Citizenship certificates issued before February 1, 2012, remain valid. This means that any Canadian who currently holds a citizenship certificate does not need to apply for a replacement.
>The electronic validation system will be made available to Passport Canada, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Service Canada in February 2012.
Like the plastic card, the new certificate is a legal status document, not an identity document or a travel document. Unlike the plastic card, the new certificate will not contain a photo. The citizenship certificate’s sole purpose is to prove Canadian citizenship.