A citizenship judge is an official in Canada who assesses referred applications to ensure they meet the residence requirements for Canadian citizenship and presides over citizenship ceremonies to administer the Oath of Citizenship for successful applicants. Citizenship judges also speak to community groups, schools, and other audiences about the process to become a citizen, as well as Canadian values and the rights and responsibilities of Canadian citizenship. As independent decision makers, citizenship judges comprise the Citizenship Commission a body that is arms length from the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship. The Commission is led by a senior judge who is first amongs equals.