Obtaining refugee documents...

[LeisaP]

Hey,
My husband was a failed refugee and when we came back to mexico to apply for sponsorship he misplaced the envelope with his refugee forms, for example, his letter stating why he was denied, PIF, etc.

Now that we are getting close to the end of the process, we may be requested for an ARC. If we are sometimes they ask for copies of these forms.

Since we dont have it and our immigration consultant told us we wouldnt need it because cic has access to that internally, we didnt bother to get this any sooner.

Does anyone know how I can contact either the vancouver refugee office, or the refugee office online and request a copy of this document (refusal letter, stating decisions why it was refused)... any help would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[computergeek]

You may ask for a copy of the file. That may take a couple of months, but that is legally required under the "access to information and privacy" system. See http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/atip/requests-personal.asp. If you don't have someone in Canada who can request this on your husband's behalf, you can engage with a commercial service to do so for a modest fee. I have used http://www.caips.ca/ in the past.

 

[LeisaP]

You may ask for a copy of the file. That may take a couple of months, but that is legally required under the "access to information and privacy" system. See http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/atip/requests-personal.asp. If you don't have someone in Canada who can request this on your husband's behalf, you can engage with a commercial service to do so for a modest fee. I have used http://www.caips.ca/ in the past.

thanks for the link! very helpful.
I will be going back to canada on sunday.
will i need to stay in canada the whole time while we wait for it. or am i allowed to leave for a vacation and such. ?
do you know if they send it via email or mail and to my husbands address in mexico, or mine in canada?

thanks!

 

[computergeek]

thanks for the link! very helpful.
I will be going back to canada on sunday.
will i need to stay in canada the whole time while we wait for it. or am i allowed to leave for a vacation and such. ?
do you know if they send it via email or mail and to my husbands address in mexico, or mine in canada?

It's not like sponsorship - it's just that it has to be requested by someone in Canada. I cannot imagine you'll have any problems.

If you order a copy of the actual physical file, you will get scanned copies on a CD-ROM and it will be sent to your Canadian address via mail. DO make sure you get your husband to sign off on the form giving you permission to access his personal information.

You might be able to ask for JUST the pertinent materials. If it's smaller than 25 pages, they'll send it via e-mail. I do this with my own applications - I just ask for electronic notes usually and those come via e-mail.

Good luck!

 

[LeisaP]

It's not like sponsorship - it's just that it has to be requested by someone in Canada. I cannot imagine you'll have any problems.

If you order a copy of the actual physical file, you will get scanned copies on a CD-ROM and it will be sent to your Canadian address via mail. DO make sure you get your husband to sign off on the form giving you permission to access his personal information.

You might be able to ask for JUST the pertinent materials. If it's smaller than 25 pages, they'll send it via e-mail. I do this with my own applications - I just ask for electronic notes usually and those come via e-mail.

Good luck!

Okay great thanks!, we will give this a go!,

 

[LeisaP]

Sorry computergeek 1 more question

i use the same use of representative form to order gcms notes as i would for the refugee papers right ?

 

[computergeek]

Sorry computergeek 1 more question

i use the same use of representative form to order gcms notes as i would for the refugee papers right ?

You can use a standard use of representative form, yes. You may also use IMM5475 (http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/forms/IMM5475E.pdf) which is much more restrictive than a use of representative form.

 

[LeisaP]

You can use a standard use of representative form, yes. You may also use IMM5475 (http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/forms/IMM5475E.pdf) which is much more restrictive than a use of representative form.

okay! great thanks so much for your help!

 

[scorpion_ca]

okay! great thanks so much for your help!

If you submit "Use of a Representative form", CIC wouldn't release you information. You need to submit IMM5475E form in order to get info under the Access to Information Act in Canada. It's kind of funny... even a representative needs to submit IMM5475E form to access info for their clients.

You can request that you want to receive info by email. It doesn't matter how many pages on that documents. It depends on the file size that your email address can receive such as gmail email account can receive messages up to 25 megabytes (MB) in size.

 

[LeisaP]

If you submit "Use of a Representative form", CIC wouldn't release you information. You need to submit IMM5475E form in order to get info under the Access to Information Act in Canada. It's kind of funny... even a representative needs to submit IMM5475E form to access info for their clients.

You can request that you want to receive info by email. It doesn't matter how many pages on that documents. It depends on the file size that your email address can receive such as gmail email account can receive messages up to 25 megabytes (MB) in size.

O okay! thank you so much!
so i need IMM5475E to get the information we need.

do you know exactly how to request it.
do we just send an email to them with the attached form, or do we have to mail it to the office with a letter saying what we want and my husbands info along with the form.. if im correct this is the website

http://www.irb-cisr.gc.ca/eng/contact/Pages/atip-aiprp.aspx

?? please direct me to a different website if im wrong. But this seems like the proper information.
and even though our refugee was in vancouver and went through that office, i still need to request it from the address in the link right ?

thanks so much!!

 

[scorpion_ca]

O okay! thank you so much!
so i need IMM5475E to get the information we need.

do you know exactly how to request it.
do we just send an email to them with the attached form, or do we have to mail it to the office with a letter saying what we want and my husbands info along with the form.. if im correct this is the website

http://www.irb-cisr.gc.ca/eng/contact/Pages/atip-aiprp.aspx

?? please direct me to a different website if im wrong. But this seems like the proper information.
and even though our refugee was in vancouver and went through that office, i still need to request it from the address in the link right ?

thanks so much!!

I cannot make any comment for the above website but I always use the following website to access info.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/atip/index.asp

There are other forms (two forms & payment receipt) that you need to submit along with $5 payment receipt (you can pay online). Browse thoroughly the link I have given you as well as forms and you will find all the info you need. You can email your request to CIC.

 

[LeisaP]

I cannot make any comment for the above website but I always use the following website to access info.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/atip/index.asp

There are other forms (two forms & payment receipt) that you need to submit along with $5 payment receipt (you can pay online). Browse thoroughly the link I have given you as well as forms and you will find all the info you need. You can email your request to CIC.

o okay!, i just assumed because it was a refugee file, i would need to get it from the refugee board..
but i suppose immigration would have all the files no matter what it is right.

thanks for the link! youve been very helpful!

 

[computergeek]

If you submit "Use of a Representative form", CIC wouldn't release you information. You need to submit IMM5475E form in order to get info under the Access to Information Act in Canada. It's kind of funny... even a representative needs to submit IMM5475E form to access info for their clients.

According to the IMM5563 form instructions:

Requesting information for another individual?
You can access the Use of a Representative form at the following link: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/representative.asp or the Authority to Release Personal Information to a Designated Individual form at the following link: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/release-info.asp.

So their own instructions say they will release this information. I know my own attorney has pulled my own electronic notes in the past just using an IMM5476 as well. I've also used the IMM5475 form as well.

 

[scorpion_ca]

According to the IMM5563 form instructions:

So their own instructions say they will release this information. I know my own attorney has pulled my own electronic notes in the past just using an IMM5476 as well. I've also used the IMM5475 form as well.

Thanks for the info.

I am representing one of my family members for FSW application as an unpaid representative and I applied for information at the beginning of this year. I contacted CIC over phone and they informed me that they wouldn't release info unless I submit IMM5475. Therefore, I had to submit IMM5475 along with other forms even though I am the representative of this FSW application.

Things have been changed at CIC.....that's good.

 

[LeisaP]

Thanks for the info.

I am representing one of my family members for FSW application as an unpaid representative and I applied for information at the beginning of this year. I contacted CIC over phone and they informed me that they wouldn't release info unless I submit IMM5475. Therefore, I had to submit IMM5475 along with other forms even though I am the representative of this FSW application.

Things have been changed at CIC.....that's good.

O okay, thats good to know.
I read through the link you gave me and everything makes sense now!,
thanks again, you have been more than helpful, we will be able to request the information now without any delays