Identity Management: Verification of status as an identity-linking document
This section contains policy, procedures and guidance used by IRCC staff. It is posted on the department’s website as a courtesy to stakeholders.
Clients applying for a verification of status (VOS) to confirm their current immigration status or to obtain proof of their historical immigration information must submit a completed Application for a Verification of Status or Replacement of an Immigration Document by mail.
Only clients who are eligible to obtain a change of given name with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) under the Exceptions to change of name requirements, or clients who have obtained a change of sex or gender identifier on their IRCC document, are eligible to obtain a VOS as an identity-linking document.
All other clients requesting a change of name must follow IRCC’s existing requirements and process for their respective line of business.
This page contains guidance on handling requests from eligible citizenship and immigration clients who wish to obtain a VOS, for a $30 fee, to link their previous and new names or gender identifiers.
Since it can be problematic for these clients to obtain services under the new name or gender that appears on their IRCC document without an official document to link the previous and new names or gender identifiers, IRCC is offering eligible clients the option of obtaining a VOS to serve that purpose.
The standard remark included on the VOS for name changes is as follows:
The name of the bearer of this document, previously identified as “first name / last name”, is to be identified as “first name / last name”.
The standard remark included on the VOS for gender identifier changes is as follows:
The sex or gender of the bearer of this document, previously identified as “F/M/X”, is to be currently identified as “F/M/X”.
General requirements
Eligible clients who currently hold IRCC documents and who want to obtain a VOS to link their previous and new names or gender identifiers
Clients who have already received a change of name or gender identifier can request a VOS, for a $30 fee, by submitting an email to IRCC.VOS-VDS.IRCC@cic.gc.ca. Every message should include the following details:
- request for VOS as name-linking document (this should be indicated in the subject field of the email)
- unique client identifier (UCI)
- previous and current full name
- date of birth (YYYY/MM/DD)
- country of birth
- $30 fee payment receipt
Important: All requests for a VOS as an identity-linking document submitted to IRCC.VOS-VDS.IRCC@cic.gc.ca by clients who are ineligible will not be processed. Clients applying for a VOS to confirm their current immigration status or to obtain proof of their historical immigration information must submit a completed Application for a Verification of Status or Replacement of an Immigration Document by mail.
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