Appointment of Canadian Citizens or Permanent Residents as Foreign Representatives

Circular Note NO. XDC-1407 of June 30, 2005

The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (Office of Protocol) presents its compliments to Their Excellencies the Heads of Diplomatic Missions and Chargés d'affaires, a.i. accredited to Canada and has the honour to reaffirm the Canadian policy with respect to the appointment and accreditation of Canadian citizens or permanent residents in a diplomatic, consular or official capacity. This notes supersedes the Department's circular note XDC-5386 of November 6, 1989.

Consistent with a Ministerial decision taken in September 1989, and without exception, Canadian citizens and permanent residents, as defined under the Citizenship Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act shall not be entitled to diplomatic, consular or official accreditation. This means that they cannot represent a sending State as professional members of a diplomatic mission or consular post in Canada.^{Footnote 1} Given this restriction, the Government of Canada will also cease to extend accreditation to those who become Canadian citizens or permanent residents during the course of their official assignment and will inform the Mission that recognition has been withdrawn.

The Department, while not excluding the possibility of granting diplomatic, consular or official status to persons who have effectively ceased to be Canadian citizens or permanent residents, continues to make it a condition of granting status that such persons must first depart Canada and apply for a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) through a Canadian mission abroad. The Department also actively discourages sending States from seeking accreditation in favour of persons who have submitted an application for permanent residency prior to posting.

Canadian Missions abroad have been informed accordingly.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (Office of Protocol) takes this opportunity to renew to Their Excellencies the Heads of Diplomatic Missions and Chargés d'affaires, a.i. accredited to Canada the assurances of its highest consideration.

OTTAWA, June 30, 2005

¹ Canadian citizens and permanent residents are eligible for appointment as honorary consular officers, subject to existing policy requirements, or can be employed as locally-engaged staff.