First of all, I hope this is in the correct forum section. If not then could a mod please move it to the correct section please 
I am in the UK. I have been trying to get a "for information only" IM1444e to see whether I am inadmissible to Canada due to previous criminal records. I sent in the form before Covid started and didn't receive a reply until a couple of months ago. So that is more than four years for a reply! The letter said that they had cancelled my application because I didn't attach a criminal record certificate. I thought that I didn't need to send this as the form was for information only and the guidance said that I would be advised if I needed to supply any other documentation.
So I get a police certificate and resend the forms in for information only including photocopied passport as well as the certificate.
I get a letter from them saying that I need to pay a processing fee to apply and they will cancel my application if I don't reply within a set time. I sent a letter back to say that I didn't want to apply but wanted to be assessed and included a printout of this webpage highlighting the part about sending the form for information only and that you should not need to pay a fee to be assessed:
Being assessed by a visa office
I get another letter saying that for information only was not a category of application and they would cancel my application if they did not hear back from me by a certain date. That date was a little over a week from when I received the letter. The date of the letter and the postmark of when it was processed by the post office on the envelope were a week apart. So it seems they were trying to give me little time to reply by not sending it promptly. Ironically, their letter actually included a link to an information page that they told me to consult that said not to send a fee for an information only enquiry.
I immediately sent another letter saying that I realised that processing fees were required for applications but I was not applying and that I wanted to be assessed by an officer, basically reading back what the link they sent said.
The most recent reply I received today. It says that I need to pay a processing fee to be assessed, that it takes a year to be assessed and that I would receive a refund if I am found not to be inadmissible. If I don't reply with in a set amount of time then they will cancel my application (what a surprise!). Also to supply an email for communication. I do not want to supply an email and have my criminal history information on email as I know how unsecure it is. I have worked in IT in the past. They have asked me to give an email several times despite the fact that I have ticked the box on the form saying I want to be contacted by mail only.
I honestly don't trust that I would get a refund as all of the Canadian government web pages imply that refunds of processing fees are not done under any circumstances. Also, I don't want to pay the fee because I'm not supposed to and the website explicitly states not to pay a processing fee.
I have no idea where to go from here. It seems that the consulate is not following the rules that it is supposed to follow and I can't find any way to complain. The whole process seems very bureaucratic when compared to anything government related in the UK.
Can anyone point me in the right direction of what I should do next?
I am in the UK. I have been trying to get a "for information only" IM1444e to see whether I am inadmissible to Canada due to previous criminal records. I sent in the form before Covid started and didn't receive a reply until a couple of months ago. So that is more than four years for a reply!
The letter said that they had cancelled my application because I didn't attach a criminal record certificate. I thought that I didn't need to send this as the form was for information only and the guidance said that I would be advised if I needed to supply any other documentation.So I get a police certificate and resend the forms in for information only including photocopied passport as well as the certificate.
I get a letter from them saying that I need to pay a processing fee to apply and they will cancel my application if I don't reply within a set time. I sent a letter back to say that I didn't want to apply but wanted to be assessed and included a printout of this webpage highlighting the part about sending the form for information only and that you should not need to pay a fee to be assessed:
Being assessed by a visa office
I get another letter saying that for information only was not a category of application and they would cancel my application if they did not hear back from me by a certain date. That date was a little over a week from when I received the letter. The date of the letter and the postmark of when it was processed by the post office on the envelope were a week apart. So it seems they were trying to give me little time to reply by not sending it promptly. Ironically, their letter actually included a link to an information page that they told me to consult that said not to send a fee for an information only enquiry.
I immediately sent another letter saying that I realised that processing fees were required for applications but I was not applying and that I wanted to be assessed by an officer, basically reading back what the link they sent said.
The most recent reply I received today. It says that I need to pay a processing fee to be assessed, that it takes a year to be assessed and that I would receive a refund if I am found not to be inadmissible. If I don't reply with in a set amount of time then they will cancel my application (what a surprise!
). Also to supply an email for communication. I do not want to supply an email and have my criminal history information on email as I know how unsecure it is. I have worked in IT in the past. They have asked me to give an email several times despite the fact that I have ticked the box on the form saying I want to be contacted by mail only.I honestly don't trust that I would get a refund as all of the Canadian government web pages imply that refunds of processing fees are not done under any circumstances. Also, I don't want to pay the fee because I'm not supposed to and the website explicitly states not to pay a processing fee.
I have no idea where to go from here. It seems that the consulate is not following the rules that it is supposed to follow and I can't find any way to complain. The whole process seems very bureaucratic when compared to anything government related in the UK.
Can anyone point me in the right direction of what I should do next?