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Automated Correspondence in the Global Case Management System – Acknowledgment of Receipt for Permanent Residence Applications and Port of Entry Letters of Introduction
Summary
This Operational Bulletin (OB) provides instructions to Global Case Management System (GCMS) users regarding the new process to create an Acknowledgment of Receipt (AOR) for overseas and in-Canada permanent residence (PR) applications, for Family Class (FC) sponsorship applications, or when issuing port of entry (POE) letters of introduction.
Issue
The intent of this OB is to inform of the new automated acknowledgment of receipt (AOR) and POE letters being introduced with the July 18, 2011, GCMS release.
Background
As part of the initiative to introduce Service Standards, a decision was made to expand the use of AOR letters across all lines of business (LOBs) in an effort to improve client service. AORs are meant to enhance proactive, timely and transparent communication with clients on the status of their application and give clients the ability to check application status.
The first phase of the AOR project includes the standardization of AORs for LOBs that already issue AORs.The new July 18, 2011, GCMS release presented an opportunity to switch from manual, paper-based AORs to automatically-generated e-mail AORs. As part of this release, generic AORs for PR and sponsorship applications, as well as POE letters of introduction, can be automatically generated and sent by e-mail. For the remaining LOBs, new AORs will be implemented in future releases.
AORs or POE letters of introduction will be issued by e-mail to the client or their representative (if applicable) when a valid e-mail address has been provided. For further guidance on e-mail communication with clients, please refer to the CIC Protocol on E-mail Communications with Clients and to OB 265. In the case where no e-mail is provided or is incorrect, a paper AOR or POE letter of introduction will be issued by mail to the client or representative.
Which LOBs are affected by this OB?
AORs
All PR and FC applications created in GCMSon or after July 18, 2011, including overseas and in-Canada applications will have automated AORs sent to the e-mail address of the principal applicant, sponsor, or representative, accordingly. In line with the 2011 GCMS roll-out schedule, the following PR and FC applications will have automated AORs:
* July 18, 2011:
o All PR applications created at offices that currently have GCMS (visa offices, Central Intake Office – Sydney (CIO), Centralized Processing Pilot – Ottawa);
o All FC applications created at the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-Mississauga).
Note: Offices re-creating applications in GCMS from the Computer-Assisted Immigration Processing System, the Field Operations Support System, or the CPC system will need to cancel the automated AOR by setting the status of the Auto E-mail correspondence record to “Cancelled”.
* August 15, 2011: In-Canada FC applications created at Case Processing Centre – Vegreville (CPC-Vegreville).
* December 1, 2011: In-Canada Protected Person and Convention Refugee applications for PR created at CPC-Vegreville.
* Details on other applications that will be created in GCMS after December 2011 will follow at a later date.
For overseas and in-Canada PR applications, the automated AORs will be sent to the e-mail address associated to the application for the principal applicant or authorized representative (if applicable).
This excludes any FC applications created in Canada (CPC-Mississauga / CPC-Vegreville) where the sponsorship and immigration applications are created at the same time in GCMS. Since the sponsorship and immigration applications will share the same application number in GCMS, one AOR will be automatically created and sent to the e-mail address associated to the application for the sponsor or authorized representative (if applicable).
POE letters
As of July 18, 2011, once a visa exempt study permit (SP) or work permit (WP) is approved and the permit has a status of “Completed”, GCMS will automatically generate an e-mail with the letter of introduction as an attachment. For visa exempt SP or WP applicants where an e-mail address for the principal applicant was NOT entered on the GCMS application and for applicants requiring a visa, GCMS will create a POE letter of introduction record with a status of “Not Started” on the Correspondence Outgoing view once the application status is “Closed”. GCMS sets the application status to “Closed”, once the control documents are “Completed” and/or “Confirmed”. For temporary resident permits, there is no change in the way correspondence is generated and sent.
Office issuing the AOR
Since the automated AOR is triggered by the office creating the application in GCMS, the AORs will be issued in the following way:
Immigration category Office issuing the AOR
Federal Immigrant Investor Program
* CIO creates the PR application and the AOR is automatically sent by that office to the PA or authorized representative.
* The visa office must manually send an AOR to the PR applicant or authorized representative once PR file is received.
Federal Skilled Worker Program
* Because of short processing times between application creation in GCMS and eligibility letter, CIO cancels the AOR.
* The visa office must manually send an AOR to the PR applicant or authorized representative once PR file is received.
Family Class applications for:
* Parents and grandparents
* CPC-Mississauga will automatically send the AOR to the sponsor or authorized representative.
* The visa office must manually send an AOR to the PR applicant or authorized representative once PR application is received.
Priority Family Class applications:
* Spouse, common-law partner or dependent child
* Adopted children, children to be adopted, orphans and other family classes
* Because of short processing times between file creation and sponsor eligibility letter, CPC-Mississauga cancels the AOR.
* The visa office must manually send an AOR to the PR applicant or authorized representative once application is received.
Other overseas PR applications
* For applications sent directly to the visa office, the visa office creates the application in GCMS and automatically issues the AOR to the PA or authorized representative.
In-Canada PR applications
(In accordance with GCMS release) AOR will be issued by CPC-Vegreville:
* to the sponsor or authorized representative, in the case of in-Canada sponsorship applications;
* to the PA or authorized representative, for other in-Canada applications.
Instructions: Issuance of AORs and POE letters of introduction
The following procedures explain what steps should be taken to issue AORs and POE letters of introduction. A consistent use of these procedures will also allow CIC to collect accurate data in regards to timelines between application received and correspondence sent to clients.
If… Then…
AOR for PR applications and for sponsor POE letter of introduction for visa exempt SP or WP applicant
the applicant provided an e-mail address on their application form and this e-mail address is associated with the GCMS application, GCMS will automatically generate the AOR when the application is successfully promoted, and e-mail the AOR approximately 24 hours later. Please refer to sample AORs in appendices A and B. GCMS will automatically generate an e-mail with the POE letter of introduction as an attachment once the permit is “’Completed”. The e-mail with the POE letter attachment will be sent approximately 24 hours later. Please refer to sample POE automated e-mail and letter of introduction in appendices C and D.
the applicant did not provide an e-mail address on their application form,
the AOR and POE letter of introduction will continue to be generated and sent in the same way as it is currently – the letter will be generated through a Word template in the T drive, and the officer will mail it to the principal applicant, sponsor, or representative (if applicable), accordingly. Officers must go back into the applicant’s GCMS application and update the Status to “Sent”.
Note: Officers may wish not to issue AORs if case processing times are very short and assessment letter is issued within a short time after the application is received.
the e-mail provided is incorrect, the returned e-mail will arrive in the GCMS e-mail box. The e-mails will be monitored and forwarded to the generic IMMIGRATION box of each office for them to check and, if possible, correct the e-mail address. The e-mail can then be resent by manually creating the Auto E-mail correspondence record and setting the status to “Sent”, or the letter can be resent by paper mail.
the e-mail address provided had not been entered in the GCMS application, the officer must enter the e-mail address for the client and associate it to the application. The officer must manually create the Auto E-mail correspondence record and set the status to ‘Sent’ or resend via paper mail.
the officer needs to cancel an automatically generated e-mail, the officer will have a 24 hour window to cancel an automatically generated e-mail for an AOR or POE letter, by setting the status of the Auto E-mail correspondence record to “Cancelled”.
the officer needs to request additional documents, the officer must create a separate letter/e-mail for additional documents requested.
the applicant requests a WP or SP and requires a TRP, the officer must cancel the automatically generated e-mail for the WP/SP POE letter of introduction, generate the letter manually through the Word template in the T drive, and send it to the applicant with the TRP letter of introduction.
the e-mail AOR or POE letter of introduction needs to be sent before the 24 hour waiting period, the officer must manually send the e-mail and update the status of the auto e-mail correspondence record to “Sent”.
Note that it will not be possible to preview auto-generated e-mails for AORs or for POE letters of introduction, although it is possible to view the POE letter attachment prior to it being sent. Auto-generated e-mails will not be saved in GCMS. Once the e-mail is sent, GCMS will update the status on the auto e-mail correspondence record to “Sent”. All e-mails sent from GCMS will originate from Client-update-mise-a-jour@cic.gc.ca. The display name for this e-mail address will appear as: "Do Not Reply – Ne pas répondre”.
For additional information
For additional GCMS instructions on the new automated issuance of letters, please refer to the release notes for GCMS release 3, available on GCMS Latest News as of July 18, 2011.
If you have any questions on the GCMS procedures contained in this OB, please contact GCMS-SMGC@cic.gc.ca. For questions on the program content of this OB, please contact OMC-GOC-Immigration@cic.gc.ca.
Appendix A: Sample AOR for permanent residence applications
UCI: 87532972
Application No.: E000002427
Quote these numbers when corresponding with our office.
This is an automated message. Please DO NOT RESPOND to this message.
Dear [Principal applicant’s given name and family name],
This confirms that your application for permanent residence in Canada was received by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) on 2011/06/29.
When should I contact CIC?
You must notify CIC of any changes to your application. Examples of changes include:
* Change in your personal circumstances, such as birth or adoption of a child, a marriage or a divorce.
* Change of contact information (e-mail, mailing address, telephone number).
* Appointment or change of immigration representative or designated individual.
* Decision to withdraw your application.
To notify CIC of changes to your application, visit www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/offices and select the office stated below.
When will CIC contact me?
CIC will contact you if we require additional information, documents, or an interview. For general guidance on what to expect, you can visit www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications and consult the “What happens next” section of the instruction guide associated with the application form you used.
How do I check the status of my application?
You may use either the Unique Client Identifier (UCI) or Application Number above to check the status of your application on the CIC website. Please visit www.cic.gc.ca/english and in the “I Need To …” section on the right-hand side of the page, select “Check application status.”
How long will it take to process my application?
Processing times vary. You can consult the processing times for reference at: www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/times
Please be aware that answering e-mails takes time away from processing applications. For this reason, unless your application has exceeded normal processing times, please limit your correspondence to notifying us of changes in your application.
How can I prepare for immigration to Canada?
Please consult the following resources about settlement in Canada:
* For information on language assessment and training, visit www.cic.gc.ca/english/newcomers/before-language-training.asp.
* For information on employment, visit www.credentials.gc.ca and www.workingincanada.gc.ca.
* For information on housing, education, health, important documents, and other topics, visit www.cic.gc.ca/english/newcomers/live.
We trust that this information concerning your application for permanent residence in Canada is helpful.
Centralized Intake Office
P.O. Box 7500
Sydney, NS
B1P 0A9
www.cic.gc.ca
This is an automated message. Please DO NOT RESPOND to this message.
By providing your e-mail address on your application form, you authorized CIC to transmit your file and personal information to this specific e-mail address. Please ensure that this e-mail address is checked regularly. Any e-mails sent to you by CIC will end in “@cic.gc.ca” or “@international.gc.ca.” Please add these to your “safe senders” list in your e-mail program and check the junk mail folder in case important e-mails get filtered. If CIC is advised that the e-mail address you provided is not functional or no longer exists, we will communicate with you by mail.
Like other forms of communication, e-mail communications may be vulnerable to interception by unauthorized parties. If you do not wish us to communicate with you by e-mail, please notify us at your earliest convenience. In the absence of such notification, your consent is assumed. Should you choose to allow us to communicate by e-mail, we will not take any additional security measures (such as encryption).
The contents of this message may contain confidential and/or privileged subject matter. Any use of this information by anyone other than the intended recipient is prohibited. If this message has been received in error, please contact the sender and delete all copies.
Appendix B: Sample AOR for sponsor
UCI: 87532974
Application No.: F000001424
Quote these numbers when corresponding with our office.
This is an automated message. Please DO NOT RESPOND to this message.
Dear [Sponsor’s given name and family name],
This confirms that your application to Sponsor a Member of the Family Class was received by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) on 2011/06/29 on behalf of the following member(s):
[Family member(s) given name and family name]
When should I contact CIC?
You must notify CIC of any changes to your application. Examples of changes include:
* Changes in your personal circumstances, such as birth or adoption of a child, a marriage or a divorce,
* Change of contact information (e-mail, mailing address, telephone number),
* Appointment or change of immigration representative or designated individual.
* Decision to withdraw your application.
To notify CIC of changes to your application you may contact this office at the address identified below. You may also contact the Call Centre, toll-free, at 1-888-242-2100. Changes to your address may be made through our online service at www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/change-address.asp.
What happens next?
For further information about the sponsorship process, please refer to CIC’s website at www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/sponsor/index.asp.
You have the option to withdraw your application at any point in the process. You may be eligible for a refund of the sponsorship fee or the permanent resident application fee if processing of your file has not yet begun.
How do I check the status of my application?
You may use the either the Unique Client Identifier (UCI) or Application Number above to check the status of your application on the CIC website. Please visit www.cic.gc.ca/english and in the “I Need To …” section on the right-hand side of the page, select “Check application status.”
How long will it take to process my application?
Processing times vary. You can consult the processing times for reference at www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/times/perm-fc.asp.
Please be advised that CIC will contact you as soon as your application is reviewed. We trust that this information concerning your Application to Sponsor a Member of the Family Class is helpful.
Case Processing Centre – Mississauga
P.O. Box 6100, Station A
Mississauga, ON
L5A 4H4
www.cic.gc.ca
This is an automated message. Please DO NOT RESPOND to this message.
By providing your e-mail address on your application form, you authorized CIC to transmit your file and personal information to this specific e-mail address. Please ensure that this e-mail address is checked regularly. Any e-mails sent to you by CIC will end in “@cic.gc.ca” or “@international.gc.ca.” Please add these to your “safe senders” list in your e-mail program and check the junk mail folder in case important e-mails get filtered. If CIC is advised that the e-mail address you provided is not functional or no longer exists, we will communicate with you by mail.
Like other forms of communication, e-mail communications may be vulnerable to interception by unauthorized parties. If you do not wish us to communicate with you by e-mail, please notify us at your earliest convenience. In the absence of such notification, your consent is assumed. Should you choose to allow us to communicate by e-mail, we will not take any additional security measures (such as encryption).
The contents of this message may contain confidential and/or privileged subject matter. Any use of this information by anyone other than the intended recipient is prohibited. If this message has been received in error, please contact the sender and delete all copies.
Appendix C: Sample automated e-mail for POE letter of introduction for approved visa exempt SP/WP applicants
UCI: 80011535
Application No.: S300001262
Quote these numbers when corresponding with our office.
This is an automated message. Please DO NOT RESPOND to this message.
Dear [Principal applicant’s given name and family name],
Please find in the attached document information concerning your application. If you are unable to view or did not receive the attached document, please advise us by forwarding this e-mail to https://dmp-portal.cic.gc.ca/cice-mail/intro-eng.aspx?mission=kingston
High Commission of Canada
Visa Section
3 West King’s House Road
P.O. Box 1500
Kingston 10
Jamaica
www.jamaica.gc.ca
www.cic.gc.ca
This is an automated message. Please DO NOT RESPOND to this message.
By providing your e-mail address on your application form, you authorized CIC to transmit your file and personal information to this specific e-mail address. Please ensure that this e-mail address is checked regularly. Any e-mails sent to you by CIC will end in “@cic.gc.ca” or “@international.gc.ca.” Please add these to your “safe senders” list in your e-mail program and check the junk mail folder in case important e-mails get filtered. If CIC is advised that the e-mail address you provided is not functional or no longer exists, we will communicate with you by mail.
Like other forms of communication, e-mail communications may be vulnerable to interception by unauthorized parties. If you do not wish us to communicate with you by e-mail, please notify us at your earliest convenience. In the absence of such notification, your consent is assumed. Should you choose to allow us to communicate by e-mail, we will not take any additional security measures (such as encryption).
The contents of this message may contain confidential and/or privileged subject matter. Any use of this information by anyone other than the intended recipient is prohibited. If this message has been received in error, please contact the sender and delete all copies.
Appendix D: Sample POE letter of introduction for approved SP/WP applicants
Date:
UCI:
Application no.:
[Applicant’s name]
[Applicant’s address]
Dear [Applicant’s name],
Your application to study or work in Canada has been approved.
Your study or work permit will be issued to you upon arrival in Canada, subject to your compliance with the requirements of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and its Regulations. It will allow you to study or work in Canada for a temporary period only. Read the terms and conditions carefully.
Type:
Permit - SP / Permis - PE Document no.:
F000000382 Permit validity (YYYY/MM/DD):
2013/06/27
You must enter Canada no later than the validity date noted above. If you have been issued a visa, you must also enter no later than the visa validity date.
This letter is not a passport or travel identification, and it is not a legal authorization permitting you to enter or remain in Canada.
To facilitate your arrival in Canada, inform the officer of the reason for your visit (study or work) and present this letter with your passport. United States citizens entering Canada from the U.S. may show proof of citizenship (a birth certificate or a naturalization certificate, and photo identification) instead of a passport. United States permanent residents entering Canada from the U.S. may show their “green card” instead of a passport and photo identification. Your passport or U.S. travel identification must be valid, and must be valid beyond the period you intend to remain in Canada. If it is not, the validity of your study or work permit will likely be limited to correspond to the validity date of your passport or U.S. travel identification.
In some provinces or territories, students and foreign workers are not eligible for public health insurance. You must ensure that you and any dependants have adequate health-care insurance or financial resources to cover possible contingencies. Further information is available from the ministry of health of the province or territory in which you intend to study or work.
If you have a work permit, please be aware that foreign workers are protected by labour and employment laws. You are entitled to work in a safe workplace where your health is protected. If an employer does not pay the wages to which you are entitled, you can file a complaint with the federal or provincial/territorial department responsible for employment standards.
IMPORTANT: Regulations have established a maximum cumulative duration of four years that a Temporary Foreign Worker can work in Canada. After four years of work has been accumulated, a period of 48 months spent not working in Canada must elapse before another work permit can be issued, with some limited exceptions. You are encouraged to keep track of any time you have not worked in Canada and retain any documents which can prove the time which you did not work. For more information on this, please visit our Website at www.cic.gc.ca/english/work.
Thank you.
High Commission of Canada
Visa Section
3 West King’s House Road
P.O. Box 1500
Kingston 10
Jamaica
Website: www.jamaica.gc.ca
Application Enquiry: https://dmp-portal.cic.gc.ca/cice-mail/intro-eng.aspx?mission=kingston
.Is anybody around that timeline received good news kindly post your time lines its help for everybody.Did anybody had an idea how much more time i can expect on my application its very frustrating waiting everyday .And can we email delhi office or its not a good idea.Kindly share your info
