First Citizenship Certificate (Card)

A Canadian Citizenship certificate is a document showing information about the owner which can be used to prove Canadian citizenship. This document is currently a letter-sized piece of paper with the bearer’s information and a barcode. However, the Canadian citizenship certificate has had many different appearances, the most recent of which was a laminated card with a picture of the bearer. Any version of the Canadian citizenship certificate is valid proof of Canadian citizenship as long as the document is not in disrepair. The Canadian citizenship certificate may be used to

• apply for a Canadian passport
• vote
• enter Canada without a Canadian passport (a valid passport from another country must be presented)
• work and study in Canada
• work for the government or in secure environments such as airport terminals
• basic security clearance

If you are eligible to apply for a Canadian citizenship certificate, you must complete the necessary application forms and provide copies of the appropriate supporting documents and submit the application package to Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

If you are not sure that you are eligible to apply for a Canadian citizenship certificate, or if you have questions about the application process, contact Immigroup at 416-962-2623 to schedule a consultation. You may also download the forms and send the completed package to Immigroup for review.

If you would like to apply directly to the government, please visit the CIC website for more information.

• Certified copies of two government issued photo IDs
• 2 Citizenship Photos
• Certified copy of Long form birth certificate
• Certified copy of proof of one parent’s Canadian Citizenship at your time of birth (if you were not born in Canada)
• Birth Certificate
• Citizenship Certificate
• Certified copy of Marriage Certificate, Divorce Certificate or Adoption Certificate if applicable
• Proof of Urgency if applicable

If you would like our office to assist you with the application, address your package to:

Immigroup Inc.
1180 Danforth Avenue
Toronto ON
M4J 1M3

If you are sending your application by regular mail, you should address the package to:

Case Processing Centre – Sydney
Proof of Citizenship
P.O. Box 10000
SYDNEY, NS B1P 7C1
CANADA

However, if you are sending your application by courier, you should address the package to:

Case Processing Centre, Sydney
Proof of citizenship
47-49 Dorchester Street
Sydney, NS
B1P 5Z2

New Canadian citizens receive their citizenship certificate at the time of their citizenship ceremony after they have taken the oath of citizenship.

48 hours or 2 business days.

All CIC fees must be paid in Canadian dollars. You can pay the $75 fee in one of two ways:

• Online with
• A Visa, Mastercard or American Express credit card
• A printer and
• An email address
• In person at a Canadian financial institution. In order to do so you must get an original fee receipt (IMM 5401) from CIC.
• If you live overseas, and you cannot pay online, you will have to pay at the Canadian visa office or embassy in the country where you are located using cash or a money order in Canadian dollars
• Personal cheques are never accepted.

The average processing time for this document is 6 – 12 months; however some applications can take longer. The length of time usually depends on the originating country of the applicant’s supporting documents. For example, ID documents from the United States are easily authenticated by Canadian authorities whereas documents from outside North America, or which require translations, take longer to authenticate. Applications filed outside of Canada at a Canadian visa office or Embassy take at least 3 – 4 months longer to process than applications filed inside Canada.

Can I speed up the processing of my application? It may be possible to expedite the processing of your first Canadian citizenship certificate application if you can provide proof that your case is urgent. Please contact us to determine whether this option is available in your situation.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/photospecs-cit.asp
Print

The new citizenship certificate has a barcode which may be scanned by government authorities. When this barcode is scanned, the photo submitted with the application is displayed.

To have a copy certified, an authorized person must compare the original document to the photocopy and must print the following on the photocopy:

• “I certify that this is a true copy of the original document”
• the name of the original document
• the date of the certification
• his or her name
• his or her official position or title and
• his or her signature

Important: The person who certifies your photocopies cannot be a family member.
Who can certify copies?
Persons authorized to certify copies include the following:

• Chiropractor
• Commissioner of oaths
• Dentist
• Funeral director
• Justice of the peace or judge
• Lawyer
• Manager of a financial institution
• Medical doctor
• Member of a provincial legislature
• Member of Parliament
• Minister of religion
• Municipal clerk
• Notary
• Official of an embassy, consulate or high commission officially accredited to Canada and authorize to certify document issued by the official’s government
• Official of a federal or provincial government department
• Pharmacist
• Police officer
• Postmaster
• Primary, secondary or university teacher
• Professional accountant
• Professional engineer
• Social worker
• Veterinarian

The Person certifying your photocopies does not need to know you personally.

Immigroup can help you check the status of your application as it is processing. Please contact us for assistance.
You may also check the status of your application by visiting CIC’s website. You must have the following information to check the status of your application online:

• The applicant’s date of birth
• The applicant’s country of birth
• The applicant’s last name
• ONE of the following:
• Applicant’s client ID number
• Applicant’s Record of Landing or Confirmation of Permanent Residence number
• Applicant’s IMM5401 receipt of payment number for the receipt submitted with the application
• Applicant’s Immigration File number
• Applicant’s Permanent Resident Card number
• Applicant’s Citizenship Receipt number
• Applicant’s Citizenship File number

Without this information you will not be able to check the status of your application. If you are missing the required documentation and / or you would like assistance with this process please contact us at Immigroup at 1-866-760-2623.

If you have never been issued a Canadian citizenship certificate previously but you require proof that you are a Canadian citizen, you have to apply for your first citizenship certificate.

If you have taken the oath of citizenship and become a naturalized Canadian citizen but your original citizenship certificate or card has been lost, stolen, or destroyed, your application would be for a replacement certificate.

If you were born in Canada, or born to at least one Canadian parent in another country*, you are a Canadian Citizen through descent. If you were naturalized, meaning you took the citizenship test, and swore the citizenship oath in front of a judge, you are a Canadian Citizen. If neither applies to you, you are not a Canadian citizen.
*If you were born before 1977 and your birth was not registered at the nearest Canadian diplomatic mission, you may be required to provide additional documentation prior to applying for your first Canadian citizenship certificate.
*If you were born after April 2009, your Canadian parent must have been born or naturalized in Canada for you to be a Canadian Citizen.

A long form birth certificate is different than the wallet-sized card; it contains the names of both your parents and additional to information about you.

You will have to apply for the necessary IDs before you apply for the certificate.

You will have to replace them before applying. Only valid IDs are acceptable.

If you live outside of Canada but have identification documents (other than a passport) issued by Canada or the United States, you may still submit your application directly to CIC within Canada provided you use a representative such as Immigroup.

If your identification documents (other than a passport) are issued by countries other than Canada or the US, your application for a first Canadian citizenship certificate must be submitted to the Canadian diplomatic mission in your country of residence. This is because ID documents issued from outside Canada or the US can only be authenticated by a Canadian diplomatic mission from within the country where the documents were issued.

The regular processing time in Canada averages 6 – 12 months. Applications processed through an Embassy, High Commission or Consulate take an average of 3 – 4 months longer.

It takes longer because CIC has to do more work to authenticate your non-Canadian IDs. It will usually take another 3-4 months on top of the regular processing time.

You should contact CIC and ask that your application be withdrawn. If you want to withdraw your application but you are unsure how to proceed, contact Immigroup and we can assist you with this process.

No, if you were born to a Canadian parent (who was born or naturalized in Canada) then you can apply from overseas. You do not need to have ever lived in Canada to claim Canadian citizenship through descent.

If you have only Canadian citizenship, you must contact the nearest Canadian embassy to where you are located in order to renew your passport and replace your Canadian citizenship certificate, you will need to apply for a Canadian Certificate of Citizenship and then you will have to use that to renew your Canadian passport.
If you have dual citizenship, you can travel to Canada on your other passport. However, if your second citizenship is with a country whose nationals require visas to Canada, you will need to get a visa first. To avoid this, you may apply for a Certificate of Citizenship. More info

• Correct all mistakes indicated by the officer and follow any instructions given
• Double check your entire application to make sure there are no other errors
• Return the whole application back to CIC with the letter and instructions attached
• Send the package to the attention of the officer who sent your application back to you

You should contact CIC at 1-888-242-2100 for a status update on your application. Please note this number can only be contacted from within Canada.

I have a criminal record. Will I lose my citizenship if I apply for a Certificate?

No, you cannot lose your citizenship because you have a criminal record. The only way you can lose your citizenship is if you are a naturalized citizen and you acquired it through misrepresenting yourself on your Permanent Residence or Citizenship applications.

It is now possible to lose your citizenship if you misrepresented yourself when you became a Permanent Resident or when you became a citizen. If this is discovered it is possible that the government of Canada will investigate your status and may consider revoking your citizenship. You should contact Immigroup as soon as possible for a consultation.

If you were adopted by a natural-born or naturalized Canadian citizen, and your adoption took place outside Canada, you may be eligible to inherit Canadian citizenship through your adopted Canadian parent. You do not need to have lived in Canada to apply for Canadian citizenship in this way. However, as the adopted child of a Canadian citizen, you must submit a different application for proof of Canadian citizenship. Contact Immigroup for a consultation to determine your eligibility.

If you were adopted after you arrived in Canada by at least one parent who was a Canadian citizen at the time of your adoption, you are automatically a Canadian citizen.

If you were born in Canada you are automatically a Canadian Citizen regardless of whether or not you were later adopted. Even if you have a Canadian Birth Certificate, you can still apply for a Canadian Citizenship Certificate if you require further proof of your status.
If you were born to a Canadian outside of Canada, and then adopted by non-Canadians, you are Canadian by descent through your birth parents and you are eligible to apply for a Canadian citizenship certificate, provided you can demonstrate the Canadian citizenship of at least one birth parent.

Yes, you are eligible to apply for your first Canadian citizenship certificate.

If you were born outside Canada to Canadian parents, they may have registered your birth with the nearest Canadian diplomatic mission. If this was done, your parents would have been given a certificate of Registration of Birth Abroad. This document is no longer issued and cannot be replaced if lost. However, you may still apply for your first Canadian citizenship certificate even without the RBA..

Yes you can, provided you can submit the required proof. Contact us for a consultation.

If you lived in Canada for 20 years or more immediately prior to 1947, you are a Canadian citizen even if you never applied for naturalization. If you are a woman you may have to submit proof of your husband’s nationality in addition to the usual supporting documentation, if applicable.

Yes, but you must submit additional proof to acquire a Citizenship Certificate including your immigration document, or your passport at the time of landing. If you are a woman you must submit proof of your husband’s nationality at the time of your marriage.

You are actually a citizen of Canada now. To apply for the Citizenship Certificate you will need to provide your immigration document or your passport at the time of landing in addition to the normal requirements.

If you were born in Canada, or if you lived in Canada for 20 years prior to your marriage, or if you lived in Canada as a permanent resident for more than 5 years prior to your marriage, you are likely a Canadian Citizen. In order to confirm this - before, say, applying for a passport - you should apply for a Citizenship Certificate. In addition to the normally required documents, you should also provide your husband’s nationality at the time you married and an immigration document or the passport you landed in Canada on, if applicable.

• We have helped thousands of clients obtain their citizenship certificate. This gives us the experience that you can utilize.
• We make sure that we submit the best possible application for every single client.
• We have been in business since 2004.
• Our staff members have years of experience in the immigration field.
• You can call us between 8:00am and 6:00pm Eastern Time and speak to a live professional.
• More than half a million people visit www.immigroup.com each year to use our great tools and information.
• Our legal fees are disclosed on our website. Not many law firms are willing to do that!
• We make it easy for you to get started on your application by email, phone, or fax.
• Customer service and sound and ethical advice are our highest priority. Once you have used us you will feel the difference knowledge, service, and loyalty makes.
• We think outside the box to help you with your case, but we don’t take clients on just because they can pay! Expect an honest opinion – we will advise you if applying is not in your best interest. Click here to see our firm’s application statistics
• We go out on a limb to give you the highest level of service.
• We don’t take short cuts - we are perfectionists!

If you have sufficient proof of urgency, you will receive your certificate within 20-30 business days of filing an urgent application. Please click here for our most up to date statistics and disclaimer.

No application has a guaranteed successful outcome whether you submit it yourself, use our company, or hire the most expensive lawyer in Canada. However, the great thing about Immigroup is that you can see statistics of the success rate of our past applications. If your certificate does not come in the time frame, we will refund the difference between urgent and regular service. Click here for detailed statistics.

Immigroup has the highest standards in hiring and training. Mistakes that effect the processing time of your application are extremely rare. However, if Immigroup makes a mistake on your application which causes a delay in processing, we will take full responsibility and process a refund appropriate to the situation. Click here to see statistics on these incidents and our terms of reimbursement to you.

You can definitely do any application on your own without hiring a company to help you. However, when you use Immigroup, you gain these advantages over people who do it themselves:

• You can be completely sure that the best possible application was submitted. This means that there will be no mistakes, errors, or omissions which could cause delays or refusals of an application.
• This also means that Immigroup will offer you the most ethical and sound advice regarding your application. We will tell you if something in your application works against you or could cause problems in the future.
• Immigroup has years of experience which can be leveraged in your favor to know what works and what doesn’t in an application.
• Using Immigroup will also save you time because you don’t have to fight with the government to submit an application or follow up on it. You can simply call or email any time you want to know the status of your application.
• Immigroup offers 20% off our service fee for every additional application.
• Immigroup offers 20% off our service fee for returning clients.

We are committed to helping everyone with their immigration needs. This is why www.immigroup.com offers free tools and information to answer all types of immigration questions. Immigroup does charge a fee for all services, but we are always looking for feedback on how we can further help our community. Our email address is info@immigroup.com.

Check out our FAQs. However, if you still can’t find the answer to your question, email us your question and you will receive a response within 2 business days. Depending on the complexity of your question, you may be advised to schedule a consultation with one of our immigration practitioners to ensure that you receive the best advice. The cost for a consultation is $84.75 (tax included) which is up to 30 minutes; however, if you retain Immigroup for a full service after the consultation, this fee well be deducted from the cost of the service. Consultations are available in person at our Toronto office or by phone. (Other options are available for hearing-impaired persons.) Call us at 1-866-760-2623 or email at info@immigroup.com to schedule your consultation. Click here for more information.

Only general information is available when you call our office. If you are still unsure how you should proceed, contact us to schedule a consultation to discuss the details of your specific case. Click here for more info

Checking the status of your certificate application is simple. If you have filed an urgent application, please contact us 30 business days after your application has been submitted. For a regular citizenship certificate application you may contact us after 6 months to check the status. You can check the status using one of two methods:
1. By phone
Contact our office during business hours and state you are a citizenship certificate client that needs a status check on your application. We will confirm your contact information and then contact you within one business day to advise of the status of your application.
2. By email
Email us at info@immigoup.com and advise us that you are a current client and you would like to check the status of your application. Your message should contain following:

• applicant’s first and last name,
• type of service: the subject should be citizenship certificate status check

Yes, the application process will have to be completed once again. The good news is we have a copy of your application, so this will speed up the process. Also please note that if you lost your card 6 month from the date you paid we will offer you a 50% discount on our service fees.

Yes, returning clients are offered a 20% discount on our service fees. Clients who submit multiple applications are also offered a 20% discount on any additional services after the first application.

We do our best to keep things affordable, but unfortunately we are unable to offer any discounts in addition to the ones above.

Immigroup is an industry leader in citizenship certificate application processing and assistance. In addition to citizenship certificate applications, we also have years of experience processing much more complicated. When it comes to citizenship certificate applications, our firm is the leading firm processing these applications. You can rest assured you are in good hands. If we feel something is out of our understanding the agent will let you know.

No, but we have 8 years of experience dealing with citizenship certificate applications. We are aware of changes in the application procedure as they happen, and we know what CIC will accept and what they won’t, which is sometimes not exactly what is listed on their website. Please see our case knowledge in the citizenship area:

• Request for urgent processing of your citizenship certificate More info
• Name change or date of birth issues More info
• Lack of sufficient supporting documents to apply for a certificate More info
• Your application has been returned to you be the processing centre More info
• You need to check the status of your citizenship certificate application More info
• You have already submitted your application to Citizenship and Immigration Canada but now need proof urgently so you need the application expedited More info
• CIC has requested that you provide additional information More info
• You need to search CIC’s citizenship records More info
• You would like to become a Canadian Citizen More info

Yes, you may pay a minimum deposit of 50% of the amount due to start your case. The balance must be paid in full before the application can be submitted.

Your fees must be paid in full before your application is submitted to CIC.

You may call our office between 8:00am and 6:00pm Eastern Time, or you may come in person between 9:30am and 4:15pm. You may drop your documents at the Toronto office 24 hours a day in our drop box. You may also leave a voicemail at 1-866-760-2623 or send an email 24 hours a day at info@immigroup.com and you will receive a response within one business day. To meet with an immigration practitioner outside of these hours, please contact us during business hours to schedule an appointment at a time convenient to you.

We strive to maintain accurate and up to date information on our website by getting up to the minute news from CIC and other government agencies. However, you should always confirm information before acting on it to ensure its accuracy.

Great, we really would love to hear from you and what happened. By sending us your experience you are helping others in the future. We post all information that will be valued by future visitors.

Send us an email or enter your question in the box below and we will get back to you within one business day.

Canadian Citizenship is a nationality and a right acquired by being born in Canada, by being born to Canadian parents overseas, or being naturalized (taking the oath of citizenship). A Canadian citizen can vote in Canadian elections, run for office in Canada, work and study and Canada, serve in the Canadian military, and receive government benefits, among other rights and privileges. Canadian Citizens are allowed to travel on Canadian Passports. As a Canadian citizen, you will be eligible for jury duty and you are required by law to participate.

Originally, Canadian citizenship was similar to British citizenship since all Canadians were subjects of the British Crown. At the time of Confederation, the Canadian Parliament was given control over citizenship and immigration. In 1910, the first mention of “Canadian Citizen” appeared in Canadian law. Canadian Citizens were persons born in Canada, naturalized in Canada, or even British who moved to Canada and satisfied a residence requirement. In 1914, it became slightly harder to naturalize in Canada because the residency requirement changed from three to five years. In 1921, the notion of Canadian Nationality (and hence citizenship) was finally put into law as separate from British nationality.
In 1931 Canada finally gained full legislative independence from Britain but retained various rules about citizenship inherited from Britain. This continued until the Canadian Citizenship Act of 1946. If you were a British subject living in Canada at this time, you most likely became a Canadian citizen. This also applies to British Subjects living in Newfoundland when Newfoundland joined Canada three years later in 1949.
The biggest change in Canadian citizenship regulations occurred in 1977. The new rules legalized dual citizenship in Canada and also made it official that anyone born in Canada after 1947 was automatically a Canadian citizen (unless they were the child of a foreign diplomat). This is proved through the issuance of a birth certificate. The other thing the new rules did was make Canadians out of children born to Canadian citizens overseas, for the firs time. Additionally, if you were the son or daughter of the son or daughter of a Canadian born overseas (i.e. second generation) you could still claim Canadian citizenship if you applied to do so before your 28th birthday.
In 2009 this last rule changed. Citizenship by descent (outside of Canada) now only applies to the first generation born abroad to Canadian citizens, but there is now no need to apply or register your status before applying for your Canadian citizenship certificate. For second generation children born after April, 2009, who are not currently Canadian citizens (even if they have siblings born before April 17, who are Canadian citizens), these children can become Canadian Citizens if they first become Permanent Residents. They do not need to wait the usual three years to apply for citizenship.
These new changes also affected adoption. Foreigners adopted by Canadian Citizens in Canada now become Canadian Citizens at the time of the adoption.

The document used to prove Canadian citizenship has gone through many changes since its inception. Before 1977, those who were born in Canada could prove their citizenship through a birth certificate only if they also didn’t lose their citizenship under the pre-1977 rules. Those born overseas before 1977 to a Canadian parent need a certificate of registration of birth and a Certificate of Retention of Canadian Citizenship. Those naturalized before 1977 received a Certificate of Naturalization as proof.
From 1977 onwards, Canada issued a photo ID Citizenship Card [photo]. It contained the citizen’s picture, name, height and eye colour. This document was issued until February 2012 The photo ID card has since been replaced by a Citizenship Certificate, an 8” x 11” double-sided piece of paper that contains more security features than the old card, such as a unique barcode. The old Canadian citizenship certificate, citizenship card, and the new Certificate are valid proof of Canadian citizenship as long as the document is legible and in good condition.
A Canadian passport, though seen as proof of Canadian citizenship outside of Canada, is not acceptable proof of citizenship when dealing with Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
A commemoration of citizenship is different than your Citizenship Certificate and is not proof of citizenship by itself. This document is a letter signed by your member of parliament at the time you became a Canadian citizen, which congratulates you.

When a person is naturalized, this means that they have become a citizen of a country other than the country of their birth through an application process. A person who is naturalized does not acquire citizenship through birth or through descent from a parent.

Please see Right of Citizenship. You can become a citizen of Canada through naturalization if you are over 18 and

• you are a permanent residentF
• you have lived in Canada for a total of 1095 days during the four years preceding your application for citizenship, including two years as a permanent resident
• you have sufficient knowledge of Canada (as demonstrated by taking a test, which is required as part of the application process, but only if the applicant is between 18 and 54 years of age)
• you have sufficient command of the French or English language
• you are not a subject to any criminal prohibitions
• you are not a war criminal

If the applicant is a child, there are fewer requirements:

• the applicant must be a permanent resident
• at least one of the applicant’s parents must be a Canadian citizen or in the process of applying for Canadian citizenship at the time the application is filed

If the applicant is 14 years of age or over, they must attend a citizenship ceremony as the final stage of their application.

In 1977, the new rules made it impossible to give up your citizenship without officially renouncing it. However, new laws mean you could lose your citizenship if you are convicted of fraud regarding your immigration application or your citizenship application. Applicants may be restricted from renouncing Canadian citizenship if they do not hold citizenship in another country to prevent the applicant from becoming stateless.
You could have lost your citizenship before 1977 if you

• were naturalized in another (dual citizenship wasn’t legal in Canada)
• lived outside of Canada for a prolonged period of time
• if your parent lost their citizenship while you were a child

In 2007 efforts were made to help those who had lost their citizenship prior to 1977. By the new citizenship rules of 2009, it was possible to regain your Canadian citizenship lost before 1977 if you could claim it by descent.

A person is stateless if they do not hold citizenship in any country.

Proof of Citizenship in Canada can be in the form of a birth certificate showing you were born in Canada or a Citizenship Certificate showing that you are a Canadian Citizen. A passport is not always viewed as proof of Canadian Citizenship within Canada.

Any person who is a Canadian citizen through birth, naturalization, or descent from a parent is eligible to apply for a Canadian citizenship certificate.

The application fee for a Citizenship Certificate is $75 CDN. The service fee cost of a Citizenship Certificate using Immigroup depends on the service level selected. Please see the fee grid above.

This paper document is literally the record of your landing in Canada as an immigrant. Any person who ever became a permanent resident of Canada has been given this document when they first arrived in Canada as an immigrant.

Laminating your certificate or altering it in any other way is considered damaging it. If you have laminated it, the certificate is considered invalid and it will not be accepted by Passport Canada or other federal agencies.

No, you cannot alter your certificate in any way. If you do so, it may be refused as proof of citizenship by Passport Canada and other federal agencies.

Your Citizenship Card or Certificate is official proof that you are a citizen of Canada. They both have embedded security features that make them difficult to forge. A photocopy is just a piece of paper and lacks the security features of your Card or Certificate.

If your kids were born after you were naturalized then they are Canadian Citizens. However, your grand children will not be Canadian Citizens unless they are born in Canada.