this process."

The family says correspondence with Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has been sparse. 

They've tried to visit agents in-person and have left dozens of voicemail messages and emails, many without answer. 

The situation is especially problematic now that Baker is approaching adulthood. He's unable to legally get a health card, rent an apartment, drive or apply for a job. 

"If I don't have that stuff I can't really function properly," he said. "I do contract photography but it's just not the same. I don't have a solid income and it's a struggle to see my friends have that ability when I don't."

The IRCC said officers didn't receive Baker's application until February 2021. They say in March, it was lost in transit between processing offices, something that can happen occasionally due to human error.

It says the IRCC will be reaching out to the family soon.

IRCC CONCERNS

Recent IRCC data shows the immigration backlog in Canada has ballooned to 2.4 million people. Over 250,000 temporary and permanent residency requests and citizenship applications added to the pile over a one-month span alone. 

The increased backlog has previously been leading to frustrations for those waiting to receive an application update. Long processing times and a lack of communication and transparency are some of the many issues highlighted by those CTV News spoke to. 

For its part, the IRCC says it has sped up the immigration process by utilizing virtual citizenship tests and hiring new staff. 

But experts believe it could take a year or more for the federal body to catch up on its backlogged applications.