A person described as a citizen under the Citizenship Act. This means a person who:

• is Canadian by birth (either born in Canada or born outside Canada to a Canadian citizen who was themselves either born in Canada or granted citizenship) or

• has applied for a grant of citizenship and has received Canadian citizenship (naturalization).

An office in Canada that handles citizenship and immigration applications. They are not open to the public.

There are CPCs in: Sydney, Nova Scotia; Mississauga, Ontario; Edmonton, Alberta and Ottawa, Ontario.

An office in Sydney, Nova Scotia that handles applications from several permanent immigration programs, including federal skilled workers and immigrant investors.

Our staff will make sure your application is complete, then send it to the visa office responsible for your home country.

A Canadian citizenship certificate is a document that proves that a person is a Canadian citizen.

The citizenship certificate is an 8½ x 11 paper size certificate that contains:

• your certificate number

• your Unique Client Identifier

• your name

• your date of birth

• your gender

• your effective date of Canadian citizenship

Before February 1, 2012, IRCC issued plastic wallet sized citizenship cards as proof of citizenship. These cards came with commemorative certificates. The commemorative certificates cannot be used as proof of citizenship.

A certificate issued by a province or territory that recommends a foreign national for permanent residence under the Provincial Nominee Program.

A document issued by the Government of Canada that confirms someone is no longer a citizen of Canada because they have willingly given up their Canadian citizenship.

A formal document that recognizes a person’s skills, knowledge and abilities.

A document translated into English or French by a:

• certified translator who is certified in Canada or

• translator who is not you, your family member or your representative or consultantif the translator is not certified, you have to supply an affidavit from the person who completed the translation and a certified photocopy of the original document.
  

The document being translated must be the original document or a certified photocopy of the original document.

A photocopy of an original document. It must be readable and certified as a true copy of the original by an authorized person. The person compares the documents and marks on the photocopy:

• their name and signature

• their position or title

• the name of the original document

• the date they certified the document

• the phrase “I certify that this is a true copy of the original document.”

In Canada, examples of authorized persons who can certify the copies of your original documents include:

• notary public

• commissioner of oaths, or

• commissioner of taking affidavits

Check with your provincial or territorial authorities to be sure who can certify your documents.

Outside Canada, each country has different authorities to certify documents. A notary public may be able to certify your documents, but you should check with your local authorities to be sure.

You and your family members cannot certify copies of your documents. In this case, family member means your:

• parent

• guardian

• sibling

• spouse

• common-law partner

• conjugal partner

• grandparent

• child

• aunt

• uncle

• niece

• nephew

• first cousin

A certified translator is a member in good standing of a professional translation association in Canada or abroad. Their certification must be confirmed by a seal or stamp that shows the translator’s membership number.

All stamps and seals that are not in English or French must also be translated.

Any family member, representative or consultant of the applicant who may be a lawyer, notary or translator is not permitted to translate documents.

Note: A translator in the process of receiving their certification or accreditation is not considered a certified translator for IRCC’s purposes.

See Certified English or French translations

To be a citizen of a country means that a person was either born in that country (in most cases) or has been granted citizenship by that country.

State-recognized nationality and the duties, rights, responsibilities and privileges that come with it.