Apply for a Governor in Council appointment in Canada: how opportunities are posted, creating a GIC account, applying online as the notice states, the selection committee assessment, and the appointment process that follows.
Applies in: CA
A Governor in Council (GIC) appointment is made by the Governor General acting on the advice of Cabinet. An Order in Council is the legal instrument which, when signed by the Governor General, formalizes the appointment. The Privy Council Office supports the appointments process for some 2,200 positions on behalf of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. This guide describes the application route for those appointments only: how opportunities are posted, how to create an account and apply, how candidates are assessed, and what happens between a recommendation and an appointment. It makes no comment on any individual appointment, and it does not describe any other appointment route except where the Privy Council Office names the distinction.
There is no general application that covers every Governor in Council position. Each selection process starts with a Notice of Appointment Opportunity, and the notice carries the terms for that position. A notice is posted on the appointment opportunities page and advertised through various channels, for example the organization's website and social media, as well as in the Canada Gazette. The notice includes information about the selection criteria for the position and the date by which applications must be submitted.
Selection criteria consist of the eligibility criteria — education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities — plus language requirements, personal attributes, and other relevant factors and conditions of employment for the position. The criteria are based on the needs of the organization and the requirements to perform the duties of the position. The Government seeks to appoint bilingual candidates, and some positions carry statutory requirements, such as specific professional qualifications, residency, or bilingualism. Read the notice's criteria against your own record before applying. A strong record in a neighbouring field does not meet a criterion the notice states as a requirement for that position.
Ministers are responsible for a portfolio of organizations, and, with few exceptions, are responsible for recommending appointments within their portfolio. When a position is vacant or an incumbent's term is set to expire, the Minister must consider whether to recommend re-appointment based on past performance and future needs, recommend another candidate including from among candidates who previously qualified in a selection process, or launch an open, competency-based selection process. Do not assume a vacancy will always lead to a new open process; the notice for the position is the evidence that one is running.
Individuals interested in applying must create an account through the online application portal. Through the portal, they can view appointment opportunities, create and update their profile, and apply for positions. Candidates can create an account for GIC appointment applications and, once the account exists, apply to opportunities when they are posted on the GIC Appointments website.
Applicants are asked to provide information on their first official language and second official language proficiency. They can also self-identify as members of one or more employment equity groups — women, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, and members of visible minorities — as well as members of ethnic and cultural groups and 2SLGBTQI+ communities. Diversity information is collected through self-identification at two points: as part of the initial application, and on the Self-Identification Form for those being recommended for appointment. The categories collected cover gender, 2SLGBTQI+, visible minorities, persons with a disability, Indigenous peoples, bilingualism, first official language, and youth, meaning less than 40 when appointed. Provide that information accurately and only where the portal asks for it. Self-identification is part of the application record, not a separate letter to write.
How to apply is short, and every sentence in it binds. Governor in Council opportunities may be advertised on the GIC Appointments website, in the Canada Gazette, and through other additional media as required. The notice of appointment opportunity will specify the deadline for application, that candidates must apply via the GIC Appointments website, to whom candidates should address their cover letter, and whether candidates must complete an application form as part of their application. Only online applications will be accepted.
Follow those four points literally for the notice in front of you. Send the application through the website the notice names, address the cover letter to the person the notice names, include the application form only if the notice requires one, and meet the deadline the notice states. A cover letter addressed to the wrong office, a form included where none was asked for, or an application sent by another route creates avoidable doubt about whether the application was received in the form the process requires. Keep a copy of everything submitted, including the version of the notice you applied under, because notices are replaced when a posting closes.
Filling a Governor in Council position has two stages: the selection process and the appointment process. The selection process is run by a selection committee established to assess and recommend candidates. Committee membership turns on who is responsible for the appointment recommendation and who can bring a perspective on the needs of the organization. The committee is typically comprised of one representative each from the Privy Council Office, the responsible Minister's office, and the responsible Minister's department, and may include a representative from the Prime Minister's office. Depending on legislative or other requirements, other members could be included, such as the head of a tribunal or the chair of a Crown corporation. Some organizations have statutory committees with different membership.
Assessment proceeds in the order the overview page describes. Applications are screened against the selection criteria. For those determined to meet the criteria, further assessments are conducted. In some cases, for example positions within administrative and adjudicative tribunals, candidates may be assessed on their ability to synthesize information and write clear, concise, and well-reasoned decisions through formal testing. A short list of qualified candidates is interviewed by the selection committee via videoconferencing or pre-recorded interviews. In support of the Government's commitment to bilingualism, candidates are typically asked at least one question in their second official language to assess proficiency. For positions with bilingualism requirements, whether statutory or operational, candidates may be asked to undergo a formal evaluation of oral proficiency in their second official language. Candidates, particularly those considered for leadership roles, may be asked to undergo other assessments of personal suitability, and reference checks will also be undertaken.
After assessment, the selection committee submits an advice letter to the responsible Minister identifying the candidates found to be most qualified. Candidates found qualified are not guaranteed an appointment and may be added to a pool from which Ministers may draw to fill future vacancies, provided they meet the required criteria. Once a selection process has concluded, candidates are notified by email that they have either been found qualified and may be selected for appointment or that their candidacy has not been retained. The length of a selection process from start to finish is unpredictable, as it depends on the number of applicants and the types of assessments required. Do not read silence during the process as either outcome; the email at the conclusion is the notification the process provides.
The responsible Minister submits an appointment recommendation to the Governor in Council. In some cases legislation provides for an appointment to be made by a board or a third party with the approval of the Governor in Council, but in all cases the recommendation is made to the Governor in Council by the responsible Minister.
Before an appointment is considered for approval, the Privy Council Office carries out a due diligence review to ensure the proposed appointment meets all applicable statutory provisions and policy requirements. Statutory provisions may include specific education or experience, citizenship or residence requirements, conflict of interest or eligibility restrictions, term limits, or the staggering of terms. For Agents of Parliament, no appointment can be made until Parliament — the House of Commons and the Senate — has passed motions approving the nomination. Policy requirements include potential conflicts of interest, lobbying, and political activities. Candidates are required to disclose any potential risks, conflicts of interest, or past behaviours that might compromise an individual's ability to execute responsibilities effectively, impartially, and ethically, with harassment complaints and formal grievances given as examples.
The Privy Council Office also conducts background checks on all candidates for Governor in Council appointment. The review covers Royal Canadian Mounted Police police records, a Canadian Security Intelligence Service loyalty to Canada assessment, Canada Revenue Agency tax compliance-related infractions, and the Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy bankruptcy and insolvency database, as well as an open source check of publicly available content such as social media, news articles, blogs, websites, and professional profiles. In some cases a security clearance may be undertaken before appointment, if required for the position, under the Treasury Board Policy on Government Security. Answer every disclosure and background-check question completely. An omission found at this stage is harder to explain than a fact disclosed at the start.
Compensation and terms and conditions of employment are considered in the appointment process and are largely set by the Governor in Council. In some cases compensation and other terms are set by statute. Before appointment, the Privy Council Office informs full-time appointees of applicable compensation and other terms and conditions. Tenure is either during good behaviour, where an appointee may only be removed for cause, or during pleasure, where an appointee may be removed at the discretion of the Governor in Council. The term may be for a specific or indeterminate period. When a specific period is indicated, the appointment lapses at its expiration unless a legislative provision states otherwise. An appointee may be reappointed at the discretion of the Governor in Council, but a subsequent appointment cannot be guaranteed and is not automatic, and in some cases statutory provisions prohibit or limit reappointment. Specific statutes and guidelines govern the conduct and actions of appointees while in office and in post-employment, including the Conflict of Interest Act.
Once an appointment has been approved, the responsible Minister's office notifies the successful candidate, and a public announcement may then be issued. Appointment Orders in Council are posted on the Privy Council Office's Orders in Council database, the appointment is reflected on the Federal organizations website, and the names of most appointees are published in the Canada Gazette. Under the Standing Orders of the House of Commons, within five days of a non-judicial appointment being published in the Canada Gazette it is tabled in the House and deemed referred to the appropriate committee for review. The committee has 30 sitting days to review the appointment and may call the appointee to appear to examine qualifications. The appointment is not affected and cannot be overturned as a result of that review.
Candidates for most Governor in Council appointments are identified through the open, application-based selection process administered by the Privy Council Office. Some appointments follow alternate and distinct approaches, and the overview page names them. Ministers may be granted an exemption from an open process on an exceptional basis, at the discretion of the Prime Minister, to meet unique operational requirements including specific expertise and timeliness; in those cases the Minister is responsible for determining suitability, including the necessary competencies. Interim or short-term appointments may be made to enable completion of a selection process while maintaining business continuity, subject to legislative provisions. Legislation may establish specific processes, including a particular selection committee. The Governor General, Lieutenant Governors, and Territorial Commissioners are appointed on the recommendation of the Prime Minister through distinct processes. Deputy minister and associate deputy minister appointments are managed through the Clerk of the Privy Council's advice to the Prime Minister. Judicial appointments are managed by the Minister of Justice in a separate process. Heads of mission and consuls are managed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs in a separate process. Where a third-party recommendation or a specific professional qualification is required by legislation, a separate process applies.
If the role you want falls in one of those groups, this guide's application steps do not describe its route. Find the process the responsible department or office states for that group, and follow that process instead of forcing an open-process application onto it.
Some figures and rules are deliberately not stated in this guide, because they could not be verified on a current official Privy Council Office page. Do not rely on any figure below unless you confirm it on the current Privy Council Office pages first. No salary or compensation figure for any appointment was stated, because compensation and terms are set per appointment or by statute and no official page publishes a single figure. No application deadline was stated, because deadlines are set in each Notice of Appointment Opportunity. No current opportunity was named, because postings change and a named posting would go stale; the opportunities page is the current list. No success rate, short-list size, or number of applicants for any process was stated, because no official page publishes one. No assessment score, pass mark, or test format beyond the overview page's description of formal testing for some tribunal positions was stated, because no official page publishes one. If any of these figures is needed, verify it in the notice for the specific position or on the current Privy Council Office pages before relying on it.
It is an appointment made by the Governor General acting on the advice of Cabinet, formalized by an Order in Council. The Privy Council Office supports the process for some 2,200 positions, a mix of full- and part-time, leadership and non-leadership roles. The roles include heads and members of agencies, boards, and commissions, chairs and members of administrative and adjudicative tribunals, Agents and Officers of Parliament, ombudspersons, and chairpersons, directors, and chief executive officers of Crown corporations. Tenure is either during good behaviour or during pleasure, and the term may be for a specific or indeterminate period.
In the Notice of Appointment Opportunity for the position. The Privy Council Office states that a notice is posted on the appointment opportunities page and advertised through various channels, such as the organization's website and social media, as well as in the Canada Gazette. The How to apply page adds that opportunities may be advertised on the Governor in Council Appointments website, in the Canada Gazette, and through other additional media as required. This guide does not list current opportunities, because postings open and close and any list copied here would go stale. Start from the opportunities page and read the notice for the position you want.
Create an account through the online application portal first. Through the portal you can view appointment opportunities, create and update your profile, and apply for positions. Then apply exactly as the notice states: the notice will specify the deadline for application, that candidates must apply through the Governor in Council Appointments website, to whom candidates should address their cover letter, and whether candidates must complete an application form. Only online applications will be accepted, so a mailed or emailed application does not count.
Applications are screened against the selection criteria, and further assessments follow for those who meet the criteria. For some tribunal positions, candidates may be assessed through formal testing on synthesizing information and writing clear, concise, well-reasoned decisions. A short list of qualified candidates is interviewed by the selection committee, by videoconference or pre-recorded interview, with at least one question typically asked in the candidate's second official language. Reference checks are also undertaken. The committee then submits an advice letter to the responsible Minister identifying the candidates found most qualified. Being found qualified does not guarantee an appointment, and qualified candidates may be added to a pool for future vacancies.
The decision-maker differs. A Governor in Council appointment is made by the Governor General on the advice of Cabinet, through an Order in Council, after a recommendation from the responsible Minister. A ministerial appointment is made directly by the Minister and does not require the approval of the Governor in Council. For a ministerial opportunity, candidates apply following the instructions in the ministerial appointment or ministerial nomination notice, rather than through the Governor in Council route described in this guide. Do not use one route's instructions for the other.
The Privy Council Office states the length is unpredictable, because it depends on factors including the number of applicants and the types of assessments required, though every effort is made to carry it out as efficiently as possible. No timeline is promised for any individual process. Once a selection process has concluded, candidates are notified by email that they have either been found qualified and may be selected for appointment, or that their candidacy has not been retained. Keep the email address on your profile current, since that notification comes by email.