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GCMS Notes

thevisawhisperer

Champion Member
Jun 10, 2020
2,001
343
West Coast
GCMS notes contain information on every action taken by IRCC and the applicant. If you have an application refused, for example, the GCMS notes will tell you the officer's actual reasons for the refusal, instead of the check boxes that don't tell you anything specific. Ordering GCMS note won't affect an application.
 

caipsnotes

Champion Member
Jan 10, 2020
2,493
1,059
Canada
Category........
FSW
Visa Office......
Buffalo, NY

mpsqra

Champion Member
Jul 6, 2017
1,095
281
Category........
QSW
Visa Office......
CPC Ottawa
I am Permanent Résident, Can I apply for GCMS notes? I've never done before.
 

caipsnotes

Champion Member
Jan 10, 2020
2,493
1,059
Canada
Category........
FSW
Visa Office......
Buffalo, NY
I am Permanent Résident, Can I apply for GCMS notes? I've never done before.
Yes, you can and for free. Select the Privacy Act to obtain your own information for free. In fact you can also obtain the notes for your friends/family as well for which the fee is $5
 

mpsqra

Champion Member
Jul 6, 2017
1,095
281
Category........
QSW
Visa Office......
CPC Ottawa
Yes, you can and for free. Select the Privacy Act to obtain your own information for free. In fact you can also obtain the notes for your friends/family as well for which the fee is $5
thanks
 

mpsqra

Champion Member
Jul 6, 2017
1,095
281
Category........
QSW
Visa Office......
CPC Ottawa
Yes, you can and for free. Select the Privacy Act to obtain your own information for free. In fact you can also obtain the notes for your friends/family as well for which the fee is $5
what should I do in this part? <<Use the space below to provide relevant information to help IRCC process your request (maximum 500 characters).>>
I just want to know, nothing relevant right now
 

CanUK333

Hero Member
Jun 18, 2019
279
146
United Kingdom
Category........
FAM
GCMS notes are the only way to see what exactly has been worked on in your file. Some people order GCMS notes on a regular basis to track the progress of what is being done on their case. 12+ months is a long time to sit and wait and sometimes months and months go by without any status update on your file, so ordering GCMS notes is a way of seeing the progress.

Other people order the notes when a decision has been made that they want more clarification on. The notes will indicate the reasoning behind this decision.

These notes are the actual notes made by the officer regarding their work on your file. They can tell you things like what files have been shared between officers/offices, what information has been requested for different countries, what information has been discovered for background check, officers notes on eligibility and reasons behind, etc.

It does not hurt your case to request these notes, it is your legal right to have access to your files.
 

caipsnotes

Champion Member
Jan 10, 2020
2,493
1,059
Canada
Category........
FSW
Visa Office......
Buffalo, NY
what should I do in this part? <<Use the space below to provide relevant information to help IRCC process your request (maximum 500 characters).>>
I just want to know, nothing relevant right now
That's for optional information, e.g. if someone changed their legal name and wants to include other alias or in another example an applicants wants to include the file numbers for all his family members . It's not a required field.
 
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mpsqra

Champion Member
Jul 6, 2017
1,095
281
Category........
QSW
Visa Office......
CPC Ottawa
That's for optional information, e.g. if someone changed their legal name and wants to include other alias or in another example an applicants wants to include the file numbers for all his family members . It's not a required field.
thanks
 

mohdmayar

Star Member
May 31, 2017
156
28
21 pages were withheld from my GCMS notes pursuant to section 16 (1) (c) of access to information Act ???? (They just do not want to admit that they had treated an immigrant same way they did with indigenous 100 years ago.)

This might be one of the problems in IRCC: IRCC receives confidential instructions from X. IRCC does not tell the applicant that technically his application is on hold. "Due process" they mentioned in Canada discovery has exceptions. And some people are above the law. No doubt about this.

Whenever you go to elections, as an Canadian citizen who had immigrated to Canada, chose the Candidate that recognize immigrants' rights. That is going to be a big issue in the future. Immigrants will suffer too much if the wrong people are elected.
 
Last edited:

caipsnotes

Champion Member
Jan 10, 2020
2,493
1,059
Canada
Category........
FSW
Visa Office......
Buffalo, NY
21 pages were withheld from my GCMS notes pursuant to section 16 (1) (c) of access to information Act ???? (They just do not want to admit that they had treated an immigrant same way they did with indigenous 100 years ago.)

This might be one of the problems in IRCC: IRCC receives confidential instructions from X. IRCC does not tell the applicant that technically his application is on hold. "Due process" they mentioned in Canada discovery has exceptions. And some people are above the law. No doubt about this.

Whenever you go to elections, as an Canadian citizen who had immigrated to Canada, chose the Candidate that recognize immigrants' rights. That is going to be a big issue in the future. Immigrants will suffer too much if the wrong people are elected.
You can file a complinat with the OIC https://www.oic-ci.gc.ca/en/about-the-oic and have them review if the 21 pages withheld under 16 (1) (c) are justified.
 

Phalos

Champion Member
Jun 19, 2020
2,566
1,293
1.These notes are the actual notes made by the officer regarding their work on your file. They can tell you things like what files have been shared between officers/offices, what information has been requested for different countries, what information has been discovered for background check, officers notes on eligibility and reasons behind, etc.

2. It does not hurt your case to request these notes, it is your legal right to have access to your files.
Point#1
I agree with an exception that notes in eligibility are censored out during an ongoing application if Visa Officer feels applicant will gain an inside advantage.

Point#2 I disagree. Its your legal right request notes at any time, HOWEVER, and I cannot stress this enough-
Your Visa Officer assigned to your case will be going over the notes to see if there is anything needed to be CENSORED out that would give you an advantage.
According to law, gcms notes can be censored during an ongoing application or procedure, if, an officer feels that divulging such information would affect the process.
 

caipsnotes

Champion Member
Jan 10, 2020
2,493
1,059
Canada
Category........
FSW
Visa Office......
Buffalo, NY
And the point of that would be???
Sections 15 and 16 are related to background and security checks. Ircc has the right to withhold any information pertaining to how and what those checks contain.
You will be just wasting your time.
Not necessarily, for discrentainary class exemptions there can and is variability in how information is released. For the exact same information, IRCC may withhold the information while CBSA may release it. For mandatory class exemptions both institutions will withold the information.