In March 2020, the Immigration Department postponed all citizenship tests due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which left hundreds of thousands in a difficult situation. The number of permanent residents willing to take the citizenship test increased from 87,000 in March 2020 to 102,000 this year. As of January 31, 2021, 311,259 people were waiting to complete the entire procedure for obtaining citizenship. Of these, 102,989 have been in the waiting mode for 13 to 18 months. Citizenship tests are now conducted online. At the end of April, 65,893 exam invitations were sent via the Internet, and 43,697 people passed the citizenship exams.