Governor in Council Appointments

Cabinet and Regulatory Affairs Division
Strategic and Horizontal Policy Branch
May 2025

Overview

• Governor in Council Appointments
• Orders in Council
• Minister of IRCC Responsibilities
• Selection Processes
• Annex: IRCC GIC Appointments and Citizenship Revocations

Governor in Council Appointments

• A Governor in Council (GIC) Appointment is made by the Governor General on the advice of the King's Privy Council (i.e., Cabinet) through an Order in Council.
• Appointments to federal public organizations are made by the Governor in Council on the recommendation of the responsible federal minister(s).
• Officials from the Minister’s Office must consult with the Director of Appointments in the Prime Minister’s Office prior to submitting a recommendation for appointment to the Governor in Council.

GIC Appointments: Orders in Council

• An Order in Council for an appointment:
• normally specifies the appointment authority (such as the applicable statute), the tenure (full- versus part-time), and the length of the term of the appointment;
• is required for renewal of the appointment, as renewal is not automatic;
• must be submitted to the Privy Council Office with a Ministerial Recommendation and supporting documentation; and,
• is posted publicly on the Orders in Council database once approved.

GIC Appointments: Minister of IRCC Responsibilities

• The Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is responsible for recommending Governor in Council appointments for Citizenship Judges and members of the Immigration and Refugee Board.
• Typically, the Minister of IRCC appoints 10 Citizenship Judges within a three-year period and 25 members to the Immigration and Refugee Board annually.

GIC Appointments: Selection Processes

• GIC appointment opportunities are public and open to all interested applicants; candidates must apply as they would for any federal government job posting.
• Candidates are assessed through a variety of means, including screening against selection criteria, testing (including language testing), interviews, and reference checks.
• The selection committee chair recommends candidates to the Minister for appointment; on this advice, the Minister makes a recommendation to the Governor in Council.
• Once approved by the Minister, the Department submits the appointment recommendation to the Privy Council Office for consideration at Cabinet; if approved at Cabinet, the associated Order in Council is provided to the Governor General for signature.

Annex: IRCC GIC Appointments and Citizenship Revocations