What is background check means

[Tieno]

How much time it takes to complete Background checks, security checks once your ECAS status shows in process ??

Exactly. I want to know how long it takes
And also how much time it can take to get the visa after the check has been come

 

[HK1063]

Hi, anyone knows decision made on PA's eCAS means background check is completed or else?
Thanks.

 

[Ayhan12]

Hello,

Please Can someone tell me How long does it take to get answer about background check and what is the next

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[sgaur]

What is the difference between background check and prohibitions? Situations for both are same. My background check shows completed on Feb 23 but Prohibitions are still "In Progress" stage. I was reported u/s 44 for not completing days requirement in Canada more than 4 years back. However I applied citizenship after staying in Canada for 3 years. I do not see this u/s 44 situation in background check and Prohibitions.

 

[curious_academician]

"Background check" is another one of those terms sometimes used in a specific sense, which as others have described typically is in reference to the the RCMP criminal history check and the CSIS security check, BUT is also used in a more generic sense in respect to the verification and assessment process which is done by IRCC processing agents. The former is often used in the context of WAITING for background check (or background clearances), which is a specific reference to waiting for the RCMP or CSIS clearance or updated clearance.

If there are inquiries or research into open sources, like online media including LinkedIn (mentioned by name because it is an open source which more often pops up in officially published decisions for actual cases), those are ordinarily done by an IRCC processing agent in the local office which is processing the application. This would be part of the "background checks" done in general, IRCC's assessment and verification of the information provided by the applicant. This can range very widely and can include making telephone calls to employers, doing research to verify addresses, telephoning the applicant, including typical Internet searching for information about the applicant.

In addition to the form RCMP and CSIS clearances, there is also the GCMS check. Last we knew this is to be done each time any action is taken on the application. At the least it checks the applicant's GCMS records, verifying identity, client number, PR status, and related information. It can also include cross-checks for residential addresses and employers. Thus, for example, if the applicant reports work history including employment for JakeRivet Company March 2014 to June 2017, IRCC can do a GCMS check to see if there are alerts or information about JakeRivet Company; thus, if JakeRivet Company has been identified in association with a previous case involving fraud, that could trigger further inquiries or even an investigation regarding the applicant's employment with that company.

GCMS also screens FOSS entries, which can include border crossing notes or criminal name-record hits.

The scope of the background check in the broader, more generic sense, can range from minimal to extensive, depending on whether a processing agent sees something raising a concern or question.

Thanks for this detailed response. How often do they call up the boss to verify in his personal number? My boss travels quite often and may not answer strange calls.

 

[dpenabill]

Thanks for this detailed response. How often do they call up the boss to verify in his personal number? My boss travels quite often and may not answer strange calls.

I do not have an answer for your question.

You are quoting a post from three and a half years ago. Things change. A lot remains at least similar if not the same, but some caution should be exercised when looking at older information.

Based on your other posts, it also appears your question is not about background screening for citizenship applicants. While much of the core manner, method, and means is likely consistent regardless which type of application is involved, the particular scope of background screening varies considerably depending on the type of application, and generally the background screening for citizenship applicants (which is what my observations were about) is not at all on a par with immigration applications. For example, it would be unusual for citizenship processing agents to contact a citizenship applicant's employer; not that it does not happen, if and when there is a particular cause triggering such an inquiry, but it is almost certainly not at all common.

Moreover, the discussion in this topic is more or less focused on the formal "clearances" related to criminality and security screening, as is specifically required for citizenship applicants to verify the applicant is not subject to a "prohibition" precluding them from a grant of citizenship, and none of which would involve contacting an applicant's employer.

 

[curious_academician]

I do not have an answer for your question.

You are quoting a post from three and a half years ago. Things change. A lot remains at least similar if not the same, but some caution should be exercised when looking at older information.

Based on your other posts, it also appears your question is not about background screening for citizenship applicants. While much of the core manner, method, and means is likely consistent regardless which type of application is involved, the particular scope of background screening varies considerably depending on the type of application, and generally the background screening for citizenship applicants (which is what my observations were about) is not at all on a par with immigration applications. For example, it would be unusual for citizenship processing agents to contact a citizenship applicant's employer; not that it does not happen, if and when there is a particular cause triggering such an inquiry, but it is almost certainly not at all common.

Moreover, the discussion in this topic is more or less focused on the formal "clearances" related to criminality and security screening, as is specifically required for citizenship applicants to verify the applicant is not subject to a "prohibition" precluding them from a grant of citizenship, and none of which would involve contacting an applicant's employer.

Thank you very much for the detailed response. Yes, I meant background check for PR application. I have an NOC of 4012, where I have only my supervisor's reference letter to support my work experience. He generally does not respond strange calls. Would that affect the background check? In case he receives a call. Would you also know the probability of receiving such calls for background check?

 

[Nit_canada]

Background check is done by processing application where your education and experience credentials are from - this task verifies your claims and authenticity of documents.

Security check is done by Canadian intelligence and security agencies, with or without cooperation of proper authorities in countries you lived/stayed in, and it is done completely independently from IRCC - IRCC only gets result, which will be positive or negative, without any explanation (as it is classified). This task looks deep into your life(LinkedIn Facebook), activities and associations to find out if you are/were involved or are/were associated in any way with anyone who is/was involved in espionage, terrorism, organized crime, radical movements, crimes against humanity, war crimes, etc..

Criminal check looks into your police certificates and verifies with relevant countries to see if you have a criminal record that may make you inadmissible to Canada.

Background and security check both are same they will check ur criminal back ground

 

[rajkamalmohanram]

Background and security check both are same they will check ur criminal back ground

You've responded to a post that is like 3.5 years old.

BTW, this would be the correct explanation. Background Checks comprises of criminality and security checks. Criminality checks are conducted by RCMP and Security checks by CSIS.

And here's some explanation about the BG checks I posted a couple of months back =>

https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/july-2020-citizenship-application.692123/post-9456754

 

[zindabad]

My App is in Background check, it is almost 5 months after PAL.

I checked with all offices, those who issues my documents i.e Nikha office, HR department of my Company, University, Banks, local Police office, Friends who gave letters etc but IRCC or any other never contacted them to verify my Documents,

Question...
WHAT TYPE OF BACKGROUND CHECK IRCC IS DOING?

 

[dpenabill]

REMINDER:

While we do not know the actual numbers, for many and probably MOST applicants who apprehend that progress in processing their citizenship application is waiting on a background check, processing the application is NOT really waiting for (dependent on) a background check. Even when the client support centre agents tell applicants the next step in processing the application is waiting for a background check or clearance, that may be technically true but is misleading, since usually the next step is actually waiting for the responsible IRCC processing agent to take the file from the queue and act on it, at which time receipt of the clearances from RCMP (criminality) and CSIS (security) will be checked off -- for the vast majority of applicants these clearances are done by referral and processed in parallel with the processing of the citizenship application itself; they do not, not ordinarily, result in delaying application processing.

In this forum a great deal of badly misguided attention continues to focus on the background screening. With isolated exceptions, client copies of GCMS records will NOT reveal any useful information about the status of application processing based on notes related to background screening.

Yes, many here obviously disagree with me about this. No one, however, has documented otherwise. At best, depending on the timing, the response to ATIP requests might alert an applicant of some pending action SHORTLY before the applicant would otherwise learn of it through eCas or by notice. (Note: ATIP requests are for personal records; ATI requests are a very different thing, and when well crafted can and often do provide useful information, albeit NEVER about the status of any individual's application. Some observations in the forum appear to refer to one when actually it is about the other.)

There are exceptions. Some applications do get bogged down waiting for this or that background check, including sometimes waiting for RCMP to provide a criminality clearance or CSIS to complete a security clearance. That said, background screening pervades the process; it is NOT limited to the formal clearances from the RCMP and CSIS. If background screening is holding up an application, that is just as likely to be about a referral to CBSA and its National Security Screening Division ("NSSD"), and a high percentage of those are NOT about either criminality or security but, rather, evaluating the applicant's actual physical presence claims or investigating misrepresentation, among other less common but still in a significant number of investigations, such as screening applicants who are PR-refugees for potential reavailment or other issues potentially affecting the applicant's PR status itself.

While it is an unpopular view here, with isolated exceptions applicants who have background *issues* affecting the processing timeline for their citizenship application do NOT need to ask IRCC, or CBSA, or CSIS, to know their application is subject to some non-routine background screening. No one, not in IRCC, not in CSIS, no one knows the applicant's case better than the applicant.

EXAMPLE: An applicant who applied with very little margin over the minimum presence requirement, and who is spending extended periods of time abroad while the application is pending, knows, or at least should know, there is a substantial risk the application has indeed been referred to CBSA's NSSD for non-routine background screening and this could cause substantial delays, especially the last two years given the global pandemic. Not only does such an applicant NOT NEED to request copies of personal records from IRCC, CSIS, or CBSA, to be aware of this, it is highly unlikely that such requests will reveal much, probably not even a shadow indication of the referral to CBSA and its NSSD.

My App is in Background check, it is almost 5 months after PAL.

I checked with all offices, those who issues my documents i.e Nikha office, HR department of my Company, University, Banks, local Police office, Friends who gave letters etc but IRCC or any other never contacted them to verify my Documents,

Question...
WHAT TYPE OF BACKGROUND CHECK IRCC IS DOING?

You should and probably do know more about this than anyone here, based on what you know about yourself, your background, your situation.

As noted above, often if not most of the time, it only appears the application is waiting for a background check, but really is just sitting in queue waiting for the responsible local office processing agent to get to it to take the next step.

Otherwise, if in fact progress in processing the application is waiting on some non-routine background screening, on the IRCC side that is well behind the confidentiality curtain; at best, well-crafted customized ATIP requests might reveal shadow indications of what is happening but for the most part any information about it will be redacted. In contrast, again, you know your history, your background, your situation, and the information you provided in your application (and in previous applications, as well as in the course of Port-of-Entry Secondary examinations, if any), so again you probably have the most insight into what issues, if any, are affecting background screening of your application.

Observation regarding "Friends who gave letters . . . "

Given this topic is about background checks for citizenship applicants, it would be extraordinary for a citizenship applicant to submit such letters.

-- if submitted without request, that suggests an unusual concern on the applicant's part to begin with, and whatever that concern is, that at least points in the direction of a likely issue​

-- if submitted in response to a request for additional information and documentation, well, that's explicit notice of non-routine processing, which is most likely RQ-related, which illuminates plenty . . . recognizing that RQ-related non-routine processing can range from minor concerns with a minimal impact to full blown RQ, with varying degrees of investigation along the way, which as previously noted might include a referral to CBSA's NSSD for more extensive background screening​

BTW, this would be the correct explanation. Background Checks comprises of criminality and security checks. Criminality checks are conducted by RCMP and Security checks by CSIS.

And here's some explanation about the BG checks I posted a couple of months back =>

https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/july-2020-citizenship-application.692123/post-9456754

For clarity, as noted above (and more than a few other times in the forum), background checks comprise a LOT, LOT more than the formal clearances from the RCMP (as to criminality) and CSIS (as to security).

There is a GCMS background check done EACH and EVERY time any action is taken on a citizenship application. This includes at least screening of criminal name-records, which for sure includes U.S. NCIC (FBI) name-record databases as well as RCMP.

And as noted above, actually most non-routine background screening for IRCC consists of screening or investigation done by the CBSA's NSSD, by referral.

Otherwise, the scope of background checks encompasses a wide, wide range of inquiries regarding any information in the applicant's file. As I have also noted before, and often, IRCC can and more than occasionally does probe open source information, including Internet based social media, with LinkedIn being among the more commonly referenced sources, and which can include screening similar names as well as those the applicant lists in the application. This can include conducting such inquiries into the employers listed by the applicant in work history, or various inquiries focused on other information such as the applicant's address history. For the latter, for example, that is regarding both employers and address history, separate GCMS checks can be done, as CBSA and IRCC have databases with information in regards to specific employers and addresses. It can be rather complex and intensive, but no big deal for the vast majority of applicants, since (for example) for most there will be NO hits in GCMS for flagged employers or addresses or telephone numbers, and such.

 

[Dicko007]

Background check is done by processing application where your education and experience credentials are from - this task verifies your claims and authenticity of documents.

Security check is done by Canadian intelligence and security agencies, with or without cooperation of proper authorities in countries you lived/stayed in, and it is done completely independently from IRCC - IRCC only gets result, which will be positive or negative, without any explanation (as it is classified). This task looks deep into your life(LinkedIn Facebook), activities and associations to find out if you are/were involved or are/were associated in any way with anyone who is/was involved in espionage, terrorism, organized crime, radical movements, crimes against humanity, war crimes, etc..

Criminal check looks into your police certificates and verifies with relevant countries to see if you have a criminal record that may make you inadmissible to Canada.

Please I have a concerned which I would like to know ur view on. I am a PR applicant under spousal sponsorship, I was asked to provide school records showing date of birth, I can only provide my school certificates high school and University but my both schools attended doesn't include date of birth on Certificate and I don't have any other to provide. Question: Would it be an issue if I upload the certificates as it is what I can provide or show as school records.? Please I need your view on this.

 

[Dicko007]

I have a question and want some ones view on it. Spousal PR Applicant, I was asked to upload school records showing date of birth, my school certificates does not carry date of birth on them, would it be an issue if I upload them, as Certificates are the only school documents I can provide .

 

[MFH99]

Hello,
I need advice on the Canadian citizenship application would really appreciate some guidance. I am almost done with the application. I just stopped at the address history question. My actual addresses are only 3 for my eligibility period but on my driving license history its 5 addresses if I go through the history. The question is should I go with the driving license address history or the actual 3 addresses. I don't have an idea how does IRCC performs the background check would they check the address from driving licence history or some other source. Thanks looking forward to your help.

 

[skidmarkz]

hi guys, does Background Verification covers everything such as fingerprints (COC) from overseas polices, RCMP fingerprints?
thx