ALL ABOUT GCMS - HOW TO ORDER, READ, & GENERAL QUESTIONS ANSWERED

[Sarah1980]

Hello @legalfalcon,

- Is it possible for me to order GCMS notes + while I do not have a file in process ( I have a work permit at the moment but am not applying to anything). The reason I would like to get the GCMS notes + is that I cannot find all my previous documents and I would like to have them when I apply for PR to make sure I am not forgetting anything.
- Is it possible and how far back do these notes go ? (Since the first ever application I made 6 years ago?)

- Can I use my last application number, even though it was processed at the border ?

Appreciate your help

 

[legalfalcon]

Hello @legalfalcon,

- Is it possible for me to order GCMS notes + while I do not have a file in process ( I have a work permit at the moment but am not applying to anything). The reason I would like to get the GCMS notes + is that I cannot find all my previous documents and I would like to have them when I apply for PR to make sure I am not forgetting anything.
- Is it possible and how far back do these notes go ? (Since the first ever application I made 6 years ago?)

- Can I use my last application number, even though it was processed at the border ?

Appreciate your help

When you request GCMS notes, the notes are processed for each application. If you do not remember the application number, you can give the date as well as the year when it was filed and request the GCMS notes and all accompanying documents. GCMS notes can be requested for any application which is under process or has been processed, i.e. a decision has been made on it.

Each application that was filed, will have different retention periods. Eg. records relating to an individual's application for citizenship (including personal information collected) are to be retained for a minimum period of 150 years. The retention period commences on the date after the application is completed.

Similarly when you submit any application, the retention will depend on whether it was submitted electronically or on paper.

6-10 years is very normal and you will be able to get the documents filed.

 

[Sarah1980]

When you request GCMS notes, the notes are processed for each application. If you do not remember the application number, you can give the date as well as the year when it was filed and request the GCMS notes and all accompanying documents. GCMS notes can be requested for any application which is under process or has been processed, i.e. a decision has been made on it.

Each application that was filed, will have different retention periods. Eg. records relating to an individual's application for citizenship (including personal information collected) are to be retained for a minimum period of 150 years. The retention period commences on the date after the application is completed.

Similarly when you submit any application, the retention will depend on whether it was submitted electronically or on paper.

6-10 years is very normal and you will be able to get the documents filed.

Thank you @legalfalcon for the detailed answer.
I do have an application number. Do they scan all the documents I provided them at the border or at the airport when I applied for my permit there ?

 

[raj90]

Called ircc agent today, could not understand anything on my application. He did not tell anything about eligibility, criminality and i could not ask those specific things, he was in rush. He just said we don t nedd anything from you now and just wait...due to covid there is delay...so nothing informational.

 

[caipsnotes]

Hi @caipsnotes, I got my GCMS notes today. Page 2 says eligibility passed but the notes at the end show “ready to finalize” by case processing agent and no “officer review” stamp. This was last updated on 11 January 2021. Notes are as of 26 Feb 2021. Is it possible for an officer to not have picked up file for eligibility review for close to 2 months? And until officer concludes eligibility security will also not start? Thanks

If the applicant has met the eligibility criteria, but a specific document needs further review from an officer then the GCMS notes will contain a message that the "applicant has met the eligibility", or “ready to finalize”. (Ready to finalize means that the assistant or analyst is recommending that the officer review the file before making a final decision)

Do you see anything to this effect mentioned in the "Notes" section of GCMS?

 

[caipsnotes]

@caipsnotes, could you please shed some light on the PNP Parked due to UCI VERIFICATION notes that I'm getting? Thank you!

Hi. Did you apply for other types visa/permits to Canada as well?

If there is more than one UCI for the same client, this is a data integrity issue. As there is no way to delete a record from GCMS once it is promoted, the UCIs must be linked by performing a household. When a household is done, the multiple IDs will still exist but they will be linked together.

 

[caipsnotes]

Hello @legalfalcon,

- Is it possible for me to order GCMS notes + while I do not have a file in process ( I have a work permit at the moment but am not applying to anything). The reason I would like to get the GCMS notes + is that I cannot find all my previous documents and I would like to have them when I apply for PR to make sure I am not forgetting anything.
- Is it possible and how far back do these notes go ? (Since the first ever application I made 6 years ago?)

- Can I use my last application number, even though it was processed at the border ?

Appreciate your help

If IRCC has difficulty locating the information they will send a message like this

In order for us to retrieve the information requested, we require that you provide us with the following information:
- the location the application was submitted,
- the file number,
- the unique client identification (UCI) number of the person for whom the information is being requested,
A file number consists of a letter followed by nine digits (B123456789) and a UCI consists of eight or ten digits (1234-5678 or 0123456789). They can be found on all Immigration, Refugee, and Citizenship Canada correspondence and documents.

Note that your request will remain on hold until we receive the requested information from you. If we have not received your reply by xxxxxx, we will consider the request abandoned and close our file accordingly.

Please reply to this email with the required information, or by mail at the following address:

Access to Information and Privacy Division
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
360 Laurier Avenue W
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1L1

Please be advised that you are entitled to submit a complaint regarding the processing of your request to the Information Commissioner within sixty days of the receipt of this notice. The complaint form can be retrieved at: http://www.oic-ci.gc.ca/eng/lc-cj-logde-complaint-deposer-plainte.aspx.

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us by email at IRCC.ATIP-AIPRP.IRCC@cic.gc.ca.

Sincerely,


ATIP Officer
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada



See this about how far back you can go when requesting the Entire File https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/all-about-gcms-how-to-order-read-general-questions-answered.482200/page-219#post-9292819

Most records are disposed off 2 years after the last administration action pursuant to IRCC's policy regarding retention and disposal of information

Relevant when requesting supporting documents

Depending on the application, visa office and method of submission, some applications are uploaded into IRCC's system and IRCC therefore may have access to these records beyond the 2 years

 

[zac0999]

Hi. Did you apply for other types visa/permits to Canada as well?

If there is more than one UCI for the same client, this is a data integrity issue. As there is no way to delete a record from GCMS once it is promoted, the UCIs must be linked by performing a household. When a household is done, the multiple IDs will still exist but they will be linked together.

Appreciate your reply! I did apply for a tourist visa from Consulate in New York while I was a F-1 student more than a decade ago. The visa was issued to me within one hour with a very simple paper application form, and hence I'm not aware of any UCIs. I also mentioned this record truthfully in my EE application though, and hope it won't be something I should worry about...

 

[dhruvbajaj39]

If the applicant has met the eligibility criteria, but a specific document needs further review from an officer then the GCMS notes will contain a message that the "applicant has met the eligibility", or “ready to finalize”. (Ready to finalize means that the assistant or analyst is recommending that the officer review the file before making a final decision)

Do you see anything to this effect mentioned in the "Notes" section of GCMS?

Yes. Ready to finalize is mentioned in the beginning. The rest of the notes contain descriptions of the docs I sent in (for work experience, POF etc) where the analyst has constantly used the words “appears to meet”

Exact text goes like this:

R75: FSW MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS - Met R76: SELECTION CRITERIA FSW POINTS : APPEARS TO MEET
R76: SELECTION CRITERIA - FUNDS: APPEARS TO MEET FSW POINTS TOTAL : 71 READY TO FINALIZE
RPRF: COMPLETE

 

[Sarah1980]

If IRCC has difficulty locating the information they will send a message like this

In order for us to retrieve the information requested, we require that you provide us with the following information:
- the location the application was submitted,
- the file number,
- the unique client identification (UCI) number of the person for whom the information is being requested,
A file number consists of a letter followed by nine digits (B123456789) and a UCI consists of eight or ten digits (1234-5678 or 0123456789). They can be found on all Immigration, Refugee, and Citizenship Canada correspondence and documents.

Note that your request will remain on hold until we receive the requested information from you. If we have not received your reply by xxxxxx, we will consider the request abandoned and close our file accordingly.

Please reply to this email with the required information, or by mail at the following address:

Access to Information and Privacy Division
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
360 Laurier Avenue W
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1L1

Please be advised that you are entitled to submit a complaint regarding the processing of your request to the Information Commissioner within sixty days of the receipt of this notice. The complaint form can be retrieved at: http://www.oic-ci.gc.ca/eng/lc-cj-logde-complaint-deposer-plainte.aspx.

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us by email at IRCC.ATIP-AIPRP.IRCC@cic.gc.ca.

Sincerely,


ATIP Officer
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada



See this about how far back you can go when requesting the Entire File https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/all-about-gcms-how-to-order-read-general-questions-answered.482200/page-219#post-9292819

Most records are disposed off 2 years after the last administration action pursuant to IRCC's policy regarding retention and disposal of information

Relevant when requesting supporting documents

Depending on the application, visa office and method of submission, some applications are uploaded into IRCC's system and IRCC therefore may have access to these records beyond the 2 years

Thank you for the thorough answer.
@caipsnotes
Legalfalcon wrote before that "When you request GCMS notes, the notes are processed for each application", does that mean that if I had 4 applications in the past I need to make 4 requests or if I request the last one it would contain notes from all previous applications as well ??

 

[mymonika4]

Hello @legalfalcon, I got my GCSM notes and on the first page it says:
ASSESSMENTS
Eligibility: Passed
Security: Not started
Criminality: In progress
Info Sharing : In progress

I am an FWS-Inland, AOR: 23 Sept, 2020.

How much time it usually takes to complete security and criminality?

 

[legalfalcon]

Hello @legalfalcon, I got my GCSM notes and on the first page it says:
ASSESSMENTS
Eligibility: Passed
Security: Not started
Criminality: In progress
Info Sharing : In progress

I am an FWS-Inland, AOR: 23 Sept, 2020.

How much time it usually takes to complete security and criminality?

Criminality is fairly quick, and is based solely on your PCCs and biometrics.

Security on an average takes 110 days after it is initiated. Security only starts after it is initiated by IRCC. A security screening request is a message transmitted to National Security Screening Division (NSSD) and screening partners.

If you are an inland applicant, then you may only be subject to a record check, which is a fairly quick process as compared to comprehensive screening, which takes longer. To read on how security screening is done, when it is initiated and record check via comprehensive screening, see https://bit.ly/3b4cTUr

 

[legalfalcon]

Thank you @legalfalcon for the detailed answer.
I do have an application number. Do they scan all the documents I provided them at the border or at the airport when I applied for my permit there ?

At the border you are only examined, and no filing happens. But you can file a request, and if any of the documents have been retained, will be sent to you.

 

[caipsnotes]

Thank you for the thorough answer.
@caipsnotes
Legalfalcon wrote before that "When you request GCMS notes, the notes are processed for each application", does that mean that if I had 4 applications in the past I need to make 4 requests or if I request the last one it would contain notes from all previous applications as well ??

Hi.

No, not all. You can request information for as many applications you like in 1 request.

When you make the request mention all 4 applications and they will be provided all together in a single document. There is no extra cost to request multiple applications in a single request. In fact if you have family members whose information you need then you can request that too in the same request.

 

[mymonika4]

@legalfalcon Thank you..! I really appreciate your help.