What leads to comprehensive check or is it done for every applicant?
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service’s(CSIS) role is to check your background for any activities that could constitute a threat Canada’s security and to report it to the Government of Canada.
Section 14 of the CSIS Act authorizes CSIS to gather information relating to security or criminal activity that is relevant to any duty or function under the
Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA). Section 15 of the CSIS Act authorizes CSIS to conduct such investigations for the purpose of providing security assessments. Together, these sections allow CSIS to conduct security screenings of all applicants seeking admission to Canada through
Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
Section 34 of the CSIS Act deals with inadmissibility based on security. The section states that a permanent resident or a foreign national is inadmissible to Canada on security grounds for:
- engaging in an act of espionage that is against Canada or that is contrary to Canada’s interests;
- engaging in or instigating the subversion by force of any government;
- engaging in an act of subversion against a democratic government, institution or process as they are understood in Canada;
- engaging in terrorism;
- being a danger to the security of Canada;
- engaging in acts of violence that would or might endanger the lives or safety of persons in Canada; or
- being a member of an organization that there are reasonable grounds to believe engages, has engaged, or will engage in acts referred to above.
Essentially, security screenings are conducted to discover applicants who are or have been involved in espionage, subversion, terrorism or who would pose serious danger to Canadian society.