Is CIC liable for how they send your personal information in the mail?
I'm sorry if this is lengthly...
My wife and I spent six months turning over every rock from Canada to Thailand searching for documents for her permanent residency application. On November 18, 2016 CIC received our 6 lbs of documents safely packaged in a UPS box. CIC signed for it and accepted our documents. We took every measure possible to protect a lifetime worth of highly confidential documents while being shipped across country.
November 30, I open the mail to find a clear plastic package from Canada Post saying that my mail has been damaged and these documents were found in our mainstream. At first, I thought it was from my bank because you could clearly see it was a bank statement. But when I opened the package it was several random pages from random statements, covered in dirt marks and rips. My heart sank! I knew these were suppose to be within all of the rest of our families documents that CIC had in their possession for processing.
Long story short, out of the hundreds of documents CIC received they found a single generic form that was missing IMM 5406). Instead of sending me a letter or calling me to request this form, which would have taken a day for them to receive, they took our 6 lbs of documents, jammed them into their standard cheap envelope and mailed everything back to me.
The documents Canada Post sent me on the 30th was what they recovered somewhere between Edmonton and Mississauga. How can 6 lbs of documents fit into a cheap paper envelope? We couldn't even fit them into the UPS protected envelope!
I laughed to myself while I waited on hold to speak with CIC. They have these pre-recorded messages in between the elevator music which warns people about fraud protection and how to eliminate the risks of being a victim. It would be followed by another message stating they care as much about my families new life in Canada just as much as I do....
Not only did CIC tell me they are not responsible for my families highly confidential documents they signed for on Nov 18, but they said if I want to apply again I would need to send everything again. I said "send what? We have nothing except a few damaged bank statements!"
I asked for a tracking number for the package they sent and both the agents I talked during the 30th said they do not track the packages nor do they have a number for me. But today I checked the mail and there was the original envelope CIC sent, inside another large clear plastic Canada Post package. The original envelope was ripped apart, out of no surprise because of the weight and size of all our documents they jammed inside, but this envelope did have a Canada Post tracking number from Mississauga. Why did they CIC agents tell me different? This is a prime example of how we have been treated by our government. The only transparency we receive are from clear packages in the mail from Canada Post!
The contents I received today were our family photos, some receipts and a photo copy of my original UPS sticker with a CIC stamp on it. All of the highly sensitive documents and forms are still nowhere to be found.
Not only has the CIC pushed us back 10 steps but now our entire family's sensitive information is floating around the country! Before I can start piecing together another application I now have to close all our accounts and report this to every organization who has our information on file.
We have filed a police report and Canada Post has escalated an investigation. But what does that do for my family? We have worked tirelessly on her PR application and now we are left empty handed with a government who has shut the door in our face!
I have not seen my family for over a year! My wife and our 17 month old daughter, who is a Canadian Citizen has yet to be allowed in to Canada. Not even for a visit! We have tried for the past 2 years for visiting visa’s and have been declined on the basis of CIC not being satisfied she will leave Canada at the end of her stay. They even questioned the purpose of our trip during Christmas of last year as one of the reasons she was not grated a visa.
We are behind the starting line now and need help!
I have created a police report
Canada Post has began an investigation now that I have a tracking number
I've contacted my local MLA and the office of the privacy commissioner
My corporate lawyer is looking into liability
Contacted my bank, equifax and transunion
But I don't know what to do with the application. Should I start sending forms back to my wife in Thailand so she can sign and send back to me? She also needs to send me new headshots and police clearance. Or should I wait to see what Canada Post finds?
Has anyone ever had this happen?
Btw, my wife is not here in Canada with me so everything needs to be mailed back and forth.
Such a horrible situation with so many questions and absolutely no help from CIC
I'm sorry if this is lengthly...
My wife and I spent six months turning over every rock from Canada to Thailand searching for documents for her permanent residency application. On November 18, 2016 CIC received our 6 lbs of documents safely packaged in a UPS box. CIC signed for it and accepted our documents. We took every measure possible to protect a lifetime worth of highly confidential documents while being shipped across country.
November 30, I open the mail to find a clear plastic package from Canada Post saying that my mail has been damaged and these documents were found in our mainstream. At first, I thought it was from my bank because you could clearly see it was a bank statement. But when I opened the package it was several random pages from random statements, covered in dirt marks and rips. My heart sank! I knew these were suppose to be within all of the rest of our families documents that CIC had in their possession for processing.
Long story short, out of the hundreds of documents CIC received they found a single generic form that was missing IMM 5406). Instead of sending me a letter or calling me to request this form, which would have taken a day for them to receive, they took our 6 lbs of documents, jammed them into their standard cheap envelope and mailed everything back to me.
The documents Canada Post sent me on the 30th was what they recovered somewhere between Edmonton and Mississauga. How can 6 lbs of documents fit into a cheap paper envelope? We couldn't even fit them into the UPS protected envelope!
I laughed to myself while I waited on hold to speak with CIC. They have these pre-recorded messages in between the elevator music which warns people about fraud protection and how to eliminate the risks of being a victim. It would be followed by another message stating they care as much about my families new life in Canada just as much as I do....
Not only did CIC tell me they are not responsible for my families highly confidential documents they signed for on Nov 18, but they said if I want to apply again I would need to send everything again. I said "send what? We have nothing except a few damaged bank statements!"
I asked for a tracking number for the package they sent and both the agents I talked during the 30th said they do not track the packages nor do they have a number for me. But today I checked the mail and there was the original envelope CIC sent, inside another large clear plastic Canada Post package. The original envelope was ripped apart, out of no surprise because of the weight and size of all our documents they jammed inside, but this envelope did have a Canada Post tracking number from Mississauga. Why did they CIC agents tell me different? This is a prime example of how we have been treated by our government. The only transparency we receive are from clear packages in the mail from Canada Post!
The contents I received today were our family photos, some receipts and a photo copy of my original UPS sticker with a CIC stamp on it. All of the highly sensitive documents and forms are still nowhere to be found.
Not only has the CIC pushed us back 10 steps but now our entire family's sensitive information is floating around the country! Before I can start piecing together another application I now have to close all our accounts and report this to every organization who has our information on file.
We have filed a police report and Canada Post has escalated an investigation. But what does that do for my family? We have worked tirelessly on her PR application and now we are left empty handed with a government who has shut the door in our face!
I have not seen my family for over a year! My wife and our 17 month old daughter, who is a Canadian Citizen has yet to be allowed in to Canada. Not even for a visit! We have tried for the past 2 years for visiting visa’s and have been declined on the basis of CIC not being satisfied she will leave Canada at the end of her stay. They even questioned the purpose of our trip during Christmas of last year as one of the reasons she was not grated a visa.
We are behind the starting line now and need help!
I have created a police report
Canada Post has began an investigation now that I have a tracking number
I've contacted my local MLA and the office of the privacy commissioner
My corporate lawyer is looking into liability
Contacted my bank, equifax and transunion
But I don't know what to do with the application. Should I start sending forms back to my wife in Thailand so she can sign and send back to me? She also needs to send me new headshots and police clearance. Or should I wait to see what Canada Post finds?
Has anyone ever had this happen?
Btw, my wife is not here in Canada with me so everything needs to be mailed back and forth.
Such a horrible situation with so many questions and absolutely no help from CIC
