The anatomy of a Background Check? - <<<<<<IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS>>>>>>>

[Ahmad Shqair]

Hi legalfalcon,

Since November 2016, we are contacting the VO and the only reply we are getting is the application is pending statutory verification results. Can u plz advice:

What those checks are about?

how much, roughly, can those checks take?

Please note that my spouse and I have been waiting since 28 months.

you mean that you have been waiting 28 months since eAPR AOR ?!
when your security screening started exactly?

 

[Moon_115]

you mean that you have been waiting 28 months since eAPR AOR ?!
when your security screening started exactly?

28 months since AOR.. Security Screening started August 2016 .. We have no idea why it's taking too much time .. clean record and straight forward case!!!

 

[Ahmad Shqair]

28 months since AOR.. Security Screening started August 2016 .. We have no idea why it's taking too much time .. clean record and straight forward case!!!

this is really frustrating .. what is going on with IRCC ... hope things will get better for you my friend

 

[Beran34]

Can working in Canada illegally in the past and re entering (immigrating) back to Canada by using fake diplomas, information, resumes and work experience cause an inadmissiblity? I've already sent an email to the CIC but I don't know what else to do to report these people

 

[narindersahib]

Guys Need Help !!!

AOR :- Feb 01 2017
I am CEC Outland applicant.
6 Months Processing time already finished..........I got GCMS notes last month on July 12 2017......
It says Medical :- Pass
Eligibility :- Recommend Pass
Security :- Not Started
Criminality :- Pass
Back Ground status still says :- Not Applicable. So I think Eligibility is still under process.....
I sent them email 20 days ago to know the status of my file. They replied that my application need some additional verification..

Now, anybody here know howmuch time does it take to clear up my eligibility ????
Your answer will be really appreciated.. Thanks in advance.

Hi jack,
Let me kn if u hv applied fr d fresh gcms notes? Was dr SS in ur last notes? I got the same reply from cpco, hvng exact same status like yours.

 

[narindersahib]

Hi legalfalcon,

I have gone thru ds thread and hv further confusion.
Yesterday i recieved reply from cpco dat file requires additional verification. My ques s how could dey suddnely select my file for SS without hvn review of an officer?
Eligibility is reccmnd passed n dat was done in april by case analyst. Aftr dat i recieved 2 sets of gcms notes and no where SS was mentioned. Security status was not started. Now my ques is if aftr case analyst ,officer has nt reviewed my file dn who selected it fr additional verification? Should i rely on cpco reply? Bcz on 18 july i got reply that file is in queue for officer's review.
Who selects file fr SS: officer or case analyst?
M ordering fresh set of notes now.

 

[Mz123]

Whats your stream and nationality ? What about your medical ?

I am dec 2015 applicant

 

[Mz123]

Hi @legalfalcon i need your opinion regarding my queries .would be v grateful to you if u reply
Im a 4th feb pnp inland with one dependant (spouse) we both are pakistani my medical passed in aprl and i also got ADR in aprl ( ielts report) before that my bg was ip1 then after medical passed and ADR it went to NA then on 27th july it went to ip2 when they started working on feb pnp inlands then all others got their PPR but not me then i called cic many times agent said everything is done your eligibility is also met acording to officer and they have sent request to RCMP and security agencies just waiting for their response and they said they cant do anything as they are already working on ur file we sent request when they are not working for many months and if u order gcms notes this wil gonna delay ur file as they wil frst respond your query so we didnt order yet every agent tell me the same story then i mail ottawa my VO and got reply that my file is under additional verification...
m v worried because i have seen many cases waiting for years and i dont want to as i am married since march 2015 since then living apart
I have applied for bowp in may which got rejected in june because i didnt submit the nomination certificate then again i applied in june and still didnt get bowp as i want this then i wil aply for work visa so that i can go to my home country .. do u have any idea that can i get my bowp from border before they approved it or sit back and wait for it .my current work permit is already expired so i cannot travel
Last thing .. my two brothers are in canada one have PR when he applied for his PR ( family class sponsorship , paper based) he was also stuck in ss and got PR in almost 4 years but he has a travel hstry to afghanistan then my second brother applied in same category he is also stuck in ss and he has completed his 2 years and still havent get ppr
I jst have one travel history to US ( visited there for 1 wek ) and 1 for saudia (1 week ) and i submitted PCC for pakistan and RCMP for canada . my spouse also has just one travel history to saudia ( 1 week )
What do you think how long my security screening will take?my medical wil expire in December.. is this ss or not ? And what should i do for my bowp ?
Desperately waiting for your reply

 

[wmate]

Whats your stream and nationality ? What about your medical ?

Spouse visa... Pakistani National...
London visa office... med will expire in nov

 

[JackT]

Hi jack,
Let me kn if u hv applied fr d fresh gcms notes? Was dr SS in ur last notes? I got the same reply from cpco, hvng exact same status like yours.

Hi there.....In GCMS notes the Secirity was "Not Started" and Eligibility :- Recommend Passed.......I also sent them email to know whats exactly going on with my application ?? After few days they replied that they are doing additional verification......In GCMS notes there is no Officer's Comment......I dont know whats going on ???

 

[A.Syed1]

Received letter from CSIS that my security screening was started on 15 March 2017 (that is what my GCMS also says) and it was completed on 24th July 2017 (so a little over 4 months). The file was then forward to IRCC OR CBSA (it seemed surprising to me that they didn't know exactly which organization they forwarded to). In any case I had preemptively requested notes from CBSA as well and will wait and see what they say. If CBSA has also completed I will open a case specific enquiry with IRCC attaching both letters from CSIS and CBSA asking them what's up...

 

[MarcAnthony]

Received letter from CSIS that my security screening was started on 15 March 2017 (that is what my GCMS also says) and it was completed on 24th July 2017 (so a little over 4 months). The file was then forward to IRCC OR CBSA (it seemed surprising to me that they didn't know exactly which organization they forwarded to). In any case I had preemptively requested notes from CBSA as well and will wait and see what they say. If CBSA has also completed I will open a case specific enquiry with IRCC attaching both letters from CSIS and CBSA asking them what's up...

how do you request this information from CSIS or CBSA?

 

[A.Syed1]

how do you request this information from CSIS or CBSA?

Access to Information Program.

https://secure.cic.gc.ca/enquiries-renseignements/canada-case-cas-eng.aspx


Just like requesting GCMS notes from IRCC

 

[Matt-NL]

I have been getting questions on what happens in a BGC a lot in the last few months. Even though in my post, “[A]natomy of an application” available on many threads, I do discuss this briefly, but I felt there was a need for a more exhaustive post. This post in no way accurately depicts the procedures adopted by the CSIS, Canada’s premier security agency, as their procedures are highly confidential and will never be made public. However, this post is an amalgamation of the information publically available, and my personal experiences with working for the governments and law enforcement agencies in different countries.

Since this is a long post and each post cannot be over 10000 characters, I am posting the entire post in replies. The post is alphabetically numbered.

So here it goes:

A. What is CSIS and its mandate?

Before we even venture into looking at how CSIS conducts background checks, it is essential to have a brief knowledge of CSIS and what it does. CSIS in its publication has introduced itself with the following statement:

“With the large number of homeland conflicts throughout the world,
preventing the importation of these conflicts into communities
in Canada is of particular concern to all Canadians.”​

The mandate of the CSIS concerning security screening of immigrants is laid down in Canadian Security Intelligence Service Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (hereinafter “the IRPA”). Sections 14 and 15 of the CSIS Act authorizes CSIS to provide security assessments for the review of immigration applications to the IRCC. These assessments relate directly to the security inadmissibility criteria contained in the IRPA, with the final decision resting with the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration.

Unlike other intelligence services across the globe, CSIS until early 2000 did not operate on foreign soil and its operations concerned the protection of Canadian national security mainly against internal threats. However, since threats to the security of Canada can come from criminals or terrorists using Canadian soil to perpetrate attacks of terrorist activities, both within Canada and target foreign nations, CSIS was tasked with screening all applicants seeking admission into Canada through IRCC.

CSIS is tasked with conducting security clearance for all applicants in addition the police clearances certificates furnished by the applicants, for all applicants between the ages of 18 and 65 years. The BGC is conducted to detect applicants who are, or have been, involved in espionage, subversion, or terrorism.

The screening of potential immigrants to Canada is a complex process that involves several government departments and agencies such as IRCC, Health Canada, Human Resources Development Canada, and RCMP [Royal Canadian Mounted Police] and CSIS, each of whom has specific responsibilities. A culmination of what these agencies do determines admissibility based on medical, criminality, security etc.

Specifically CSIS, in accordance with section 2 of CSIS Act, that deals with threats to the security of Canada. The IRPA in Division 4, specifically section 34 deals with the inadmissibility based on security, which is assessed by CSIS. Section 34 includes accessing the applicant for the following:

Security

34 (1) A permanent resident or a foreign national is inadmissible on security grounds for

a) engaging in an act of espionage that is against Canada or that is contrary to Canada’s interests;
b) engaging in or instigating the subversion by force of any government
a. engaging in an act of subversion against a democratic government, institution or process as they are understood in Canada;
c) engaging in terrorism;
d) being a danger to the security of Canada;
e) engaging in acts of violence that would or might endanger the lives or safety of persons in Canada; or
f) being a member of an organization that there are reasonable grounds to believe engages, has engaged or will engage in acts referred to in paragraph (a), (b), (b.1) or (c).​

CSIS does what is known as risk management in the processing of security checks on prospective immigrants, role of CSIS focuses on those applicants who, on the basis of analysis and experience, are most likely to present a security risk. The advice provided by the CSIS assists the IRCC in determining whether prospective immigrants are inadmissible persons under the Immigration Act.

The assessment of CSIS is not binding on IRCC, and IRCC independently reviews the CSIS assessment in the final review before the application is approved. This is another reason for the delays, and more on this later.


B. When does your application go to CSIS?


Usually, the Security screening is the last step, but for some applicants, this starts early in the process. These applicants are PNP applicants. This is because a province has nominated them through their internal mechanism, thereby in a way giving them eligibility, and the role of IRCC greatly decreases, unlike FSW, CEC and other application where IRCC has to review every detail to ensure that the applicant meets the program requirement. This is another reason why PNP applications usually tend to be processed faster. More on PNP in another post, which I will post in the next few days.

Hi Legalfalcon,

I hope this message finds you well.
I have a couple of questions regarding my security screening. I would appreciate if you could give me your feedback.

First a brief summary of my case.
I am a PNP inland, AOR 12 October 2016, Medicals, Criminality and Eligibility already passed, CSIS security screening started on 24 January 2017, finished and advice sent on 24 April 2017 according the CSIS letter I received after faxed them for an update about my case.
My provincial government (NL) informed me that there is another security screening conducted by CBSA. I don't know whether CBSA started their screening on 24 January (on the same day together with CSIS) or on 24 April (after CSIS advice sent to IRCC and CBSA).

Now my questions:
1) What is the role of CBSA in the security screening process? In your analysis you explain the role of CSIS in security screening process but there is no info regarding the role of CBSA in it. However, there is information about the involvement of CBSA in the security screening process. Also my provincial government told me that the reason of delays in security screening process is CBSA.
2) If CBSA is involved in security screening process, do you think they start their screening at the same time with CSIS, or do they start after CSIS' advice (answer).
3) How long do you think it will take till I get PPR? Soon I will have completed my 11th month and will be in my 12th month after AOR.

I truly appreciate if you could be able to find some time and answer my questions as soon as possible.
Thanks in advance.
Best regards,

Matt

 

[Matt-NL]

I wrote this to Legalfalcon, one of the experts in this forum, and wanted to share it with you guys.

http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/the-anatomy-of-a-background-check-in-depth-analysis.500146/page-31#post-6305404

Hi Legalfalcon,

I hope this message finds you well.
I have a couple of questions regarding my security screening. I would appreciate if you could give me your feedback.

First a brief summary of my case.
I am a PNP inland, AOR 12 October 2016, Medicals, Criminality and Eligibility already passed, CSIS security screening started on 24 January 2017, finished and advice sent on 24 April 2017 according the CSIS letter I received after faxed them for an update about my case.
My provincial government (NL) informed me that there is another security screening conducted by CBSA. I don't know whether CBSA started their screening on 24 January (on the same day together with CSIS) or on 24 April (after CSIS advice sent to IRCC and CBSA).

Now my questions:
1) What is the role of CBSA in the security screening process? In your analysis you explain the role of CSIS in security screening process but there is no info regarding the role of CBSA in it. However, there is information about the involvement of CBSA in the security screening process. Also my provincial government told me that the reason of delays in security screening process is CBSA.
2) If CBSA is involved in security screening process, do you think they start their screening at the same time with CSIS, or do they start after CSIS' advice (answer).
3) How long do you think it will take till I get PPR? Soon I will have completed my 11th month and will be in my 12th month after AOR.

I truly appreciate if you could be able to find some time and answer my questions as soon as possible.
Thanks in advance.
Best regards,