Members of the Order and Citizenship Ceremonies

Members of the Order of Military Merit (ORMM) are authorized to act as Volunteer Presiding Official for the swearing in of new Canadian citizens.

The Presiding Official administers the oath of Canadian citizenship in both official languages, delivers appropriate remarks (bilingually where possible) and presents the new citizens with their citizenship certificate. They also make themselves available after the ceremony to socialize and take pictures with Canada’s newest citizens. They can expect to spend about 3 to 4 hours at the ceremony.

Those members of the ORMM who are interested in being considered may identify themselves to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) by email at ircc.citeminentcanadians-canadienseminentscit.ircc@cic.gc.ca. IRCC will interview perspective candidates to determine suitability and may later invite them to preside over citizenship ceremonies in their geographic region.

When invited by IRCC to preside over citizenship ceremonies, members of the ORMM who are serving members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) shall seek and obtain chain of command approval, at minimum, at base/wing/formation level prior to accepting the invitation.

Members acting in this capacity are doing so on a voluntary basis and are therefore not eligible for specific remuneration (other than normal salary where appropriate). Temporary Duty may be authorized in certain circumstances based on current travel regulations. Funding is a unit responsibility.

The presence and active participation of our CAF members exemplifies our leadership and professionalism at these important ceremonies and is a tremendous opportunity for the CAF to introduce themselves and present a positive image to new Canadians who may be, otherwise, unaware of their CAF and the opportunities for them to serve their nation.