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Deadline calculator

Two dates matter once you apply or are refused: the day IRCC must answer your GCMS notes request, and the last day to ask the Federal Court for judicial review. Enter a date to see both, counted the way the law counts them.

When must IRCC answer my GCMS notes request?

The date on IRCC's acknowledgement. If you filed online, usually the day you submitted.
The request was made under

Last day to seek judicial review of a refusal

The day you received the refusal, or otherwise learned of it.
The matter arose

Not sure which applies? Use the shorter deadline and ask a lawyer. This covers judicial review under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act only; appeals to the Immigration Appeal Division and citizenship decisions have their own deadlines.

See the officer's reasons We file your GCMS notes request with IRCC the same business day. No Canadian status needed. From USD 19.
Order GCMS notes

How the dates are counted

  • The first day is not counted. "Within 30 days after" a day means counting starts the next day; the last day counts.[5]
  • A holiday at the end moves the deadline. If the last day falls on a holiday, the deadline becomes the next day that is not a holiday.[6] For IRCC's deadline Saturday is not a holiday; for Federal Court filings it is.[8] The calculator flags Sundays and the national holidays the Act names, but does not move the date for you: provincial and municipal holidays also count and vary by place, and filing early is always safe.
  • Privacy Act requests: IRCC must answer within 30 days,[1] and can extend once by up to 30 more days (longer only for translation or an alternative format), telling you in writing within the first 30 days.[2]
  • Access to Information Act requests: the same 30 days,[3] but an extension can be for any reasonable period; IRCC must give notice within the first 30 days and tell the Information Commissioner if the extension is over 30 days.[4]
  • Judicial review: the application for leave is filed in the Federal Court within 15 days (in Canada) or 60 days (outside Canada) after you are notified of the decision. A judge may extend the time for special reasons.[7] Ordering GCMS notes does not pause this deadline.

General information, not legal advice. Related guides: tracking a GCMS notes request · GCMS notes after a refusal · processing time

Official sources

  1. Privacy Act, section 14 — Justice Laws
  2. Privacy Act, section 15 — Justice Laws
  3. Access to Information Act, section 7 — Justice Laws
  4. Access to Information Act, section 9 — Justice Laws
  5. Interpretation Act, section 27 — Justice Laws
  6. Interpretation Act, section 26 — Justice Laws
  7. Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, section 72 — Justice Laws
  8. Federal Courts Rules, rule 2 ("holiday") — Justice Laws