9. Examining Canadian citizens at ports of entry

9.1. The right to come into Canada
A Canadian citizen within the meaning of the Citizenship Act has a right to enter and
remain in Canada pursuant to A19(1).
9.2. Examination of Canadian citizens
A15(1) provides for an officer to proceed with an examination where a person makes an
application to the officer in accordance with the Act.
R28(b) provides that a person seeking to enter Canada is making an application.
Additionally, A18(1) requires every person seeking to enter Canada to appear for an
examination to determine whether they have the right to enter Canada or may be
authorized to enter and remain in Canada. This includes Canadian citizens.
A CBSA officer at Immigration Secondary will normally examine a Canadian citizen only
when the CBSA officer at PIL doubts the person’s citizenship. A CBSA officer at a port of
entry should examine Canadian citizens as expeditiously as possible. Once the officer
establishes that a person is a Canadian citizen, the examination should end and the
person should be allowed to enter Canada without further delay. It is not appropriate for
CBSA Immigration Secondary officers to elicit further personal information from a
Canadian citizen.
Canadian citizens may be asked to willingly provide additional information if it will assist
an officer in determining the admissibility of an accompanying foreign national.
9.3. Determining Canadian citizenship
The following documents are acceptable proof of Canadian citizenship:
• Canadian passport;
• Certificate of Canadian Citizenship (both large and pocket or wallet size; the smaller
form now exists in two versions: one with a 44mm x 57mm (1 ¾” x 2 ¼”) photograph,
and the other with a 35mm X 53mm (1 3/8" X 2 1/16") photograph);
• Canadian Emergency Passport (a CBSA officer at PIL will automatically refer for
secondary examination a person in possession of a Canadian Emergency Passport.
Once they have verified the person's identity, the CBSA officer at Immigration
Secondary retains the passport and forwards it to the Passport Office, Foreign Affairs
Canada, Ottawa);
• Certificate of Naturalization;
• Certificate of Registration of Birth Abroad; and
• Certificate of Retention of Canadian Citizenship.
A Canadian provincial birth certificate is a good indicator of Canadian citizenship, but
does not contain a photograph. The CBSA officer must therefore be satisfied that the
person is the rightful holder.

5.3. Canadian citizens and registered Indians: Entry to Canada
Canadian citizens and registered Indians have the right to enter Canada and are therefore not
subject to any specified documentary requirements at any point of entry.
However, they must be able to satisfy an examining officer that they are citizens of Canada or
registered Indians before they may exercise their right to enter.
This can be done by presenting travel or status documents, or secondary identity documents,
verbally or through a combination of such evidence.
Canadian passports, citizenship cards and birth certificates are some of the documents that are
presented to satisfy examining officers at ports of entry that the holders are citizens of Canada.
The Certificate of Indian Status is the document used to demonstrate that the holder is registered
as an Indian under the Indian Act.