For more details and to access PDF versions of forms to obtain Benefits & Rights with the Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC).
Whether you are Cree Nation of Chisasibi member or registered to a different band, obtaining a new card or updated status card, if available, is easy.
By Email or Mail:
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.
The SCIS Photo App eliminates the cost of photos and offers a convenient way to provide the photo required to apply for the secure status card.
The SCIS Photo App is a digital application created by the Government of Canada that allows applicants to take a photo with a smartphone and submit it online as part of their Secure Certificate of Indian Status (SCIS) application. Available to download for free on both Apple and Android smartphones, the SCIS Photo App eliminates the cost of photos and offers a convenient way to provide the photo required to apply for the secure status card for the first time or for a renewal or a replacement.
You no longer have to pay or travel to have passport-style photos taken for your Secure Certificate of Indian Status application. The App is an accessible, cost-free and secure way to take and submit your photo and guarantor’s name, email address and signature as part of the application process for a secure status card.
The SCIS Photo App can be downloaded for free on your smartphone from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
The App is easy to use and provides step-by-step instructions to take and submit your photo and provide your guarantor’s name, email address and signature. This information will be securely transmitted to Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) through the App and stored in a protected database. Once the information is submitted, the data will no longer exist on the smartphone.
To complete your application for the Secure Certificate of Indian Status (SCIS), you must submit a complete application (Form 83-169E), a Guarantor Declaration (Form 83-170E) and supporting documentation. To find out how to apply, visit canada.ca/indian-status.
The information you submitted through the App will be automatically linked with your complete application and supporting documentation. You do not need to contact Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) to inform us that you submitted your photo through the App.
You can download the SCIS Photo App for free on your smartphone by simply searching “SCIS Photo App” in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
The App was publicly launched in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store in July 2019.
Prior to the launch, the SCIS Photo App was piloted across Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) Regional Offices from November 2018 to June 2019.
No, the SCIS Photo App is free to download and it is free to submit your photos using the App. You will need a smartphone and internet access.
To complete your application for the Secure Certificate of Indian Status (SCIS), you must submit a complete application (Form 83-169E), a Guarantor Declaration (Form 83-170E) and supporting documentation. The Government of Canada does not charge applicants any fees to apply for a secure status card; however, there may be a cost associated with providing supporting documentation as part of their application. To learn more, visit canada.ca/indian-status.
No, Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) does not provide reimbursement for the cost of obtaining “passport-style” photos or supporting documentation as part of an application for the secure status card.
We understand the process of getting your photos may have been difficult. The SCIS Photo App has been designed to allow applicants to take their own photo, eliminating the cost of a photographer and making the application process more accessible and convenient.
Before you submit your photo through the SCIS Photo App, ensure you have the following:
· Smartphone (Apple or Android mobile device) to download the App
· Access to the internet or a public/private Wi-Fi network
· Registration number
· Valid email address
· Guarantor present with a valid email address
To complete your application for the Secure Certificate of Indian Status (SCIS), you must submit a complete application (Form 83-169E), a Guarantor Declaration (Form 83-170E) and supporting documentation. To find out how to apply, visit canada.ca/indian-status.
The App is compatible with the following operating systems:
· Apple smartphones with iOS 11 or higher
· Android smartphones with Nougat 7.0 or higher
No, you need a smartphone to use the SCIS Photo App.
If you do not have a smart phone, you can use the SCIS Photo App on a family member or friend’s smartphone. Once the information is submitted, the data will no longer exist on the smartphone.
No, you need internet access to use the SCIS Photo App.
If you do not have your own internet access, you may use the SCIS Photo App by connecting to any public or private Wi-Fi network.
You can also use the App on a family member or friend’s smartphone with internet access. Once the information is submitted, the data will no longer exist on the smartphone.
Yes. To complete your application for the Secure Certificate of Indian Status (SCIS), you must submit a complete application (Form 83-169E), a Guarantor Declaration (Form 83-170E) and supporting documentation. Once received, the information submitted through the Photo App will be automatically linked with your complete application and supporting documentation. To find out how to apply, visit canada.ca/indian-status.
No. You must already be registered as a Status Indian under the Indian Act to use the SCIS Photo App. If you are not registered, you must provide a complete application (Form 83-168E) and supporting documentation. To find out how to apply, visit canada.ca/indian-status.
Unfortunately, you cannot use the SCIS Photo App to submit photos for an application for registration and a secure status card at the same time. However, once you are registered for Indian status, you will be able to use the SCIS Photo App to apply for your first secure status card separately or to renew or replace your secure status card.
If you have any questions regarding registration for Indian status or status cards, please visit canada.ca/indian-status or contact the Public Enquiries Contact Centre:
Public Enquiries Contact Centre
Indigenous Services Canada
10, rue Wellington
Gatineau QC K1A 0H4
Email: aadnc.infopubs.aandc@canada.ca
Phone (toll-free): 1-800-567-9604
Fax: 1-866-817-3977
TTY (toll-free): 1-866-553-0554
No, the SCIS Photo App cannot be used to submit photos to apply for the Certificate of Indian Status (CIS). The App is only compatible with the system used to issue the Secure Certificate of Indian Status (SCIS).
Some band offices continue to issue the Certificate of Indian Status (CIS). Contact your First Nation or band office for more information about this version of the status card.
The Secure Certificate of Indian Status (SCIS) is a more secure form of identification to confirm Indian status. To find out how to apply for the secure status card, visit canada.ca/indian-status.
Yes, the SCIS Photo App can be used to submit photos to apply for the Secure Certificate of Indian Status (SCIS) on behalf of a child/dependent adult. To complete an application for the Secure Certificate of Indian Status (SCIS) on behalf of a child or dependent adult, you must submit a complete application (Form 83-169E), a Guarantor Declaration (Form 83-170E) and supporting documentation.
A parent or legal guardian must have the authority to act for the child or dependent adult in legal or financial matters to apply on their behalf. The most recent legal documents (divorce order, separation agreement, custody or guardianship order) proving custody or guardianship of the child to the applying parent or guardian must be provided with the application form and supporting documentation, if applicable.
Yes. You must find a person who can act as your guarantor and they must be present while you’re using the SCIS Photo App.
The guarantor will be prompted to provide their name, email address and digital signature. The same guarantor must also complete a Guarantor Declaration (Form 83-170E). The Guarantor Declaration (Form 83-170E) should be sent with the completed application (Form 83-169E) and supporting documentation.
For more information on who can be a guarantor, visit “About guarantors” under “Most requested” at canada.ca/indian-status.
Note: If submitting your application in-person and having your photo taken at a regional office, you may not need a guarantor. If submitting your application in-person at a band office and using the SCIS Photo App, an Indian Registration Administrator (IRA) can act as your guarantor if they have known you personally for 2 years.
No, all information provided through the SCIS Photo App is secure and protected under the Privacy Act. The information is encrypted while being sent to Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) and stored in a secure database exclusively for SCIS applications. Once the information is submitted, the data will no longer exist on the smartphone.
The information you provide through the App is used to process your application for a secure status card. The collection and use of personal information submitted through the App is in accordance with the Privacy Act.
We apologize for the inconvenience and we appreciate your patience as we work to improve the SCIS Photo App.
To resubmit your photo, open the App and follow the step-by-step instructions. Only the last photo submitted will be used to process your secure status card application.
Acceptable photos must be:
· Clear, sharp and in focus
· Taken with a neutral facial expression (eyes open and clearly visible, mouth closed)
· Taken straight on with face and shoulders centered and squared to the camera
· Taken in front of a plain white or a lightly coloured background, with a clear difference between the face and background
To find out more about photo requirements, visit canada.ca/indian-status.
Yes. To resubmit your photo, open the App and follow the step-by-step instructions. Only the last photo submitted will be used to process your secure status card application.
Once your application for secure status card has been processed, you cannot resubmit your photo until you apply for a renewal or a replacement.
If you leave the SCIS Photo App for any reason, the information is retained in the background of the App until your photo is submitted or the App is closed. The information that was retained in the background is protected and cannot be read by an outside party. Once the information is submitted, the data will no longer exist on the smartphone.
Please confirm your information and registration number before submitting your photo through the SCIS Photo App. If you entered any incorrect information, this may lead to delays in processing your secure status card application. If you think you entered incorrect information while using the App, please notify the Public Enquiries Contact Centre as soon as possible:
Public Enquiries Contact Centre
Indigenous Services Canada
10, rue Wellington
Gatineau QC K1A 0H4
Email: aadnc.infopubs.aandc@canada.ca
Phone (toll-free): 1-800-567-9604
Fax: 1-866-817-3977
TTY (toll-free): 1-866-553-0554
If you are having technical difficulties using the SCIS Photo App, please email aadnc.supportphotocssi-scisphotosupport.aandc@canada.ca.
You can also contact the Public Enquiries Contact Centre:
Public Enquiries Contact Centre
Indigenous Services Canada
10, rue Wellington
Gatineau QC K1A 0H4
Email: aadnc.infopubs.aandc@canada.ca
Phone (toll-free): 1-800-567-9604
Fax: 1-866-817-3977
TTY (toll-free): 1-866-553-0554
Having a child registered in the Quebec register of civil status allows her to obtain various important documents, such as a birth certificate, which proves her identity and citizenship, a health insurance card, and a social insurance number. These documents let your child benefit from many different rights and privileges.
Parents have two options for declaring the birth of a child, namely:
If you choose the paper “Declaration of Birth” it is the parent’s responsibility to complete and mail out the form, You have 30 days to transmit the Declaration to the Directeur of l’état civil, so that your child is registered with the province. You can also leave the completed and signed declaration with the staff at the health center or birth centre before your departure. The staff will see that it is forwarded to the Directeur de l’état civil.
If you prefer, the parents can complete the declaration of birth electronically when you return home, instead of completing the paper form.
On either of those forms, if you give your consent for information to be forwarded to the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux, that is responsible for the registration of Cree beneficiaries (JBNQA), birth is registered automatically, no need to provide birth document to the Membership Clerk.
If you also give your consent to the Indigenous Services Canada to receive the birth information, an application is sent to you to complete and a photo ID is required of the parent that is applying, you do not need to provide a birth document to register your child for a registry number (band number). The application must be given to the Membership Clerk.
If you did not give your consent, a birth certificate or Confirmation of Birth is required with a completed application form. These documents should be given to the Membership Clerk.
For your information, the beneficiary number (JBNQA number) is required when receiving medical, dental services and optical services, daycare services, when child starts school, when applying for college, applying for housing and others.
Pamela Bobbish
Local Registration Administrator
PamelaBobbish@chisasibi.ca
(819) 855-2878, Ext: 312
©Cree Nation of Chisasibi 2024
