CBSA Officer

[labhouise]

Hi
Just wondering if CBSA officers have access to our files or just the same information as the call centre agents.
I know a friend of a friend who is a CBSA officer and I was thinking of asking her about my application
Thanks
Lab

[CharlieD10]

They likely would have access to the files.  However, their system is set-up such that anytime anyone accesses a file, it is logged.  If she doesn't have good reason for doing so, it might be questioned.

[labhouise]

They likely would have access to the files.  However, their system is set-up such that anytime anyone accesses a file, it is logged.  If she doesn't have good reason for doing so, it might be questioned.

Thanks CharlieD
I guess I best just wait
At this point I just want to know, one way or another 
Thanks

[lonely2011]

No they do not have access to our files, I called them once out of desparation when I didn't know what happened to my file after I won appeal (btw I still don't)

[labhouise]

No they do not have access to our files, I called them once out of desparation when I didn't know what happened to my file after I won appeal (btw I still don't)

Oh Ok. Thanks Lonely
Back to waiting it is !!

[Creampop]

The CBSA officers do have access to your file. This is how I know... in Oct 2011 I was asked to leave for over staying my visit...immigration officers had came to our door took my passport I had to go into the immigration office here, when I went in I explained that we had wanted to apply common-law but had to have a yr living together. I had even went to that very office and asked what I needed to do and was informed we just needed to live together. the lady had given me the application and she wrote everything down for me which happened to be on letter head they used at the office, thank god. Anyway since it was miscommunication I was just asked to leave on my own she explained to me how to do it the right way. Gave me the receipt to take to the bank to prove the fees were paid, I was to use it when crossing back over cus the information could take up to 3 months to get into the CBSA system... now I understand the 3 months, thats how long it takes to get sponsorship approval.

Waiting sux!! big time!!

[labhouise]

The CBSA officers do have access to your file. This is how I know... in Oct 2011 I was asked to leave for over staying my visit...immigration officers had came to our door took my passport I had to go into the immigration office here, when I went in I explained that we had wanted to apply common-law but had to have a yr living together. I had even went to that very office and asked what I needed to do and was informed we just needed to live together. the lady had given me the application and she wrote everything down for me which happened to be on letter head they used at the office, thank god. Anyway since it was miscommunication I was just asked to leave on my own she explained to me how to do it the right way. Gave me the receipt to take to the bank to prove the fees were paid, I was to use it when crossing back over cus the information could take up to 3 months to get into the CBSA system... now I understand the 3 months, thats how long it takes to get sponsorship approval.

Waiting sux!! big time!!

Hi Creampop
Thanks for that.
I'm going to email her. If it logs up on the system, so be it
Tired of waiting, well over a year now.
Thanks 

[scylla]

Hi
Just wondering if CBSA officers have access to our files or just the same information as the call centre agents.
I know a friend of a friend who is a CBSA officer and I was thinking of asking her about my application
Thanks
Lab

Your friend would have signed a information access / information use / confidentiality agreement as part of the hiring process. If she access a file for personal reasons (your request would qualify as a personal reason), she could be fired. I honestly wouldn't put her in this position.

[labhouise]

Your friend would have signed a information access / information use / confidentiality agreement as part of the hiring process. If she access a file for personal reasons (your request would qualify as a personal reason), she could be fired. I honestly wouldn't put her in this position.

Oh, I didn't realise that.
Ok, I guess I just have to wait.
Thanks Scylla

[scylla]

Oh, I didn't realise that.
Ok, I guess I just have to wait.
Thanks Scylla

Yeah - it's too bad you can't use a contact. Would have been nice...

Anyone with access to government records has to sign the same type of agreement that banking employees do (and I'm sure people in other industries). I'm in financial services and know of several instances were employees were fired with cause for looking up information for a friend. These types of violations are taken extremely seriously and it doesn't matter if the friend asked the employee to do it -it's still a violation that's punishable by termination. In financial services we have to re-sign this agreement annually to confirm we understand the rules and related punishments for violations.

[labhouise]

Yeah - it's too bad you can't use a contact. Would have been nice...

Anyone with access to government records has to sign the same type of agreement that banking employees do (and I'm sure people in other industries). I'm in financial services and know of several instances were employees were fired with cause for looking up information for a friend. These types of violations are taken extremely seriously and it doesn't matter if the friend asked the employee to do it -it's still a violation that's punishable by termination. In financial services we have to re-sign this agreement annually to confirm we understand the rules and related punishments for violations.

Thanks so much Scylla, I would hate to have put her in that position
I will just keep waiting, but as the time goes on I am getting very worried 

[NBaker]

It all depends on what you mean by 'file'.

If you are referring to a physical paper file CBSA may have their own file or files related to an individual if there was enforcement action involved with the person concerned. A particular officer would only have access to the paper files held in their office unless other parts were sent to another office and combined. The paper file will likely contain information not available to the call centre. It is not necessarily true that access to files is logged even though it should. Privacy Act charges and the officer's security clearance are what could be jeopardized if information is improperly released.

CIC may (will) also have paper files at various offices if applications were sent for processing and contains separate information from CBSA and to what the call centre has access.

There is also information in various computer databases which may be available to CBSA and CIC or to only one or the other.

If you wish to provide authority to disclose to someone you may do so. That could include a CBSA officer, but that officer still needs to request the information appropriately from the appropriate department in the same way as any other person to whom authority to disclose is given in order to provide it to a third party.