Transgender rights in Canada, including procedures for changing legal gender and protections from discrimination, vary among provinces and territories, due to Canada's nature as a federal state. According to the 2021 Canadian census, 59,460 Canadians identify as transgender. Government identity documents There are two main routes to changing one's legal gender in Canada: the Immigration (or 'federal') route, and the Vital Statistics (or 'provincial/territorial' route). Of note is the distinction between 'legal gender' and 'gender marker'; a legal gender (also commonly referred to as a sex designation; sex indicator in Nova Scotia) is what appears on foundational identity documents such as immigration status documents and birth certificates, whilst a gender marker can appear on a non-foundational identity document, such as a driver's licence or photo card. A gender marker usually follows legal gender, but can differ - and a change in gender marker on a non-foundational identity document alone does not provide a trans individual with foundational identity documentation that establishes such a change. Four provinces (Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, and Saskatchewan) and all three territories (Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Yukon) do not offer anyone not born there the ability to change their legal gender. Table overview Federal Canadian Permanent Residents, Citizens (born inside or outside Canada), Protected Persons, Refugee Claimants and Temporary Residents may apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada using form CIT 0404: Request for a Change of Sex or Gender Identifier. Amendment of documents issued by the person's country of birth, former habitual residence, or nationality is not required. Once the person's gender is changed with IRCC, the agency will issue a Verification of Status annotated with the person's change of name (if any) and gender, as a linking document between their Canadian identity and their foreign birth certificate. Since June 2019, the Canadian passport, citizenship certificate, permanent resident documentation and protected person documentation have offered an "X" option for legal gender. In July 2020, Global News reported that the policy of not allowing refugee claimants and temporary residents to change their legal gender was causing harm, especially to asylum seekers. The article cites the case of Naomi Chen (a pseudonym), a trans woman who was born in Hong Kong and holds Chinese nationality and Hong Kong permanent resident status. Chen's HKSAR passport still states her gender as 'male', and consequently she was issued a Refugee Protection Claimant Document by IRCC bearing that gender. Chen was