Hi there, it's free to request your own information if you are in Canada. Inland applicants can take advantage of the process under the Privacy Act as outlined here
https://help.gcmsnotes.com/how-to-order/for-free and also below. If that does not work you can take the help of a friend or a family member as well and it costs $5 in that case.
Who can make a request for free?
Any Canadian citizen, permanent resident or individual present in Canada has the right to access
their personal information held by government institutions that are subject to the
Privacy Act.
There are no fees charged for requests made under the Privacy Act.
The purpose of the Privacy Act is to protect the privacy of individuals with respect to personal information about themselves where it is held by a government institution and to provide individuals with the right to access such information.
Note: Personal information which belongs to an individual who is not a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada or currently living in Canada must be requested under the
Access to Information Act, in which case a
consent form will be required.
Checklist of what you will need
To prove that you have the right to make a request, you must provide one of the following documents: a copy of your Canadian passport or your permanent resident card, or an official document that demonstrates you are currently living in Canada (i.e. a driver's license, bill with proof of address, work/study/visitor permit, etc).
Only one (1) document is required. Your Social Insurance Number (SIN) will not be accepted.
A
consent form is
NOT needed for a Privacy Act request since you are requesting your own information.
What file types can I attach for my supporting documents with my online request?
The maximum size of each file is 2 MB (two megabytes). The following file formats are allowed:
- Portable Document Format (PDF)
- JPG, TIFF, or PNG (Image)
- DOC, DOCX (Microsoft Word Document)
How-to
- Visit the official IRCC website at https://atip-aiprp.apps.gc.ca/atip/privacyTerms.do and follow the online instructions.
- The process has 4 steps
- Requester Information (see details below)
- Act & Record Selection (see details below)
- Important. For the question "What type of information are you requesting?" Select "Privacy Act" to get your own information for free.
- Attach Documents
- Review and Validate
Requester Information
Department: Eligibility: Family Name: Given Name(s) (First Name): Street Number: Street Name: Name of Business or Organization: Apt./Suite/Unit #: Post office box: City: Province/State: Country: Telephone Number: Fax Number: E-mail Address: Re-enter e-mail Address: Requesting information on your own behalf? Category of Requester: How would you prefer to receive requested records:
Act & Record Selection
What type of information are you requesting:
Language: Type of records do you wish to request: Family Name: Given Name(s) (First Name): Date of Birth: Client ID Number (UCI): Alias: Type of record would you like to request: Which specific information are you looking for: File Number:
How long will it take to obtain the GCMS notes?
The legislated time-frame for processing a request under the Access to Information Act is 30 calendar days. If the 30 day deadline falls on a weekend or on a holiday, the due date becomes the next business day. Please note;
- IRCC processes orders only during regular business hours, Eastern Time. That means processing of orders received by IRCC outside of operating hours or the weekend will begin the following business day.
- The GCMS notes are usually generated around the time the request is made, not at the time when it’s released.
- IRCC can extend the time limit to respond to a request beyond the 30 calendar days.
Is there a sample GCMS file?
See a sample GCMS file at
https://sample.gcmsnotes.com/
