Functional guidance on citizenship: Table of contents
This section contains policy, procedures and guidance used by IRCC staff. It is posted on the department’s website as a courtesy to stakeholders.
Overview
- Citizenship program overview
- Terms and definitions related to citizenship
- Legal references related to citizenship
- History of citizenship legislation
- The rights and responsibilities of citizenship
- Who is a Canadian citizen?
- Proof of citizenship: Overview
- Granting citizenship: Overview
- Renunciation of Canadian citizenship: Overview
- Search of citizenship records: Overview
- Citizenship ceremonies: Overview
Proof
- Proof and certificates of citizenship
- Enhanced Driver's Licence (EDL) and Enhanced Identification Card (EIC) Programs
- Documents establishing citizenship
- Applications for citizenship certificates
- Recall and cancellation of citizenship certificates
- Types of citizenship certificates
- Acceptable proof of citizenship for travel and government services
- Delayed registration of birth outside Canada
Acquisition and loss
- Acquisition and loss of citizenship
- Acquisition of citizenship
- Automatic acquisition of citizenship under subsection 11(2)
- Retention of citizenship
- Resumption of Canadian citizenship [subsection 11(1)]
- Resumption of Canadian citizenship: Canadian Armed Forces
- Loss of citizenship
- Renunciation of citizenship under subsection 9(1) of the Citizenship Act
- Renunciation of citizenship under section 7.1 of the Citizenship Regulations
- Revocation of citizenship
Ceremonies and promotion
- Citizenship ceremonies and promotion
- Media considerations for citizenship ceremonies
- Religious and cultural considerations during citizenship ceremonies
- Accessibility at citizenship ceremonies
- Dress code for citizenship ceremonies
- Bilingual text for the clerk of the ceremony
- Volunteer guidelines for citizenship ceremonies
- Distribution of holy books at citizenship ceremonies
- Timelines for planning citizenship ceremonies
- Order of precedence at a citizenship ceremony
- Types of citizenship ceremonies
- Citizenship ceremonying
- Oath of Citizenship
- Presentation of certificates at citizenship ceremonies
- Gifts and promotional products during citizenship ceremonies
- Venue and set-up of citizenship ceremonies
- Citizenship ceremony closure and reception
Symbols
Working with ceremony officials, partners, and guests
- Working with ceremony officials, partners and guests for citizenship ceremonies
- Working with volunteer presiding officials
- Working with elected officials
- Working with the Governor General and lieutenant governors
- Working with the RCMP and other police forces
- Working with the Canadian Armed Forces members and veterans
- Working with special guests
- Working with hosts, sponsors and partners
- Working with a master of ceremonies
- Working with the Institute for Canadian Citizenship
- Working with volunteers
Orientation, notifications, and timelines for citizenship ceremonies
Administration
General file processing
- General file processing
- Sending applications
- Accepting applications
- Parental consent
- Urgent application cases
- Translation of documents for overseas applications
- Procedure: Abandonment
- Procedure: Suspending applications
- Procedure: Multiple applications
- Procedure: Withdrawal of applications
- Updating the IMM 1000 form upon acquisition of Canadian citizenship
- Revocation of permanent resident cards upon granting of citizenship
Fees and refunds for citizenship services
Applicant's identity for citizenship purposes
- Applicant's identity for citizenship purposes
- Acceptable documents to show identity for citizenship applications
- Identity documents applicants must provide at citizenship interviews, hearings, and tests
- Establishing names on the citizenship certificate
- Prior to January 1, 2013 – Names to appear on citizenship certificates
- Effective May 31, 2013 – Naming procedures
- Verifying sex/gender
- Requests for change of name for citizenship purposes
- Handling changes of date of birth information on citizenship clients (documentation and GCMS)
- Establishing parentage for citizenship purposes
- Who is a parent for citizenship purposes where assisted human reproduction (AHR), including surrogacy arrangements, are involved
Search of citizenship records
Managing citizenship records and certificates
Citizenship decision-making
- Citizenship decision-making
- Administrative law
- Natural justice and procedural fairness
- Decision-making procedures
- Decision-making without the personal appearance of citizenship applicants
- Justifying the decision
- Interviewing adult applicants
- Procedures for refused applicants
- Referring applications to a citizenship judge
- Transferring applications to another decision maker
- Reasons for waiving requirements
- Ministerial discretion to waive some of the requirements for a grant of citizenship on compassionate grounds
- Advance approval for waivers
- Waivers for renunciation of citizenship under section 9
- Procedure for citizenship applicants unable to act on own behalf
- Guardianship
- Parental consent
- Taking affidavits or declarations
Accompanying persons and interpreters
- Persons acting as interpreters (instructions for citizenship judges)
- Persons acting as interpreters (instructions for citizenship officers and case processing agents)
- Accompanying persons (instructions for citizenship judges)
- Accompanying persons (instructions for citizenship officers and case processing agents)
Citizenship: Judicial review and appeals
- Judicial review and appeals
- Report to recommend judicial review
- Time period to file an application for judicial review
- Judicial review filed by the applicant
- Judicial review initiated by the Minister
- Preparing the certified tribunal record
- How to prepare the certified tribunal record
- Documents excluded from the certified tribunal record
- Cover letter for items excluded from the CTR
- Federal Court decides to allow the application
- Federal Court decides to dismiss the application
Grants
Granting citizenship
- Granting citizenship
- Adults
- Adults who are 55 years of age or older
- Minors applying under subsection 5(2)
- Timing of applications for minors
- Minors applying under subsection 5(1)
- Citizenship knowledge testing
- Language and knowledge hearings for adults
- Conducting interviews and hearings with minors
- Statelessness
- Canadian Armed Forces
- Ministerial discretion to grant citizenship in special cases
Residence/physical presence
Calculating residence/physical presence
Verifying permanent resident status
Adoptions
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