Starting February 1st, 2012,  the original plastic wallet-sized citizenship certificate will be replaced by a letter-sized piece of paper that can be read electronically. This new certificate also replaces the commemorative certificate that was given at citizenship ceremonies. It is a legal status document. It is not an identity document or a travel document. If you have an old citizenship certificate, it is still valid and you don’t need to apply for a replacement. If you get a new citizenship certificate, you must wait at least 2 business days after your ceremony before you can apply for a passport.

You can find out more about this change on CIC’s website below. http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/media/notices/notice-new-cit.asp