How to Get GCMS Notes from Outside Canada
How to Get GCMS Notes from Outside Canada
If you live outside Canada, you can still obtain the records that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) holds about your application, including the notes in the Global Case Management System (GCMS). This guide explains, using official IRCC information only, what you can request from abroad, when a Canadian representative is required, and how the process works. Every statement below is sourced from IRCC, with references listed at the end of the page.
Yes — you can request your own records from abroad
According to IRCC, Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and foreign nationals — regardless of where they are located — can request access to their personal information held by federal government institutions under the Privacy Act.[1] IRCC confirms that individuals may make a request under the Privacy Act for their personal information held by IRCC.[2] In other words, being outside Canada does not prevent you from requesting your own immigration personal information.
When a Canadian representative is required
For broader records requested under the Access to Information Act, the rules are different. Canadian citizens, permanent residents and any individual present in Canada can make a request directly. If you are none of these, you must ask a representative who is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident to make the request for you, with your written consent.[3] This is the role we perform for clients abroad — we act as your authorized representative and obtain your complete application file on your behalf. Access to Information Act requests carry a $5.00 application fee.[4]
Request your records from anywhere in the world
We submit the request to IRCC and, where required, act as your authorized Canadian representative.
Order GCMS NotesHow the request is submitted
Requests can be submitted online through IRCC’s ATIP Online Request tool (which sends the request automatically to the Access to Information and Privacy Division), or in writing using IRCC’s form IMM 5563 or the Treasury Board forms TBC/CTC 350-57 and 350-58, mailed to the ATIP Division in Ottawa.[5]
IRCC has 30 days to respond to a formal request, though this period may be extended in certain circumstances.[6]
Frequently asked questions
I am not a Canadian citizen and I live abroad — can I still get my notes?
Yes. For your own personal information, the Privacy Act lets you request regardless of where you are located.[1] For an Access to Information Act request, you would use a representative who is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, with your written consent.[3]
How long will it take to reach me overseas?
IRCC has 30 days to respond to a formal request; this may be extended in certain circumstances.[6]
Is there a fee?
Access to Information Act requests require a $5.00 application fee.[4]
Official sources
All information on this page is based on official Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) information:
- Who can make a request under the Privacy Act? — IRCC
- Access to information and privacy — IRCC (Canada.ca)
- Who can make a request under the Access to Information Act? — IRCC
- What is the fee for an Access request? — IRCC
- How and where do I submit an Access to Information or Privacy request? — IRCC
- How long does the Department have to respond? — IRCC