How does IRCC use information from PR and international student applicants?

Canada’s immigration department often requires extensive information from candidates to process applications.

Yet for many newcomers, there is little information available to help them understand how Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) collects and uses their information.

Based on IRCC resources, CIC News has broken down how Canada’s immigration department collects, uses, retains, and disposes of newcomer’s information across two major lines of service:

• International student (study permit) applications; and
• Economic permanent residence (PR) applications.

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General uses of newcomer information

IRCC generally uses information provided by newcomers for two purposes: for immediate use in application decision-making, and for broader analysis to improve its wider programs and policies.

How newcomer information is used:

• Program eligibility: Assessing whether a candidate qualifies for a specific immigration or settlement program;
• Admissibility: Determining if a candidate meets Canada’s legal, health, and security requirements to enter or stay in the country; and
• Application decisions: Making decisions on immigration applications, such as visas, permanent residence, or citizenship.

How newcomer information is analyzed:

• Policy development: Identifying trends and challenges to shape policies that meet Canada’s immigration goals;
• Program delivery: Evaluating how programs perform to enhance their effectiveness and accessibility for newcomers;
• Client satisfaction: Gathering insights on the newcomer experience to improve service delivery and support; and
• Building public trust: Ensuring transparency, accountability, and fairness in immigration processes to maintain public confidence in the system.

Economic PR applications

Economic PR applicants are skilled individuals selected by IRCC to contribute to Canada’s economy through various PR immigration programs.

Who is considered an economic PR applicant?

Economic PR applicants fall under several programs, including:

• Federal programs: Federal Skilled Workers Program (FSWP), Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), Canadian Experience Class (CEC);
• Provincial programs: Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) streams for economic immigrants;
• Quebec programs: Quebec Skilled Workers Program (QSWP) and Quebec Business Immigrant classes;
• Business and Start-up programs: Self-Employed Persons, Start-up Visa, and previous investor categories; and
• Special programs: Pilot (or former pilot) programs such as streams in the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) and Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP).

What information is collected from these applicants?

The personal data collected from applicants varies depending on the program and individual responses in the application process. This information includes, but is not limited to:

How is the information used?

IRCC uses this information to:

• Assessing eligibility and admissibility: Verifying if applicants meet the economic program criteria and confirm compliance with legal, security, and medical standards under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA).
• Reaching application decisions: Facilitate the approval, refusal, or further investigation of applications.
• Program administration and quality control: Conducting audits, evaluating service delivery, and ensuring the consistent enforcement of immigration policies.

For some economic PR applications, IRCC collects and shares information with third parties in Canada to assist with application processing, and to inform associated functions of other organizations. Some examples of these third parties include:

• The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA);
• The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP);
• Provincial and territorial immigration authorities to facilitate PNP streams;
• Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) to validate job offers and LMIA compliance; and
• Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and Health Canada when necessary for immigration-related processes.

Aggregate and de-identified data of immigration candidates may also be shared with research institutions, private companies, and other government bodies for statistical analysis, program evaluation, and policy planning.

How is the information retained and disposed of?

The retention period for applicants’ data varies based on the status and outcome of the application:

• Express Entry profiles: Retained for up to 5 years after the last administrative action.
• Approved PR applications: Retained for up to 65 years after the last administrative action.
• Admissibility issues (e.g., criminality, security, or medical ineligibility): Retained for 5 years following the last administrative action.

Biometric data (fingerprints and photographs) is stored for a minimum of 15 years unless

The person becomes a permanent resident or makes a refugee claim, in which case it is retained until their 100th birthday

If an exclusion or deportation order is issued, or the candidate is inadmissible based on sections 34-37 of the IRPA, the biometric data is also retained for this extended period.

If an individual becomes a Canadian citizen, biometric data is purged within two weeks of the Oath of Citizenship. Under this condition data that meets retention requirements is securely destroyed as per IRCC’s privacy standards.

International student (study permit) applications

International students are foreign nationals who wish to enter Canada on a study permit to further their education in the country.

What information is collected from these applicants?

The personal data collected from applicants varies depending on the individual responses given in the application process. This information includes, but is not limited to:

How is this information used?

IRCC uses information from international student applicants in a variety of ways. This data also includes information about family members included in their (the applicant’s) application.

In addition to general uses (covered above) around application decisions, inadmissibility criteria, and quality control and program maintenance, IRCC also uses this information for:

• Fraud detection and Immigration compliance: The data is used to detect, suppress, and prevent immigration offenses.
• Research, policy development, and auditing: Aggregate or de-identified information supports policy evaluation, audits, program assessments, and statistics.
• Computer analytics development and training: Analytics tools may enhance application processing and compliance monitoring by assessing risks and generating reports for decision-making.

IRCC also shares select information with relevant government agencies to ensure compliance with immigration laws and to facilitate associated processes, including:

• CBSA: For security screening and to detect serious inadmissibility;
• CSIS and the RCMP: For security assessments and enforcement actions;
• ESDC: To validate eligibility for work and study programs;
• GAC, Health Canada, and Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC): For specific immigration-related cases;
• Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB): To assist with hearings and immigration appeals; and
• Department of Justice Canada: For litigation involving immigration matters, as required by law.

The department also shares information from these applicants with other relevant third parties, including:

• Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs): Information may be shared to confirm compliance with study permit conditions.
• Elections Canada: Name, date of birth, and address may be shared to update the National Register of Electors.
• Provincial, Territorial, and/or Municipal Governments: Information may be shared through agreements for program delivery and immigration services.
• Foreign Governments and authorities: Under different international agreements, select data may be shared to support lawful investigations or enforce immigration laws.
• Private sector and research organizations: Aggregate, non-identifiable data may be shared with Statistics Canada, academic institutions, and other organizations for research, evaluation, and program planning.

How is the information retained and disposed of?

The retention of personal data of these applicants depends on the application outcome and compliance status.

• Approved applications: Retained for 2 to 5 years after the last administrative action.
• Denied applications (under IRPA sections 34 to 41): Retained for 5 years if the denial was based on security, criminality, medical, financial, misrepresentation, or non-compliance reasons.
• After retention expiry: Once the required retention period has been met, all related data is securely destroyed.

Biometric data (fingerprints and photographs) is collected under the IRPA. Biometric information is kept for at least 15 years from the most recent collection date unless a longer retention period applies.

Biometric data can also be retained until the applicant’s 100th birthday if any of the following conditions are met:

• The person becomes a permanent resident of Canada;
• The person makes a refugee protection claim;
• The person is inadmissible under IRPA sections 34 to 37 (security, criminality, or human rights violations);
• The person has an exclusion or deportation order that is not yet enforced; or
• The person is barred from re-entry due to an exclusion or deportation order, and they have not received an Authorization to Return to Canada.

If an individual no longer meets any of the above conditions, the biometric data will be retained for 15 years from the most recent collection date or 5 years beyond the date when the person stopped meeting any of these conditions, whichever is longer.

If an individual becomes a Canadian citizen, their biometric information is deleted within two weeks of IRCC receiving their signed Oath of Citizenship.

How to request the most up-to-date information on your application

Newcomers can obtain detailed updates on their immigration applications by requesting Global Case Management System (GCMS) Notes through the Access to Information Act (ATI). The GCMS is IRCC’s internal system used to manage and evaluate applications. These notes provide insights into the current status of an application and any relevant information IRCC has collected about the applicant.

What information is included in GCMS Notes?

A GCMS note contains detailed information about an applicant and their current immigration file, including:

• Application information: When the application was received, when it was opened, the status and reason for the status, and the code of the immigration officer assigned to the case.
• Collected data: Any information submitted by the applicant or gathered by IRCC related to the application or the applicant.
• Third-Party submissions: Any information provided by representatives acting on behalf of the applicant.

These notes are available to applicants whose cases have passed the R10 completeness check stage of their application, which ensures that all necessary documents are included. However, this check only confirms the application’s completeness and does not indicate its assessment status.

Who Can Request GCMS Notes?

• Canadian citizens or permanent residents.
• Individuals currently residing in Canada.
• Applicants Outside Canada:
  • Must use a Canadian representative (citizen, permanent resident, or corporation in Canada) to file the request on their behalf.
  • Have their representative complete a Consent for Access to Information and Personal Information Request form to act on the applicant’s behalf.

How can newcomers request GCMS Notes?

To request GCMS notes, applicants need to submit an Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) request online or by mail.

To request these notes, applicants must provide their:

• Application number
• Unique Client Identifier (UCI) (optional but recommended for faster processing)

The processing fee for GCMS Notes is $5 CAD, payable online.

Response time and processing

IRCC is required to respond to ATIP requests within 30 days under the Access to Information Act. However, this timeframe may be extended if the request involves numerous files or if the processing workload is significant. In such cases, IRCC will notify the requester of the extension.

More information on how to request a GCMS Note can be found here.