What GCMS is
The Global Case Management System (GCMS) is the system IRCC and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) use to process immigration, visa and permit applications. It holds client identification, address history, education, criminality, medical and travel history. Requesting your GCMS notes means asking for the records IRCC holds on your application.
People usually request them when an application runs past the posted processing time with no change in the online status, or after a refusal to see the reasons.
Two ways to request
| Law | Who can request | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Privacy Act | Canadian citizens, permanent residents and foreign nationals, wherever they are, for their own personal information | None |
| Access to Information Act | Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or individuals and corporations in Canada | C$5 |
For your own file, the Privacy Act route is open to you even if you live outside Canada.
How to request
- Go to the federal ATIP Online Request service.
- Select Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and the law that applies, from the table above.
- Enter the applicant's details, with the UCI (the 8 or 10 digit number, 0000-0000 or 00-0000-0000, on every IRCC document) and the application number.
- For an Access to Information Act request, pay C$5 online by credit or debit card, and keep the confirmation.
You can also request by mail with form IMM 5563, the Treasury Board's access request form, or a letter naming the law, sent to the Access to Information and Privacy Division, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1L1.
Requesting for someone else
To request another person's information, include the Consent for an Access to Information and Personal Information Request (IMM 5744), signed by that person. Include one form for each person on the file of the required age: 16 or older for a Privacy Act request, over 18 for an Access to Information Act request.
Processing time
IRCC must answer within 30 days of receiving the request. An Access to Information Act request can be extended when it covers a large number of records, needs outside consultations, or requires notice to a third party. A Privacy Act request can be extended by up to 30 more days.
After you receive the notes
If the file shows a concern, do not rush to send documents nobody asked for: uncoordinated documents can complicate the record. A licensed consultant can read the file, find the fact in question, and prepare evidence for a formal request or a targeted letter of explanation.
You are responsible for all the information in your application, even if a representative completes it for you.