Indian Registration System (IRS) / Certificate of Indian Status (CIS) Project

The objective of the IRS CIS Project is to improve access to provided services. The IRS is the authoritative source of information regarding Status Indians, and is required to support the registration, entitlement, adoptions, and protests processes. As such, many units within INAC access this system for various purposes including research, support of policy development, planning, resource justification, and population projections. Other government departments such as Health Canada also require information from the IRS to deliver some of their programs. The Indian Registration System is a mission critical system that must be kept accurate, up to date and confidential.

The modernized Indian Registration System (IRS CIS, hereafter referred to as IRS) will be a WEB enabled application that will perform the same function as the existing IRS. The system will also provide for the issuing and tracking of Certificates of Indian Status (CIS). The modernized IRS will provide the capability to have direct access to registration information for Regional Offices, Indian Registration Administrators (IRAs) and other authorized external agents.

The existing Indian Registration System will be modernized and business processes will be re-engineered to enable on-line access to, and update of, Registry information. Also, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada will be developing and issuing a more secure identification card to minimize the misuse of the existing Certificate of Indian Status.

The client groups benefiting from this on-line service include First Nations people, other government departments, provincial governments, and Canadian businesses servicing First Nations.

This service will provide improved access for First Nations people to services and benefits provided by other government departments, provincial governments, and Canadian businesses. Currently, some clients are denied access to services and benefits because their status identity cannot be easily determined and authenticated. Primary transactions include uninsured healthcare and provincial sales tax exemption.

For more information about this service, please contact the IRS CIS project Sponsor at (819) 994-0951 or the IRS CIS Project Communication Leader at (819) 953-7846 or via e-mail at reference@ainc-inac.gc.ca.

More Information

Back to Index Page