Updates have been made to the instructions on establishing an applicant’s sex or gender identifier in a number of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada application systems.
Applicants in the citizenship, permanent residency, temporary residence, and refugees categories now have the option of selecting one of the following sex or gender identifiers:
• F (Female);
• M (Male); or
• X (Another gender)
These updated instructions apply to initial applications with IRCC as well as to applications for replacement documents.
IRCC makes clear that historical records, such as immigration records of landing or confirmation of permanent residence (COPR) documents, will not be amended unless a clerical or administrative error is discovered.
Clients who discover such errors can make requests to amend.
If an IRCC officer finds such an error, the officer must contact the client and ask the client to return the relevant document for reprocessing. The officer will then cancel it and issue a replacement document.
If the client cannot be reached the officer can still make the change but should inform the client if and when the client contacts IRCC for subsequent service.
With regards to other records, persons must submit a Request Form for a Change of Sex or Gender Identifier as well as any requested documents as stipulated by the application instruction guide.
If a person under the age of 18 is requesting such a change, both the applicant and the applicant’s legal guardian must sign the Request Form and provide proof of parentage or legal guardianship, as appropriate.