Appointing members of the service staff

The Accreditation Unit is the point of contact for the accreditation of members of the service staff. Members of the service staff are defined as members of the staff of a mission, a consular post or a permanent mission to the International Civil Aviation Organization in the domestic service of that mission, post or permanent mission.

Drivers, guards, messengers, caretakers (including for example cleaners and janitors), household personnel (including for example butlers, chefs and maids) on posting from the sending country are automatically classified as members of the service staff.

Members of the service staff should in principle be of the nationality of the sending country, and must:

  • Be appointed by and serving as a representative of the sending country for a period not exceeding five (5) years,
  • Be paid directly by the sending country based on an employment contract with or a letter of appointment by that country’s foreign ministry (a contract with a diplomatic mission or consular post is not permitted and will be regarded as circumventing Canada’s policy on the Recruitment of local staff),
  • Employed to work only on the premises of a diplomatic mission, consular post, or permanent mission to the International Civil Aviation Organization, as well as in official residences – though not in other staff accommodation, and
  • Travel on an official or service passport from the sending country.

Hiring foreign ministries should give serious consideration to setting the wages of members of the service staff in a way that minimally matches the minimum wage set under provincial labour standards. They should also consider recruiting individuals with a track record of returning to headquarters at the end of a posting. Persons already in Canada (for example, as a temporary resident, foreign student or foreign worker) are ineligible for accreditation as members of the service staff.

No visa application can be submitted to Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for a proposed member of the service staff candidate until the Office of Protocol has had an exchanged with both the local mission and foreign ministry. Foreign ministries should also await this exchange in order to finalize the employment contract or make promises of employment. Once this exchange has occurred and as part of their application for an official Temporary Resident Visa (TRV), proposed members of the service staff are required, among other documents, to submit:

  • Their curriculum vitae,
  • The employment contract with or letter of appointment by that country’s foreign ministry (a note verbale addressed to Canada appointing the service staff cannot be regarded as a contract or a letter of appointment),
  • A written statement to IRCC confirming that they have been duly informed that the posting of service staff cannot exceed five (5) years, without exception,
  • A written statement according to which they will not carry on any private gainful occupation (employment) in Canada outside of official service staff functions, and
  • A copy of the passport biographical page (PDF format); if the biographical page does not specify the type of passport* (example, diplomatic, official, service), include a copy of the passport cover page.

* With respect to nominees who cannot receive an official or service passport, the sending ministry of foreign affairs needs to provide a statement to the Office of Protocol acknowledging that the person, if accredited, will enjoy the privileges and immunities normally granted to members of the service staff under article 37(3) of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, or will enjoy the privileges granted to members of the service staff under 49(2) of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, depending on the case; and that it assumes the related responsibilities for such privileges and immunities. A statement from the local mission will not be accepted.

The diplomatic mission, consular post or permanent mission to the International Civil Aviation Organization requesting the acceptance of a service staff member, as well as the service staff nominee, must be able to demonstrate compliance with all these requirements during the TRV process.

Given that members of the service staff enjoy certain privileges and immunities under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations and the ICAO Privileges and Immunities Order, the Office of Protocol does not automatically give consideration to the appointment of third-country nominees. The Office of Protocol is prepared to give consideration to situations where the condition of the applying sending country is such that it cannot operate a chancery or residence unless it is staffed by a third-country national. In order to justify the accreditation of a member of the service not having the nationality of the sending country, that country will need to present a detailed explanation as to why either a national of the sending country or a local staff cannot be appointed. The Office of Protocol cannot provide any information regarding the processing time for any application for third-country nationals as this depends on the circumstances of each application.

Children of service staff who are age 19 or older are ineligible for accreditation. Spouses, partners and children of members of the service staff eligible for accreditation will not enjoy privileges or immunities.

Canada’s policy on members of the service staff is applied uniformly to all States.