The Citizenship Commission is an administrative tribunal within
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC; french: Immigration, Réfugiés et Citoyenneté Canada)Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program since 2015; the legal title is Departm ...
(IRCC).
The overall mandate of the Commission is to assess referred applications to ensure they meet the residence or
physical-presence requirements for
Canadian citizenship
Canadian nationality law details the conditions in which a person is a national of Canada. With few exceptions, almost all individuals born in the country are automatically citizens at birth. Foreign nationals may naturalize after living in ...
; and to facilitate citizenship ceremonies to administer
Oaths of Citizenship for successful applicants.
The Commission consists of independent decision-makers called citizenship judges—
officials
An official is someone who holds an office (function or mandate, regardless whether it carries an actual working space with it) in an organization or government and participates in the exercise of authority, (either their own or that of their s ...
who fulfill the mandate of the Citizenship Commission. Unlike
Justice of the peace
A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or '' puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the s ...
, citizenship judges are not judicial officers. The decision-making role of citizenship judges will cease on July 31, 2024, unless it is further extended by the Minister before that date.
Citizenship judge
A citizenship judge is an
official
An official is someone who holds an office (function or mandate, regardless whether it carries an actual working space with it) in an organization or government and participates in the exercise of authority, (either their own or that of their su ...
in
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...
who assesses referred applications to ensure that they meet the physical presence requirements for
Canadian citizenship
Canadian nationality law details the conditions in which a person is a national of Canada. With few exceptions, almost all individuals born in the country are automatically citizens at birth. Foreign nationals may naturalize after living in ...
and presides over citizenship ceremonies to administer the
Oath of Citizenship for successful applicants. Citizenship judges also speak to community groups, schools, and other audiences about the process to become a citizen, as well as Canadian values and the rights and responsibilities of Canadian citizenship.
Regulations require that during a citizenship ceremony a citizenship judge shall; emphasize the significance of the ceremony as a milestone in the lives of the new citizens; administer the oath of citizenship with dignity and solemnity, allowing the greatest possible freedom in the religious solemnization or the solemn affirmation thereof; personally present certificates of citizenship, unless otherwise directed by the Minister; and promote good citizenship, including respect for the law, the exercise of the right to vote, participation in community affairs and intergroup understanding.
In regards to decisions that affect individual cases, citizenship judges are independent decision makers, and unlike
Justice of the peace
A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or '' puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the s ...
, citizenship judges are not
judicial officers. Their decisions can be
judicially reviewed by a failed applicant or the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. Rather than ''
Your Honour'', citizenship judges are addressed as ''Judge
ame'.
Citizenship judges are appointed in accordance with the ''Citizenship Act'' by the
Governor General
Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy ...
-
in-Council on the recommendation of
Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
The minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship (french: Ministre de l'immigration, des réfugiés et de la citoyenneté) is a minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet. The minister is responsible for Immigration, Refugees and Citi ...
. Any Canadian citizen may submit their candidacy if they meet the requisite criteria.
Regalia
Citizenship judges wear a black judicial gown with burgundy accent. A heraldic badge is worn on the right and official national awards may be worn on the left. Judicial tabs are worn with a white wing collar shirt.
See also
*
Canadian nationality law
Canadian nationality law details the conditions in which a person is a national of Canada. With few exceptions, almost all individuals born in the country are automatically citizens at birth. Foreign nationals may naturalize after living in C ...
*
Canadian Citizenship Test
References
External links
Information at Citizenship and Immigration CanadaProfiles of Citizenship JudgesCitizenship Commission
Immigration to Canada
Law of Canada
Region-specific legal occupations
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