Kijicho Manito Madaouskarini
Kijicho Manito Madaouskarini

Indian Status Applications

Step 1: Get the application form

Step 2: Find a guarantor, if necessary

What is a guarantor?

A guarantor is a person who can confirm your identity when you are applying for registration under the Indian Act or a status card as an adult or as the parent or legal guardian of a child or dependent adult.

When do you need a guarantor?

You need a guarantor if:

  1. applying by mail
  2. providing identification that does not meet all of the requirements for valid acceptable identification

What is valid acceptable identification? 

The identification must have been issued by a federal, provincial, territorial or state government authority and must be valid, that is, not expired.

To be considered acceptable, the valid identification must include your:

  1. name
  2. date of birth
  3. photo
  4. signature

Which forms of valid identification are acceptable?

Valid acceptable identification includes:

  • passport (an international passport is acceptable if it includes the name, date of birth, photo and signature of the applicant and, if not in English or French, is accompanied by a professionally translated version)
  • driver’s license
  • enhanced driver’s license
  • Canadian military identification card
  • government-issued identification card
  • government-issued enhanced identification card
  • health card
  • Canadian citizenship card issued before February 1, 2012
  • Canadian permanent resident card
  • Canadian permanent resident card

If applying in person, you must present original valid acceptable identification.

If applying by mail, you must submit copies of the front and back of original valid acceptable identification, each copy signed by a guarantor.

How to apply if you don’t have valid acceptable identification?

If you don’t have a valid acceptable piece of identification with your name, date of birth, photo and signature, you may submit multiple valid pieces of identification that, when combined, meet all of those requirements.

If you only have one piece of valid identification that meets some of the requirements, you may submit that piece of identification and find a guarantor.

  1. submitting an application in person on behalf of an adult or on behalf of a parent or legal guardian applying for a child or dependent adult
  2. submitting a photo using the SCIS Photo App
    • Note: You can now take your own photo when applying for a Secure Certificate of Indian Status (SCIS), or secure status card, and submit it straight from your smart phone free of charge using the SCIS Photo App)

Who can act as guarantor?

The person acting as guarantor must:

  • be 18 or older
  • have known you for at least 2 years
  • be available and capable of answering questions about you, for example, your name, approximate age, place of birth, physical description and place of residence, if contacted by Indigenous Services Canada
  • be registered under the Indian Act or employed in an eligible occupation:
    • First Nations representatives and employees, for example, chief, councillor, Indian Registration Administrator
    • employees of Indigenous organizations
    • elected and appointed officials, for example, mayor, member of Parliament or of the Legislative Assembly, senator
    • Canadian federal, provincial, territorial or municipal government employees
    • justice and public safety officials, for example, judge, magistrate, lawyer, notary, paralegal, police officer, parole officer
    • military personnel from regular or reserve forces
    • medical professionals, for example, dentist, medical doctor, optometrist, pharmacist, chiropractor, nurse
    • social services professionals, for example, social worker, social service worker, counsellor
    • education professionals, for example, teacher, professor, administrator, school board member,
    • financial professionals, for example, accountant, financial advisor, actuary
    • veterinary professionals, for example, veterinarian, veterinary technician
    • scientific professionals, for example, engineer, chemist, geoscientist
    • religious officials

A family member can only act as guarantor if they meet those conditions.

A parent or legal guardian cannot act as guarantor when applying on behalf of a child or dependent adult.

What is required of a guarantor?

The person acting as guarantor must perform these tasks, free of charge:

  • complete and sign a guarantor declaration 
  • sign and date each copy of the front and back of your valid identification
  • sign, date and write your name, or the name of the child or dependent adult for whom you are applying, on the digital photo if using the SCIS Photo App or on the back of one of the printed photos
  • confirm information about you if contacted by Indigenous Services Canada

If you have or the person acting as guarantor has questions, contact Public Enquiries.

Public Enquiries Contact Centre

Phone: 1-800-567-9604

Fax: 1-866-817-3977

Email: infopubs@sac-isc.gc.ca

Service hours: Monday to Friday from 9 am to 6 pm Eastern time

If you can’t find a guarantor

If you can’t find a guarantor, you must provide 2 references and complete a statutory declaration in lieu of guarantor (form 83-170).

You must sign this form in the presence of a person authorized by law to administer oaths and declarations, for example, a:

  • commissioner for oaths or for taking affidavits
  • lawyer
  • notary
  • justice of the peace

Who can act as a reference?

A person acting as a reference must:

  • be 18 or older
  • have known you personally for at least 2 years
  • not be a relative
  • be available and capable of answering questions about you, for example, your name, approximate age, place of birth, physical description, and place of residence, if contacted by Indigenous Services Canada

What is required of a reference?

One person acting as a reference must perform these tasks, free of charge:

  • sign and date each copy of the front and back of your valid identification
  • sign, date and write your name, or the name of the child or dependent adult for whom you are applying, on the digital photo if using the SCIS Photo App or on the back of one of the printed photos
  • confirm information about you if contacted by Indigenous Services Canada

Either person acting as reference can perform those tasks.

Step 3: Fill out the application

Note: If you are a member of Kijicho Manito Madaouskarini Algonquin First Nation, office may be able to provide assistance completing genealogical information required on your application. You will be required to prove your identity before staff can disclose this information. Be prepared to show ID.

Step 4: Sign and date the application

Before submitting the application, make sure you’ve:

  • filled out all relevant sections of the form
  • signed and dated the form
  • included all necessary documents
  • submitted a digital photo or included 2 printed photos
  • included a guarantor declaration, if necessary

If the application is for a child or dependent adult, a parent, custodial parent, or legal guardian must sign the form.

Step 5: Submit the application

To avoid delays in processing your application, you must submit all necessary documents and photos with the complete application for a secure status card.

What do you need to submit with an application for a secure status card?

To apply for a secure status card, you or the child or dependent adult must be registered under the Indian Act. If not registered, you can now apply for registration and a secure status card at the same time.

For an adult (16 or older)

You must submit:

If the name on the application is different from the name on any of the other necessary documents, you must also submit:

  • an original legal name-linking document, such as a change of name certificate, marriage certificate or divorce order, that links the previous name with the current name

or

For a child (15 or younger) or dependent adult

The applying parent, custodial parent or legal guardian must have the authority to act for the child or dependent adult in legal or financial matters.

You must submit:

  • a guarantor declaration, if necessary
  • For a child (15 or younger), a copy of the most recent legal documents granting custody or guardianship to the applying parent or legal guardian, if applicable
  • For a dependent adult, the guardianship order

If the name of the applying parent, custodial parent or legal guardian or the name of the child or dependent adult is different from the name on any of the necessary documents, you must also submit:

  • an original legal name-linking document, such as a change of name certificate, marriage certificate or divorce order, that links the previous name with the current name

or

  • a copy of a legal name-linking document and a copy of valid acceptable identification with the name of the child or dependent adult that is on the application form

Photo Requirements

What is considered an acceptable photo?

If you are applying for a secure status card or need to renew or replace one, you must submit acceptable photos.

Acceptable photos can be in colour or black and white and can be taken by anyone but must be:

  • clear, sharp and in focus
  • taken with a neutral facial expression, that is, eyes open and clearly visible, mouth closed
  • taken with uniform lighting, without shadows, glare, or flash reflections
  • taken straight on, with face and shoulders centered and squared to the camera
  • taken in front of a plain white or light-coloured background, with a clear difference between the face and the background
  • must represent natural skin tones
  • must be originals and not taken from an existing photo
  • taken within no more than 12 months before the date you submit the application and reflect applicant’s current appearance

Attention!

  • prescription eyeglasses may be worn as long as the eyes are clearly visible and there is no reflection or glare on the eyeglasses
  • sunglasses and tinted eyeglasses are unacceptable
  • photos with the red-eye effect or red-eye alterations are unacceptable
  • head coverings are not acceptable, unless worn for religious beliefs or medical reasons:
    • the full face must be clearly visible, and the head covering must not cast any shadows on the face
  • hair can be worn down

Child Photos

For child photos, the same specifications as those indicated under What is considered an acceptable photo apply.

  • photos must show the child’s head and shoulders only
  • parent’s or child’s hands must not appear in the photo

For newborns, the photo may be taken while the child is sitting in a car seat, as long as a white blanket is placed over the seat behind the child’s head.

  • There must be no shadows across the face or shoulders, around the ears or in the background.
  • Minor variations in a neutral expression of a newborn are recognized.

How To Submit Photos (if submitting printed photos with your application)

You must provide 2 identical and unaltered Canadian passport-style photos that meet these specifications:

  • 50 mm wide x 70 mm high (2 inches wide x 2 3/4 inches high) in size
  • length of the face must be between 31 mm (1 1/4 inches) and 36 mm (1 7/16 inches) from chin to natural top of head
  • printed on plain, high-quality photographic paper

You must provide on the back of one of the photos:

  • the name and complete address of the photographer or studio
  • the date the photo was taken, not the date the photo was printed

Your guarantor must sign and date the back of one of the photos and clearly write: “This is a true likeness of [name of adult applicant or name of child or dependent adult]”.

You can now take your own photo when applying for a Secure Certificate of Indian Status (SCIS), or secure status card, and submit it with your guarantor‘s name, email address and signature straight from your smartphone using the SCIS Photo App:

  • Visit Google Play or the App Store to download the app free of charge
  • Follow on-screen instructions
  • No personal information is stored in the SCIS Photo App
  • Collection, use and disclosure of personal information are in accordance with the Privacy Act

Where can you submit the application?

You can submit the application and all necessary documents and photos:

  • at any Government of Canada Regional Office
  • at any First Nation office, if applicable
  • by mail to
    • National SCIS Processing Unit
      Indigenous Services Canada
      10 rue Wellington
      Gatineau QC K1A 0H4

Before you go to any regional office or First Nation office

Call ahead to:

  • find out if the office near you is open
  • make an appointment
  • confirm what documents you need to bring
  • find out what safety measures are in place to help prevent the spread of COVID-19

Can you apply for a secure status card at your First Nation office?

Kijicho Manito Madaouskarini Algonquin First Nation does not issue Secure Certificates of Indian Status.

However, if you have questions about your application for a status card, contact the office:

Kijicho Manito Madaouskarini Algonquin First Nation

Phone: 613-332-0318

Fax: 613-332-3118

Email: community@kijichomanito.com

Service hours: 

  • Monday – Friday 9:00 am – 4:00 pm EST

KMMAFN staff will support you to prepare and submit your application.

Can you apply for someone else?

A third-party application is an application submitted in person by someone other than the applicant. For a child or dependent adult, a third person is any person other than the parent, custodial parent, or legal guardian.

When submitting a third-party application, you must submit:

  1. a complete application for a secure status card for already registered persons, signed by the applicant
  2. a digital photo of the applicant using the SCIS Photo App or 2 printed photos that meet the photo requirements
  3. copies of the front and of the back of the valid acceptable identification of the applicant, each copy signed and dated by a guarantor
  4. a guarantor declaration confirming the identity of the applicant